Madeleine-Mary
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A tune that all can carry
Burly says if we don't sing
Then we won't have anything
All the boys on ship set sail
And the mate was Madeleine-Mary
When her eyes did fill with tears
It was extraordinary
For we none of us could see it
For she kept herself kept below
And all her feelings private
Sing a song of Madeleine-Mary
A tune that all can carry
Burly says if we don't sing
Then we won't have anything
None of us could get a glimpse
But all of us did want it
At night, above our sleeping heads
Our sleeping dreams were haunted
So now my kids you'd like to hear
Of one who reached and got her
Well, if there was, well, I think
He sleeps beneath the water
Sing a song of Madeleine-Mary
A tune that all can carry
Burly says if we don't sing
Then we won't have anything
The lyrics to Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's song Madeleine-Mary tell the story of a ship's voyage where the mate is a woman named Madeleine-Mary. The lyrics reveal that the crewmembers are intrigued by her and want to know more about her. However, despite their desires, the crewmembers cannot get a glimpse of Madeleine-Mary's persona as she keeps herself secluded and private. Nevertheless, the men are still captivated by her, and their dreams are haunted by her magnificence.
The repetitive line "Sing a song of Madeleine-Mary, a tune that all can carry" serves as a call to action for the crew members to sing about this woman and keep her memory alive. The line "Burly says if we don't sing, then we won't have anything" emphasizes the importance of memory and how it is essential to preserve it. Despite the mysteriousness of Madeleine-Mary's character, the crew members feel her essence and understand her significance, and that is why they are compelled to commemorate her.
In essence, Madeleine-Mary is a symbolic representation of the fleetingness of beauty and how it is essential to treasure and remember it. The song emphasizes the significance of honoring the memory of someone, even if they do not reveal themselves fully, become a fugitive memory, and exist only in remembrance, making their presence ever so important.
Line by Line Meaning
Sing a song of Madeleine-Mary
Let us all sing a melody of Madeleine-Mary
A tune that all can carry
A melody that everyone can hum or sing along
Burly says if we don't sing
Burly insists that not singing will leave us with nothing
Then we won't have anything
If we do not sing, we will not have any memories or joy from singing
All the boys on the ship set sail
All the male individuals on board the ship departed to their destination
And the mate was Madeleine-Mary
The officer in charge of the vessel was a lady known as Madeleine-Mary
When her eyes did fill with tears
When Madeleine-Mary's eyes got filled with tears
It was extraordinary
It was exceptional and unusual
For we none of us could see it
None of us could observe or notice it
For she kept herself kept below
She secluded herself below deck
And all her feelings private
And she kept all her thoughts, emotions and sentiments to herself
None of us could get a glimpse
No one could catch a glance of her tears or feelings
But all of us did want it
Even if no one saw her tears, everyone wanted to know what was causing them
At night, above our sleeping heads
During the night, while we were sleeping and unconscious
Our sleeping dreams were haunted
Our dreams were disturbed or troubled by Madeleine-Mary's mysterious tears
So now my kids you'd like to hear
So now, children, you would want to know
Of one who reached and got her
About the one who understood her and managed to approach her
Well, if there was, well, I think
If there was someone like that, then I believe
He sleeps beneath the water
He died at sea and his resting place is beneath the water
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kerman Guy
Sing a song of Madeleine mary
A tune that all can carry
Girl says if we don't sing
Then we won't have anything
All the boys on ships set sail
And the maid was Madeleine mary
And her eyes did fill with tears
It was extraordinary
It was extraordinary
For none of us could see it
For she kept herself
Kept below
And all her feelings private
Sing a song of Madeleine Mary
A tune that all can carry
Girl says if we don't sing
Then we won't have anything
None of us could get a glimpse
But all of us did want it
At night above our sleeping heads
Our sleeping dreams were haunted
So now my kids, you'd like to hear
Of one who reached and got her
Well if there was well I think
He sleeps beneath the water
Sing a song of Madeleine Mary
A tune that all can carry
Girl says if we don't sing
Then we won't have anything
Shea Roberts
I was in a dark place in my life when I was listening to this album. But I love it so much. I look back now and while this defines that time for me, I regret nothing and love that this music got me through it.
Sarianna Saberwolf
I feel like being in a dark place while listening to this album could be dangerous <3
Mi Da
Forgot about this track until I heard it on a stream recently. Most favorite track in the album!
ednocondriaco
¡Muy buen album!
Doozle
Found this while researching one chord songs. One of the best BPB songs I've heard
Sara Bonaventura
When her eyes did fill with tears It was extraordinary It was extraordinary For we none of us could see it
Kerman Guy
Sing a song of Madeleine mary
A tune that all can carry
Girl says if we don't sing
Then we won't have anything
All the boys on ships set sail
And the maid was Madeleine mary
And her eyes did fill with tears
It was extraordinary
It was extraordinary
For none of us could see it
For she kept herself
Kept below
And all her feelings private
Sing a song of Madeleine Mary
A tune that all can carry
Girl says if we don't sing
Then we won't have anything
None of us could get a glimpse
But all of us did want it
At night above our sleeping heads
Our sleeping dreams were haunted
So now my kids, you'd like to hear
Of one who reached and got her
Well if there was well I think
He sleeps beneath the water
Sing a song of Madeleine Mary
A tune that all can carry
Girl says if we don't sing
Then we won't have anything
David Perdue
it's a cross between irish folk and reggae and it's beautiful and amazing. will oldham is the best.
Foxtrot Hotel
Never thought of it as Irish folky sounding till you said it.The vocals definitely are.
Cameron Robert
Great description!