Beach
Alf Whitby Lyrics
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And I've seen boats, sailing off into the unknown,
I've seen stones, wearing under constant load,
But I can't make a moment last,
No I won't ever get this back,
Evanescent bliss don't last,
Inevitably doomed to pass,
Wish I could take it on a last stroll, overturn the pebbles
If the moon was any brighter it wouldn't be so clear,
The ripples moving through the years, the whispered tones,
Watch the shoreline making gains please wash away these grains,
That cling to me wherever I go, and weight my soul,
Why can't life be this slow, its collecting a hefty toll,
But I can't make a moment last,
I won't ever get this back,
Evanescent bliss don't last,
Inevitably doomed to pass.
The lyrics of Alf Whitby's song "Beach" express the poignant and bittersweet nature of life, as well as the seeming transience of moments that we hold dear. The song opens with the singer reflecting on the many tides that have come and gone, and the boats that have sailed off into the unknown. The metaphor of the stones wearing under constant load further emphasizes the transience of existence, noting that even seemingly permanent things can change and fade away with time.
The central theme of the song is the desire to hold on to moments of happiness and joy, and the frustration and sadness that comes with their inevitable passing. The singer laments that he can't make a moment last, and that he won't ever get that time back. The evanescent bliss of life is doomed to pass, regardless of our wishes and desires. The desire to hold on to these moments is further emphasized by the image of overturning pebbles and kicking away the things of the past, in an effort to let them go.
The final lines of the song express a longing for a slower, more peaceful life, and a desire to be free of the heavy weight of the past. The singer wishes that life could be slower so that the toll it takes on us might be lessened. However, the singer accepts that this is not possible and that moments are inevitably fleeting.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen so, many tides come and go,
I have witnessed countless high and low tides in my time.
And I've seen boats, sailing off into the unknown,
I've witnessed boats steering off into the distance with an uncertain fate.
I've seen stones, wearing under constant load,
I noticed that rocks undergo wearing and tearing with constant pressure.
But I can't make a moment last,
Despite the fleeting beauty that surrounds me, I cannot make any moment stay forever.
No I won't ever get this back,
I know that the beauty I see will be lost forever.
Evanescent bliss don't last,
The ephemeral happiness that I experience fades away quickly.
Inevitably doomed to pass,
The passing of time is an inevitable truth.
Wish I could take it on a last stroll, overturn the pebbles
I wish I could walk along the beach one more time, disturb the pebbles, and let go of everything that passed.
And kick away the things that passed, and let them go,
I want to stand on the sand and let go of things that happened in the past.
If the moon was any brighter it wouldn't be so clear,
The beauty of the moon and its reflection on the water is so clear that increasing its brightness would ruin it.
The ripples moving through the years, the whispered tones,
The waves' ripples and the melodies the sea whispers have a connection that moves through time.
Watch the shoreline making gains please wash away these grains,
I observe the shoreline becoming wider, and I wish the sand grains that weigh me down can be washed away.
That cling to me wherever I go, and weight my soul,
The memories that stick to me everywhere I go are weighing me down.
Why can't life be this slow, its collecting a hefty toll,
Life's fast pace is taking a toll on me, and I wish it could slow down.
But I can't make a moment last,
Regardless of my desire to make time stand still, it never will.
I won't ever get this back,
The moments I experience cannot be retrieved.
Evanescent bliss don't last,
The fleeting happiness I feel will not endure.
Inevitably doomed to pass.
The passage of time is unavoidable.
Writer(s): Alf Whitby
Contributed by Alyssa J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.