I Will Set My Ship In Order
Capercaillie Lyrics
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I will sail her on the sea
I'll go far over yonder border
To see if my love minds on me
And he sailed east and he sailed west
He sailed far, far seeking land
Until he came to his true love's window
"Oh who is that at my bedroom window?
Who knocks so loud and would be in?"
"'Tis I, 'tis I, your ain true lover
And I am drenched untae my skin
So go and go and ask your faither
And see if he'll let you marry me
If he says no, come back and tell me
And it's the last time I'll trouble thee"
"My father's in his chamber writing
Setting down his merchandise
And in his hand he holds a letter
And it speaks much in your dispraise
My mother's in her chamber sleeping
And words of love she will not hear
So you may go and court another
And whisper softly in her ear"
Then she arose, put on her clothing
It was to let her true love in
But e're she had the door unlockit
His ship was sailing on the main
"Come back, come back, my ain dear Johnny
Come back, come back and marry me"
"How can I come back and marry you, love?
Our ship is sailing on the sea"
The fish may fly, and the seas run dry
The rocks may melt doon wi' the sun
And the working man may forget his labor
Before that my love returns again
She's turned herself right roun' about
She's flung herself intae the sea
Farewell for aye, my ain dear Johnny
Ye'll ne'er hae tae come back to me
The song "I Will Set My Ship In Order" by Capercaillie is a lament about a man who sails across the sea to see if his love still thinks about him. He knocks on his love's bedroom window and asks her to talk to her father to see if he would allow them to marry. However, her father has already read a letter and has disapproved of him. Her mother is not interested in his words of love either. So, the man leaves the girl's house, and she puts on her clothes to open the door but discovers that his ship had sailed away. In despair, she throws herself into the sea, saying her goodbyes to the man.
The song is open to interpretation, but it seems to tell a story about unrequited love and the tragedy that ensues when someone's love is not reciprocated. It also shows the strong sense of longing and melancholy that can arise when loved ones are separated by distance, and the fear that ones we love may forget about us over time. The lyrics reflect a sense of despair, passion, and the deep emotional bond shared by the two lovers.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I will set my ship in order
I am planning to prepare my ship for the journey
I will sail her on the sea
I will navigate my ship on the ocean
I'll go far over yonder border
I will travel to a distant land
To see if my love minds on me
To find out if my beloved still thinks of me
And he sailed east and he sailed west
He sailed in different directions
He sailed far, far seeking land
He traveled a long distance searching for a place
Until he came to his true love's window
He reached his lover's window
And he knocked loud and would be in
He knocked loudly and wanted to enter
"Oh who is that at my bedroom window?
"Who is outside my room?
Who knocks so loud and would be in?"
Why are you knocking so loudly and trying to enter?
"'Tis I, 'tis I, your ain true lover
"It's me, your true lover
And I am drenched untae my skin
And I am completely soaked
So go and go and ask your faither
Please ask your father
And see if he'll let you marry me
If he will allow us to be together
If he says no, come back and tell me
If he refuses, please inform me
And it's the last time I'll trouble thee"
And I won't bother you again
My father's in his chamber writing
My father is in his room writing
Setting down his merchandise
Preparing his goods for trade
And in his hand he holds a letter
He is holding a letter
And it speaks much in your dispraise
It says bad things about you
My mother's in her chamber sleeping
My mother is sleeping in her room
And words of love she will not hear
She doesn't want to hear about love
So you may go and court another
You should find another person to court
And whisper softly in her ear"
And whisper sweet words in her ear
Then she arose, put on her clothing
She got up and dressed
It was to let her true love in
To let her lover inside
But e're she had the door unlockit
Before she could unlock the door
His ship was sailing on the main
His ship had already left
"Come back, come back, my ain dear Johnny
"Please come back, my dear Johnny
Come back, come back and marry me"
Come back and marry me"
"How can I come back and marry you, love?
"I can't come back to marry you, my love
Our ship is sailing on the sea"
My ship is already sailing on the ocean"
The fish may fly, and the seas run dry
Impossible things may happen
The rocks may melt doon wi' the sun
Even the rocks may melt under the sun
And the working man may forget his labor
Even the hardest worker may forget his work
Before that my love returns again
Before my love comes back to me
She's turned herself right roun' about
She turned herself around
She's flung herself intae the sea
She threw herself in the sea
Farewell for aye, my ain dear Johnny
Goodbye forever, my dear Johnny
Ye'll ne'er hae tae come back to me
You will never have to come back to me
Contributed by Gabriella D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.