Time
Exile Lyrics


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[a poem by p.b. shelley (1792-1822)]

Unfathomable sea! whose waves are years,
Ocean of time, whose waters of deep woe
Are brackish with the salt of human tears!
Thou shoreless flood, which in thy ebb and flow
Claspest the limits of mortality!
And sick of prey, yet howling on for more,
Vomitest thy wrecks on its inhospitable shore;
Treacherous in calm, and terrible in storm,




Who shall put forth on thee,
Unfathomable sea?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Exile's song Time are actually a poem by P.B. Shelley titled "Time." The first verse describes time as an "unfathomable sea," whose waves are like years. This comparison suggests that time is vast and deep, and that the passage of time is like the ebb and flow of the ocean's tides. The second line of the verse refers to the "waters of deep woe," which are brackish with the salt of human tears. This image conveys the idea that time is not always kind, and that human suffering is an inevitable part of the human experience.


The second verse continues the metaphor of time as a sea, but adds the idea that the sea is "shoreless." This suggests that time has no boundaries, and that it is impossible to escape from its grasp. The verse also describes the sea as "sick of prey," which implies that time is a predator that preys on human life. Despite this, the sea continues to "howl" and "vomit" its wrecks on the shore, suggesting that time is relentless and cannot be stopped. The final lines of the verse ask the question: "Who shall put forth on thee, / Unfathomable sea?" This question implies that there is no answer to the problem of time, and that humans must simply accept its power and inevitability.


Overall, the lyrics to Exile's song Time offer a thought-provoking and poetic meditation on the nature of time and human mortality. Through the metaphor of the sea, the song conveys the idea that time is vast, powerful, and ultimately uncontrollable. The poem also suggests that the passage of time is not always gentle, and that humans must face the reality of suffering and death.


Line by Line Meaning

Unfathomable sea! whose waves are years,
Oh vast and deep sea, your waves are like the passage of time itself.


Ocean of time, whose waters of deep woe
You are a boundless ocean of time filled with the sorrows and heartache of humankind.


Are brackish with the salt of human tears!
The water is tainted with the bitterness of tears shed by countless humans over the ages.


Thou shoreless flood, which in thy ebb and flow
You are a limitless flood, constantly ebbing and flowing with the passage of time.


Claspest the limits of mortality!
You define the limits of human life and existence.


And sick of prey, yet howling on for more,
You are never satisfied, always eager for more, even as you consume all that comes your way.


Vomitest thy wrecks on its inhospitable shore;
Your storms and tides toss the ruined wreckage of human lives onto the inhospitable shore of time.


Treacherous in calm, and terrible in storm,
You are dangerous and unpredictable, both in times of calm and during storms of great intensity.


Who shall put forth on thee,
Who can venture into your depths and hope to emerge unscathed?


Unfathomable sea?
You are a mystery, an unknowable force, and an eternal presence in the lives of all human beings.




Contributed by Elijah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

しゅんちゃんあっ君

初めて聴く歌!こんなに若い歌声がとても懐かしく感じる。リアタイで聴きたかったと思わせてくれる。
upありがとうございます。

k

この曲も好きだしニュージャックスウィングも好きだなー!

jun h

このアルバムで1番、2番好きだったやつです!!

時が経ち、聴けて幸せです💕

chiaki⭐

はああ🌜こうおんからさがるはい

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