Song of the Sea
Cake Bake Betty Lyrics


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Picture of me
On your colour tv
Bet he's holding the home
Skins a-salty with the breeze
Gotta look
When you open those books
I dream of the sea
Big Ships is meant for…

Maybe I'm meant for the sea
It's there swinging from my family tree
Starting to breathe so heavily
Grandpa telling me of his days in the navy
I was alive for a moment you see
He was there when I woke
He was there when I woke

Maybe I'm meant for the sea
It's there swinging from my family tree
Maybe I'm meant for the sea
Grandpa Albert had it made for me

Maybe I'm meant for the sea
We pass it by so passively
And all that's said is what we know
We'll watch it come
We'll watch it go
And underneath
Its plain to see
That we're not meant for history

Maybe I'm meant for the sea
It's there swinging from my family tree




Maybe I'm meant for the sea
Grandpa Albert had it made for me

Overall Meaning

"Song of the Sea" by Cake Bake Betty is a song about being called to the ocean, and about the pull the sea has on certain people. The song begins by describing a person looking at a picture of themselves on a colour TV, and imagining someone they know holding down their home while out at sea. The person in the song dreams about being at sea, and the lyrics make it clear that they believe they are meant for this life. They reference their family history, with grandpa telling stories about his days in the navy, and how this connection to the ocean is part of who they are.


The lyrics reflect on how, as humans, we tend to pass by the sea passively without fully understanding its significance. The sea is often taken for granted, and the song suggests that we are missing out on something important by doing so. The song ends on a hopeful note, insisting that despite humans not being meant for history, some are meant for the sea, and that connection to the ocean is a vital part of their identity.


Overall, "Song of the Sea" is a wistful, haunting song that speaks to the pull of the ocean on certain people, and the importance of embracing our inherent connections to the natural world. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and the melody has a dreamy quality that further emphasizes the sense of longing and nostalgia in the song.


Line by Line Meaning

Picture of me
Representation of my physical form


On your colour tv
Displayed through a television broadcast in color


Bet he's holding the home
I imagine he is holding down the fort back home


Skins a-salty with the breeze
My skin covered in salt due to the influence of the wind


Gotta look
I must observe


When you open those books
Referring to books as a gateway to knowledge and imagination


I dream of the sea
I envision myself in the vast, endless ocean


Big Ships is meant for...
Remainder of the line is not provided


Maybe I'm meant for the sea
Perhaps I'm destined for an existence in the ocean


It's there swinging from my family tree
My ancestry has a history of seafarers


Starting to breathe so heavily
Feeling overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation


Grandpa telling me of his days in the navy
My grandfather recounts his experiences serving in a naval force


I was alive for a moment you see
A sense of deep, brief emotional connection was established


He was there when I woke
My grandfather was present upon my awakening


Maybe I'm meant for the sea
Repeated assertion of a personal narrative regarding an affinity for the ocean


Grandpa Albert had it made for me
My grandfather facilitated my destiny as a seafarer


We pass it by so passively
We often overlook the significance of the sea in our lives


And all that's said is what we know
Our understanding of the ocean is limited to that which we already know


We'll watch it come
Observing the ocean's presence


We'll watch it go
Observing the ocean's absence


And underneath
Below the surface level of the ocean


Its plain to see
The ocean's significance is clear and evident


That we're not meant for history
Human beings are not meant to be immortalized in history, unlike the ocean which will exist forever




Contributed by Grace W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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