Lost Boy Calling
Ennio Morricone Lyrics


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Come, hold me now, I am not gone
I would not leave you here alone
In this dead calm beneath the waves
I can still hear those lost boys calling

You could not speak, you were afraid
To take the risk of being left again
And so you tipped your hat and waved and then
You turned back up the gangway of that steel tomb again

And in Mott street in July
When I hear those seabirds cry
I hold the child, the child in the man
The child that we leave behind

And in Mott street in July
When I hear those seabirds cry
I hold the child, the child in the man
The child that we leave behind

The spotlight fades, the boys disband
The final notes lie mute upon the sand
And in the silence of the grave
I can still hear those lost boys calling

We left them there when they were young
The men were gone until the west was won
And now there's nothing left but time to kill
You never took us fishin' dad and now you never will

And in Mott street in July
When I hear those seabirds cry




I hold the child, the child in the man
The child that we leave behind

Overall Meaning

Ennio Morricone's song Lost Boys Calling is a haunting tribute to the ghosts of lost boys, who still call out from the ocean depths. The song begins with an appeal to a loved one to hold on, to not be afraid, to not be left alone, even though the singer is now below the waves. The song seems to suggest that these lost boys were left behind, either by their fathers or society-at-large. The lyrics are evocative of the difficult truth that in Mott Street in July, the singer can still hear the cries of the seabirds and the haunting call of those who were lost before their time.


The lyrics delve into the idea of childhood, of innocence left behind, whether by choice or circumstance. The lyrics refer to the "child in the man" that they hold in Mott Street in July, a reminder of the child they once were before life happened. The song is a poignant reminder of what is lost when children are neglected, sometimes by design, sometimes by accident.


There is a sense of sorrow and regret in the song, a powerful evocation of the ways in which choices in life can have lasting and tragic effects. The lyrics also touch on themes of abandonment, isolation, and even mortality, all of which are poignantly accentuated in Morricone's mournful score.


Line by Line Meaning

Come, hold me now, I am not gone
Don't be afraid, I am still here with you


I would not leave you here alone
I won't abandon you


In this dead calm beneath the waves
In this stillness below the ocean's surface


I can still hear those lost boys calling
I can still hear the cries of those who have passed away


You could not speak, you were afraid
You were too scared and couldn't speak


To take the risk of being left again
To risk being abandoned again


And so you tipped your hat and waved and then
You showed a small gesture of farewell


You turned back up the gangway of that steel tomb again
You went back to the place that makes you feel trapped


And in Mott street in July
In a place called Mott street during a summer month


When I hear those seabirds cry
When I hear the sounds of the ocean's birds


I hold the child, the child in the man
I embrace the inner child of the adult


The child that we leave behind
The part of us that we leave behind as we grow old


The spotlight fades, the boys disband
The fame fades away and the boys go their separate ways


The final notes lie mute upon the sand
The last sounds are silenced and forgotten


And in the silence of the grave
In the stillness of death


I can still hear those lost boys calling
I can still hear the voices of those who have passed away


We left them there when they were young
We abandoned them when they were still children


The men were gone until the west was won
The men were gone until they found success in the west


And now there's nothing left but time to kill
Now there's nothing else to do but wait for death


You never took us fishin' dad and now you never will
You never spent time with us and now it's too late


And in Mott street in July
In a place called Mott street during a summer month


When I hear those seabirds cry
When I hear the sounds of the ocean's birds


I hold the child, the child in the man
I embrace the inner child of the adult


The child that we leave behind
The part of us that we leave behind as we grow old




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ennio Morricone, Roger Waters

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Albert Arthur Parsnips

I've never written anything like this. Certainly not in a public domain. But I grew up without a father, in a time and a place when this was barely acceptable. I was constantly made aware of this, by teachers, and, also, by the parents of my friends. Roger Waters produces music of a quality that reminds me of Victor Hugo's work. In that he can express the agony children are made to experience. Thank you so much, Roger, for being able to say what the rest of us cannot.

Mike D

Two of the greatest musicians. I never thought these two legends would do a song together.

This is amazing!

Ann G

I can't express how this song touches me, I love the entire film "the Legend of 1900".

Gustavo Menezes

There's so much greatness to this film I can't even begin to state my profound admiration. So many geniuses working together... Tornatore, Morricone, Tim Roth, Roger Waters... There are films so great that after I've just finished watching them I get that feeling "the world should have ended after this film was released because it's so awesome Earth just can't bear existing simultaneously.". Am I the only one who thinks those things... ?

Adolfo Andrade

Que pasa si unimos a Roger Waters, Ennio Morricone, Eddie Van Halen, Giuseppe Tornatore y Tim Roth? Existe esta obra maestra!!! :)

Sergio A. H.

un sillón.....la luz tenue.....reposar y abrir la mente, el corazón y el espíritu.....y dejar que esta maravilla artística entre sin mas en nuestro cuerpo y nos relaje, nos remita allá donde queramos ir......nada mas....donde queramos ir....

Toto Chacha

Bought the movie after all those years' searching, yeah!!!! I will never forget the rush of emotions when I first heard the song at the end of the movie 'The Legend of 1900'... Great story, great acting and superb piano playing too xoxo

greg Wood

simply fucking amazing and rips my hard ass heart to pieces. Thank you kindly. Peace be with you all.

greg Wood

Awesome can not describe this. Thanx

Ilie Horlea

Un videoclip minunat,o muzica extraordinar de romantica si niste imagini care sunt compatibile 100 % cu melodia !

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