Born to a working-class family, Ferry studied fine art and taught at a secondary school before pursuing a career in music. In 1970 he began to assemble the rock band Roxy Music with a group of friends and acquaintances in London, and took the role of lead singer and main songwriter. The band achieved immediate international success with the release of their eponymous debut album in 1972, containing a rich multitude of sounds, which reflected Ferry's interest in exploring different genres of music. Their second album, For Your Pleasure (1973), further cultivated the band's unique sound and visual image that would establish Ferry as a leading cultural icon over the next decade.
Ferry began a parallel solo career in 1973 by releasing These Foolish Things, which popularized for the first time the concept of a contemporary musician releasing an album covering standard songs and was a drastic departure from his ongoing work with Roxy Music. His second album, Another Time, Another Place (1974), featured as its cover image Ferry posing by a pool in a white dinner jacket and represented one of his most impactful fashion statements. Over the next two years, Roxy Music released a trilogy of albums, Stranded (1973), Country Life (1974) and Siren (1975), which broadened the band's appeal internationally and saw Ferry take greater interest in the role of a live performer, reinventing himself in stage costumes ranging from gaucho to military uniforms.
Ferry disbanded Roxy Music following the release of their best-selling album Avalon in 1982 to concentrate on his solo career, releasing further singles such as "Slave to Love" and "Don't Stop the Dance" and the UK no. 1 album Boys and Girls in 1985. Including his work with Roxy Music, Ferry has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
As well as being a prolific songwriter, Ferry has recorded many cover versions, including standards from the Great American Songbook, in albums such as These Foolish Things (1973), Another Time, Another Place (1974), Let's Stick Together (1976), Taxi (1993) and As Time Goes By (1999), as well as Dylanesque (2007), an album of Bob Dylan covers. In 2019, Ferry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Roxy Music.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Ferry
Studio albums
These Foolish Things (1973)
Another Time, Another Place (1974)
Let's Stick Together (1976)
In Your Mind (1977)
The Bride Stripped Bare (1978)
Boys and Girls (1985)
Bête Noire (1987)
Taxi (1993)
Mamouna (1994)
As Time Goes By (1999)
Frantic (2002)
Dylanesque (2007)
Olympia (2010)
The Jazz Age (2012)
Avonmore (2014)
Bitter-Sweet (2018)
Song to the Siren
Bryan Ferry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I did all my best to smile
'Til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle
And you sang
Sail to me
Sail to me
Let me enfold you
Here I am
Waiting to hold you
Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you hare when I was fox?
Now my foolish heart is leaning
Broken lovelorn on your rocks,
For you sing, "Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow:
O my heart, o my heart shies from the sorrow."
Here I am
Here I am
I am puzzled as the newborn child
I am riddled at the tide:
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Should I lie with Death my bride?
Hear me sing, "Swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you:
Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you."
Here I am
Here I am
I am puzzled as the newborn child
I am riddled at the tide:
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Should I lie with Death my bride?
Hear me sing, "Swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you:
Here I am, here I am..."
In Bryan Ferry's Song To The Siren, the lyrics describe a sense of confusion and uncertainty in the singer's heart, as he struggles with his feelings of love and longing for someone who seems just out of his reach. The opening lines set the tone for the song, with the singer feeling lost and isolated at sea, until he is drawn in by the allure of the "singing eyes and fingers" of the woman he desires. She sings to him, beckoning him to sail to her, to let her enfold him and hold him close. Yet, as the song progresses, the singer's doubts and fears begin to surface. He wonders if his feelings are reciprocated, if she dreams of him as he dreams of her. He feels tossed about by the ocean waves, unsure if he should risk everything to reach her, or if he should simply accept defeat and let himself be consumed by the waves of despair. The last lines of the song serve as a plea from the singer to his lover, asking her to take a leap of faith with him in order to find true happiness and fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Long afloat on distant oceans
I have spent a long time away from civilization, traveling far and wide.
I did all my best to smile
Even though I was feeling lonely, I pretended to be happy.
'Til your singing eyes and fingers
Until I saw the way you looked at me and felt your touch.
Drew me loving to your isle
You drew me towards you with love, like a lost sailor to a welcoming island.
And you sang
You expressed your emotions through your voice.
Sail to me
Come to me, travel towards my direction.
Sail to me
Repeating the desire for me to come to you.
Let me enfold you
Allow me to embrace you.
Here I am
I am present, I am here.
Here I am
Repeating the fact that I am here.
Waiting to hold you
I am eager to embrace you.
Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Did I imagine that you were dreaming of me?
Were you hare when I was fox?
Were you avoiding me when I was pursuing you?
Now my foolish heart is leaning
My affectionate heart is now swaying towards you.
Broken lovelorn on your rocks,
I am emotionally shattered and heartbroken because of you.
For you sing, "Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow:
You communicated to me that you did not want to be touched, and that I should return tomorrow.
O my heart, o my heart shies from the sorrow."
My heart is afraid of the pain that comes with rejection and sorrow.
I am puzzled as the newborn child
I am confused and innocent, like a newborn baby.
I am riddled at the tide:
I am uncertain and unsure, like a boat at sea during changing tides.
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Should I face the rough waves and challenges?
Should I lie with Death my bride?
Should I give up and accept my fate, even if it means death?
Hear me sing, "Swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you:
I am now the one calling out to you, asking you to come to me and let me embrace you.
Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you."
Just like before, I am still here waiting for you, ready to hold you once you arrive.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Larry Beckett, Tim Buckley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind