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The Whale Has Swallowed Me
Hugh Laurie Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

They say the Whale swallowed Jonah
Out in the deep blue sea
Sometimes I get that feeling
That same old Whale has swallowed me

The sun rise in the East
Goes down in the West
Sometimes I get that feeling
Every creature needs some rest

I believe the Whale got sick
That's why I have this blues
I do believe one day
He will finally turn me loose

Now if I live
I pray, I don't get killed
I do believe one day
I will crawl out of here

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Hugh Laurie's song, The Whale Has Swallowed Me, are a metaphorical representation of feeling trapped and swallowed by life's challenges. The reference to Jonah being swallowed by a whale is a biblical story where the singer disobeyed God, leading to his being consumed by a whale for three days. The reference in the song shows a person feeling so consumed by life's challenges that they can't find a way out.


The second verse gives the metaphor of the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, which is followed by the lines "Sometimes I get that feeling, every creature needs some rest." It's a representation of the natural cycle of things and that despite the feeling of being consumed, it's essential to take breaks and rest to retain one's strength.


Towards the end of the song, the metaphorical allusions lead to the belief that the whale swallowed the singer because it was unwell, leading to the feeling of being trapped. The feeling of being released comes with the hope that the whale will eventually let go of its victims. The last lines of the song, "I do believe one day, I will crawl out of here," is a hopeful take that someday, the singer will find a way out of their current situation.



Line by Line Meaning

They say the Whale swallowed Jonah
According to the story, Jonah was swallowed by a whale


Out in the deep blue sea
Jonah was swallowed while in the midst of the vast ocean


Sometimes I get that feeling
The singer occasionally experiences a sensation


That same old Whale has swallowed me
That feeling is like being devoured by the same whale in the story


The sun rise in the East
The sun appears on the horizon in the east each day


Goes down in the West
It sets in the west each evening


Sometimes I get that feeling
The same sensation as before returns to the singer


Every creature needs some rest
All living beings require periods of relaxation


I believe the Whale got sick
The artist thinks the whale became ill


That's why I have this blues
This is the reason behind the artist's sorrowful feelings


I do believe one day
The singer has faith in a future event


He will finally turn me loose
The whale will eventually release the artist


Now if I live
Assuming the singer survives


I pray, I don't get killed
The singer hopes to avoid death


I do believe one day
The same hopeful belief as before


I will crawl out of here
The artist will escape this situation




Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: J. B. LENOIR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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