On the Border
Al Stewart Lyrics
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Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border
The wind whips up the waves so loud
The ghost moon sails among the clouds
Turns the rifles into silver on the border
On my wall the colours of the maps are running
From Africa the winds they talk of changes coming
The hand that sets the farms alight
Has spread the word to those who're waiting on the border
In the village where I grew up
Nothing seems the same
Still you never see the change from day to day
And no-one notices the customs slip away
Late last night the rain was knocking at my window
I moved across the darkened room and in the lampglow
I thought I saw down in the street
The spirit of the century
Telling us that we're all standing on the border
In the islands where I grew up
Nothing seems the same
It's just the patterns that remain
An empty shell
But there's a strangeness in the air you feel too well
The fishing boats go out across the evening water
Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border
The wind whips up the waves so loud
The ghost moon sails among the clouds
Turns the rifles into silver on the border
On the border
On the border
On the border
Al Stewart's "On The Border" is a song that delves into the theme of political and social turmoil. The song's opening lines depict the smuggling of weapons across the Spanish border, which creates a sense of tension and a feeling of danger. The subsequent lines describe the changes that are taking place across the globe, as symbolized by the winds that are blowing from Africa. These winds speak of change, and the torches that flare up in the night signify the uprising that's occurring in the form of rebellions and movements that attempt to alter the status quo.
The song goes on to describe the nostalgia that the singer feels for his childhood home, where he grew up in a village where "nothing seems the same." He speaks of a "strangeness in the air" that he feels, indicating that he senses something is amiss. In the final verse, the focus returns to the fishing boats crossing the water to smuggle illegal arms. The instruments of warfare are turned into silver in the ghost moon's light, signifying the illusion and the fleeting nature of power.
Line by Line Meaning
The fishing boats go out across the evening water
Illegal activities are happening as fishing boats cross the evening water to smuggle guns and arms across the border.
Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border
The illegal smuggling of guns and arms across the Spanish border is a common occurrence.
The wind whips up the waves so loud
The waves are so loud due to the strong winds.
The ghost moon sails among the clouds
The moon obscured by the clouds looks like a ghost, signaling a foreboding atmosphere.
Turns the rifles into silver on the border
The moonlight shines on the rifles, turning them into silver objects.
On my wall the colours of the maps are running
The colors on the maps on his wall represent political changes that are taking place in Africa.
From Africa the winds they talk of changes coming
The wind brings with it a message of changes that are coming from Africa.
The torches flare up in the night
Torches are used to create light in the darkness of the night.
The hand that sets the farms alight
People are setting fire to farms as a form of protest against the current state of affairs.
Has spread the word to those who're waiting on the border
The message has been conveyed to people who are eagerly waiting on the border for any sort of change.
In the village where I grew up
The speaker is referring to the town where they spent their childhood years.
Nothing seems the same
The town that was once familiar seems to have changed a lot since the artist left.
Still you never see the change from day to day
Change is gradual and may not be noticed from day to day.
And no-one notices the customs slip away
People may not realize that certain customs or traditions are disappearing over time.
Late last night the rain was knocking at my window
The rain was heavy and could be heard knocking on the singer's window late at night.
I moved across the darkened room and in the lampglow
The artist moved around their dark room and the only light came from a lamp.
I thought I saw down in the street
The artist was sure they saw something moving down on the street from their window.
The spirit of the century
The spirit of change that defines this century.
Telling us that we're all standing on the border
The spirit of the century is giving a message that everyone is standing on the border of change, where anything is possible.
In the islands where I grew up
The artist is now talking about the islands where they grew up.
Nothing seems the same
The artist notices that things have changed since they left the islands.
It's just the patterns that remain
Although things have changed, there are still some patterns that remain the same.
An empty shell
The singer feels like something they were once familiar with is now empty and hollow.
But there's a strangeness in the air you feel too well
There is a definite strangeness in the air that can be felt by everyone.
On the border
The line is repeated to reinforce the message of being on the brink of change and possibility.
On the border
The line is repeated to reinforce the message of being on the brink of change and possibility.
On the border
The line is repeated to reinforce the message of being on the brink of change and possibility.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALISTAIR IAN STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MyelinProductions
"On The Border"
The fishing boats go out across the evening water
Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border
The wind whips up the waves so loud
The ghost moon sails among the clouds
Turns the rifles into silver on the border
On my wall the colours of the maps are running
From Africa the winds they talk of changes coming
The torches flare up in the night
The hand that sets the farms alight
Has spread the word to those who're waiting on the border
In the village where I grew up
Nothing seems the same
Still you never see the change from day to day
And no-one notices the customs slip away
Late last night the rain was knocking at my window
I moved across the darkened room and in the lampglow
I thought I saw down in the street
The spirit of the century
Telling us that we're all standing on the border
In the islands where I grew up
Nothing seems the same
It's just the patterns that remain
An empty shell
But there's a strangeness in the air you feel too well
The fishing boats go out across the evening water
Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border
The wind whips up the waves so loud
The ghost moon sails among the clouds
Turns the rifles into silver on the border
On the border
On the border
On the border
Christopher Santana
THIS SONG IS STILL A PURE CLASSIC AFTER 45 YEARS.
Tony B
I remember when my mom brought that album home and taking the plastic off
sherrylynn70 aka Sentimental Journey Productions
Still gives me goosebumps. Timeless
Lisaann11
Agreed :)
Canterbury Tales
Anyone else out there agree that Al Stewart was criminally under-rated as a vocalist? i remember in 76-78 there were music critics who actually trashed his vocal style. This song, and his vocals have only gotten better with time.
Gray Beard
I think a lot of the reason he was under rated was the fact that most do not know and understand the production value of Alan Parsons
White Punks Vevo
critics are untalented wannabee,s
Silent Bob
He’s brilliant!
dbkparm
I agree!!
dbkparm
saladdogger oh, for Christ's sake.