The Leaving of Liverpool
Amadan Lyrics
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Mersey River, fare thee well
I am bound for California, a place I know right well.
So fare thee well, my own true love
When I return united we will be
It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me
But my darlin' when I think of thee
And Burgess is the captain of her,
And they say that she's a floating hell
So fare thee well my own true love
When I return united we will be
It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me
But my darlin' when I think of thee
The ship is in the harbor, love
And I wish I could remain
For I know it will be a long, long time before I will see you again
So fare thee well, my own true love
When I return united we will be
It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me
But my darlin' when I think of thee
"The Leaving of Liverpool" is a traditional folk song of Irish origin, which is about a young sailor who is leaving Liverpool to journey to California in search of gold. The song is sung from the perspective of the sailor, who is bidding farewell to his loved ones as he sets out on his voyage. He bids farewell to the Princes' landing stage and the Mersey River, before boarding the Yankee's sailing ship, "Davy Crockett". The sailor is unsure if he will ever see his true love again and the thought of this causes him great sadness.
The song's lyrics evoke emotions of homesickness, longing, and hope. The sailor is confident that he will return home someday and reunite with his true love. However, the uncertainty of whether he will ever see her again lingers in his mind. The captain of the Davy Crockett is referred to as Burgess, and the ship has a reputation for being a hellish voyage. But despite the challenges, the sailor remains firm in his conviction to make the trip to California. The song poignantly captures the human emotions of love and loss, hope and despair, and the determination to pursue one's dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Farewell thee well, to Princes' landing stage
Goodbye to the dock where the ships depart
Mersey River, fare thee well
Goodbye to the river that flows to the sea
I am bound for California, a place I know right well.
I am headed to a familiar place, California
So fare thee well, my own true love
When I return united we will be
Goodbye, my love. When I come back, we'll be together again
It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me
But my darlin' when I think of thee
Leaving Liverpool doesn't make me sad, but thinking of you does
I boarded the yankee's sailin' ship, "Davy Crockett" is her name
And Burgess is the captain of her,
And they say that she's a floating hell
I got on the American sailing ship, Davy Crockett. Burgess is the captain and they say it's a terrible ship
The ship is in the harbor, love
And I wish I could remain
For I know it will be a long, long time before I will see you again
The ship is in the harbor and I wish I could stay with you. But it will be a long time before I see you again
Contributed by Jeremiah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.