Will Oldham (born 24 December 1970, Louisville, Kentucky) is an American si… Read Full Bio ↴Will Oldham (born 24 December 1970, Louisville, Kentucky) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and musician. His music is often (perhaps inappropriately) placed under the genre of "alt-country". Oldham has recorded under many names, including Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers, and Bonnie Billy. He often plays and records with other musicians, including David Pajo and his brothers Ned and Paul Oldham, but is generally the chief creator of the music. He has also been involved in musical projects and bands such as Amalgamated Sons of Rest, The Anomoanon, The Boxhead Ensemble, Tortoise, and The Sundowners as well as releasing his first solo album in 1993. Oldham has said that the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy moniker has many references. These include 'Bonnie' Prince Charlie, an 18th century Jacobite; Billy the Kid, the 19th century American outlaw also known as William Bonney; and the American singer Nat King Cole. He has also appeared in several films, such as the 1987 film Matewan and most recently in Old Joy (released in late 2006). He is also the photographer of the cover image of the slint album Spiderland.

Madeleine Mary
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

All the boys on ship set sail
And the mate was Madeleine-Mary
When her eyes did fill with tears

It was extraordinary
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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's "Madeleine Mary" are sung from the perspective of a group of sailors on a ship, paying homage to a woman on board the ship named Madeleine-Mary. The song is simple, with a chorus that repeats twice in a row: "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 speak to the power of music and the importance of sharing stories and songs to keep memories alive, even if those memories are painful.

The second verse tells us more about Madeleine-Mary, who was apparently the mate on the ship. When she began to cry, it was seen as something extraordinary given her typically reserved and private nature. The other sailors didn't know what had caused her tears, but they were haunted by her emotions, even in their dreams. The final verse imagines what might have happened to Madeleine-Mary: the listener is told that maybe someone on the ship had loved her, but that they are no longer alive. The emphasis, though, is not on her love story but on the importance of singing and remembering.

Overall, the song is a simple but effective tribute to the power of music and shared experience. The repetition of the chorus underscores the sense of community singing together, while the details about Madeleine-Mary create a sense of mystery and intrigue.

Line by Line Meaning

Sing a song of Madeleine-Mary
Let's sing a song about Madeleine-Mary

A tune that all can carry
A melody that everyone can hum along with

Burly says if we don't sing
Burly believes that if we don't sing,

Then we won't have anything
we won't have anything worthwhile

All the boys on ship set sail
All the boys on the ship went to sea

And the mate was Madeleine-Mary
Their mate, or crew member, was Madeleine-Mary

When her eyes did fill with tears
When she cried

It was extraordinary
It was an unusual event

For we none of us could see it
None of us saw her cry

For she kept herself kept below
She stayed hidden away below deck

And all her feelings private
And kept her emotions to herself

None of us could get a glimpse
We couldn't see anything of her emotions

But all of us did want it
But we all wanted to know

At night, above our sleeping heads
While we slept

Our sleeping dreams were haunted
Our dreams were troubled

So now my kids you'd like to hear
So now, my children, you might be interested to hear

Of one who reached and got her
About someone who tried to console her

Well, if there was, well, I think
If there was someone who comforted her, I believe

He sleeps beneath the water
He likely died at sea and is now buried in the water

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Kerman Guy

7y↑8

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

All comments from YouTube:

Shea Roberts

6y↑7

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.