The Gales of 1838
Great Lakes Myth Society Lyrics
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She takes musicians to Bois Blanc. She takes the dancers there too and at the end of the long nights, she takes them back by lamplight but until then she stays clear out of view. Before we dock at Richmond there's a hidden tax of merit and all the boaters inherit one dollar for every Lincoln brought in. We exchange them their Loonies and unwind. Our eyes turn to glass and shine on blind
The Gales of 1838 by Great Lakes Myth Society is a song that is filled with symbolisms and metaphors that help interpret the meaning of the lyrics. The first stanza of the song is about a ship, possibly a smuggling vessel, and the lady that the ship represents. The ship is described as being able to silence the day with its whistles, possibly implying that it is a powerful and ominous force. The lady is also involved in smuggling and turns crimes into American dimes and Canadian dollars. Opium and haze are also mentioned, which could imply that the smuggling involved drugs. The second half of the stanza talks about a place called Woodward, which seems to have shady customs. The young women overdressed in longcoats are also mentioned, allowing the smugglers to drink their wine. The singer then talks about how he had too much wine and saw their world, but is now collapsing like the lighthouse in the gales of 1838.
The second stanza is about how the lady on the ship takes musicians and dancers to Bois Blanc and back by lamplight. However, she stays clear out of view, possibly implying that she is involved in some illegal activity. Before the ship docks at Richmond, there is a hidden tax of merit, and all the boaters inherit one dollar for every Lincoln brought in. They exchange the Loonies and unwind, and their eyes turn to glass and shine on blind. This could mean that they are intoxicated and possibly blinded by their involvement in the smuggling.
Line by Line Meaning
They say, 'She walks in the water; her whistles silence the day.
According to legend, a mysterious ship sails the waters, and its soundless horns silence the surrounding area.
She helps the smugglers turn their crimes into American dimes into Canadian dollars, opium, and haze.
The ship assists smugglers in converting their illegal goods into American and Canadian currency along with opium and other illicit substances.
At the foot of Woodward, there's a condition or two to shade the custom's review: all the young women overdressed in their long-coats allow us to drink on their wine.
Near Woodward, rules are bent to avoid customs inspections, and the women there help by providing wine to the sailors.
Our eyes turn to glass and shine on blind. So I've had wine and wine and wine and more wine tonight, and tonight I saw their world.
Drinking wine causes the sailors to become intoxicated, and they witness a world they might not have seen if they had remained sober.
And I am so far from it now, I'm collapsing like the lighthouse in the gales of 1838.
The sailor feels far removed from their mundane life and is collapsing emotionally and mentally, similar to how the lighthouse fell during a severe storm in 1838.
She takes musicians to Bois Blanc. She takes the dancers there too and at the end of the long nights, she takes them back by lamplight but until then she stays clear out of view.
The ship transports musicians and dancers to Bois Blanc, keeping out of sight until it's time to take them back by lamplight.
Before we dock at Richmond there's a hidden tax of merit and all the boaters inherit one dollar for every Lincoln brought in. We exchange them their Loonies and unwind. Our eyes turn to glass and shine on blind.
Before arriving at Richmond, there is an undisclosed fee, and every ship gets a dollar for each person they bring in. The sailors trade American currency for Canadian money and let their guard down by drinking and getting intoxicated.
Contributed by Asher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.