Lyrically, the song is sung from the perspective of an amnesiac woman who is overwhelmingly implied to be a selkie (a shape-changing seal-like creature from Irish mythology; they were prone to losing their memories and being convinced they were human until evidence from their pasts in the ocean caused them to regain their memories, at which point they would disappear back into the ocean). She is found unclothed, so they assume she "must have once been a thief or a whore", and she is taught "the laws that govern property, and the herbs to feed the babes that wean, and the welting weight for every season" and "prayers for chastity", but has a sense throughout the song that something is missing from her life. She continuously dreams of the sea, constantly overwaters plants, and feels that something is missing from the air (water resistance). Later, a sea traveller who is implied to be a fellow (male) selkie apparently causes her to regain her memory of living in the ocean; the song ends with her seemingly diving back into it.
The song is one of several in Newsom's catalogue to use oceanic imagery; as with several of the others, the ocean appears to be a metaphorical representation for female sexuality and the anarchic pre-civilisation human experience, as analysed here.
Colleen
Joanna Newsom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And that's the way it was told to me: I
Must have once been a thief or a whore,
Then surely was thrown overboard,
Where, they say,
I came this way from the deep blue sea.
It picked me up and tossed me round.
I forgot my name,
And drowned.
Then woke up with the surf a - pounding;
It seemed I had been run aground.
Well they took me in and shod my feet
And taught me prayers for chastity
And said my name would be Colleen, and
I was blessed among all women,
To have forgotten everything.
And as the weeks and months ensued
I tried to make myself of use.
I tilled and planted, but could not produce -
not root, nor leaf, nor flower, nor bean; Lord!
It seemed I overwatered everything.
And I hate the sight of that empty air,
like stepping for a missing stair
and falling forth forever blindly:
cannot grab hold of anything! No,
Not I, most blessed among Colleens.
I dream some nights of a funny sea,
as soft as a newly born baby.
It cries for me pitifully!
And I dive for my child with a wildness in me,
and am so sweetly there received.
But last night came a different dream;
a gray and sloping-shouldered thing
said "What's cinched 'round your waist, Colleen?
is that my very own baleen?
No! Have you forgotten everything?"
This morning, 'round the cape at dawn,
some travellers sailed into town
with scraps for sale and the saddest songs
and a book of pictures, leather-bound, that
showed a whale with a tusk a meter long.
Well, I asked the man who showed it me,
"What is the name of that strange beast?"
He said its name translated roughly to
He-Who-Easily-Can-Curve-Himself-Against-The-Sky.
And I am without words.
He said, "My lady looks perturbed.
(the light is in your eyes, Colleen.)"
I said, "Whatever can you mean?"
He leaned in and said,
"You ain't forgotten everything."
"You dare to speak a lady's name?"
He said, "My lady is mistaken.
I would not speak your name in this place;
and if I were to try then the wind - I swear -
would rise, to tear you clean from me without a trace."
"Have you come, then, to rescue me?"
He laughed and said, "from what, 'Colleen'?"
You dried and dressed most willingly.
you corseted, and caught the dread disease
by which one comes to know such peace."
Well, it's true that I came to know such things as
the laws which govern property
and herbs to feed the babes that wean,
and the welting weight for every season;
but still
I don't know any goddamned "Colleen."
Then dive down there with the lights to lead
that seem to shine from everything -
down to the bottom of the deep blue sea;
down where your heart beats so slow,
and you never in your life have felt so free.
Will you come down there with me?
Down were our bodies start to seem like
artifacts of some strange dream,
which afterwards you can't decipher,
and so, soon, have forgotten
Everything.
The song "Colleen" by Joanna Newsom tells the story of a woman who has forgotten her past and her identity. The song starts with the idea that the singer must have been a thief or a prostitute who was thrown overboard and washed ashore. She loses her memory and forgets her name. She is taken in by a community of people who give her the name Colleen and teach her how to live a chaste life, but she struggles to adapt to this new life. She dreams of the sea and, in one dream, reunites with a child, and in another dark dream, she is confronted by a mysterious figure who questions her about the whale tusk that she carries with her.
As the song progresses, Colleen meets a traveler who shows her a book of pictures, which includes an image of a whale with a tusk. She becomes perturbed, and he notices it. He tells her that he would not speak her name in that place and that he could sense a light in her eyes. In a mocking tone, he reminds her that she willingly gave up her old life and willingly caught some "dread disease," implying that she chose to succumb to societal norms and expectations.
The song ends by asking the listener to join Colleen on a deep-sea dive where she finds freedom, which implies that she has the desire to reclaim her identity and reconnect with her past.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll tell it as I best know how,
I will recount the story as accurately as possible, as it was told to me.
And that's the way it was told to me: I
This is how the story was communicated to me.
Must have once been a thief or a whore,
I might have had a criminal past or engaged in illicit behavior in the past.
Then surely was thrown overboard,
I was most likely thrown overboard a ship.
Where, they say,
According to rumors,
I came this way from the deep blue sea.
I emerged from the depths of the ocean.
It picked me up and tossed me round.
The ocean waves propelled me onto the shore.
I lost my shoes and tore my gown,
My clothes were damaged and lost during the journey.
I forgot my name,
I could not remember my own name.
And drowned.
I must have drowned in the ocean.
Then woke up with the surf a - pounding;
I regained consciousness with the sound of the waves.
It seemed I had been run aground.
I had been washed up on the shore.
Well they took me in and shod my feet
Kind-hearted individuals provided me with shoes.
And taught me prayers for chastity
I was taught to recite prayers that expressed modesty and virtue.
And said my name would be Colleen, and
Those who helped me gave me the name 'Colleen'.
I was blessed among all women,
I was regarded as particularly fortunate, and bestowed with favor.
To have forgotten everything.
It was considered a blessing that I had no recollection of my past.
And as the weeks and months ensued
Over the course of the following weeks and months,
I tried to make myself of use.
I strove to be productive and helpful.
I tilled and planted, but could not produce -
In spite of my efforts, I was unable to yield a successful crop.
not root, nor leaf, nor flower, nor bean; Lord!
There were no crops produced, in spite of planting many different types of produce.
It seemed I overwatered everything.
It appeared that I had given the plants too much water.
And I hate the sight of that empty air,
I detest the sight of vacancy and emptiness.
like stepping for a missing stair
It feels like I'm taking steps on stairs that do not actually exist.
and falling forth forever blindly:
It feels as though I'm plummeting without direction or purpose.
cannot grab hold of anything! No,
I can't seem to keep hold on anything firm or solid.
Not I, most blessed among Colleens.
I am blessed, but I am still unable to grasp the things around me.
I dream some nights of a funny sea,
Sometimes I dream about a strange, unusual sea.
as soft as a newly born baby.
This sea is gentle, and has a very delicate quality.
It cries for me pitifully!
The sea seems to weep woefully for me.
And I dive for my child with a wildness in me,
In my dream, I have a child who is in need of rescuing, and I dive into the sea with fervor.
and am so sweetly there received.
Once in the water, I am received in a warm, welcoming manner.
But last night came a different dream;
The latest dream that I had was markedly different.
a gray and sloping-shouldered thing
There was a creature, grey in color and with angled shoulders,
said "What's cinched 'round your waist, Colleen?
This creature addressed me by name, and asked what was being held around my waist.
is that my very own baleen?
It inquired whether I was in possession of its own baleen, a fibrous material found in some aquatic animals.
No! Have you forgotten everything?"
I responded that I did not possess such an item, and it questioned whether I had in fact forgotten everything.
This morning, 'round the cape at dawn,
The following morning on the cape, around dawn,
some travellers sailed into town
There were travelers who came to the town via sea.
with scraps for sale and the saddest songs
These travelers were offering materials for purchase, and also performing mournful music.
and a book of pictures, leather-bound, that
Among the items they had for sale was a book with pictures, with a leather cover.
showed a whale with a tusk a meter long.
This book depicted a whale that had a one meter long tusk.
Well, I asked the man who showed it me,
I spoke to the individual who had presented me with the book.
"What is the name of that strange beast?"
I inquired as to the identity of the unusual creature.
He said its name translated roughly to
The name he gave me as a translation, was roughly equivalent to
He-Who-Easily-Can-Curve-Himself-Against-The-Sky.
a name that suggests the creature has a great deal of flexibility, and is able to curve in interesting ways against the sky.
And I am without words.
I am speechless upon hearing the name of the creature.
He said, "My lady looks perturbed.
The man notes that I seem upset.
(the light is in your eyes, Colleen.)"
He further notes that my eyes are glimmering with a certain light.
I said, "Whatever can you mean?"
I feign ignorance when he questions me.
He leaned in and said,
He leaned closer to me and whispered,
"You ain't forgotten everything."
He suggests that there might be things that I remember or are still aware of.
"You dare to speak a lady's name?"
I am outraged that he has used my name in conversation.
He said, "My lady is mistaken.
He responds that I'm not correct in assuming he was talking about me.
I would not speak your name in this place;
He reassures me by telling me he would never say my name aloud in public.
and if I were to try then the wind - I swear -
He goes on to say that even if he tried to say it out loud, the wind would surely make it impossible to hear.
would rise, to tear you clean from me without a trace."
He suggests that the wind would cause me to disappear from sight, without a trace.
"Have you come, then, to rescue me?"
I speculate whether this man is attempting to help me.
He laughed and said, "from what, 'Colleen'?"
He scoffs and asks what I would require rescuing from.
You dried and dressed most willingly.
Instead, he reminds me that I've been compliant with their kindness so far.
you corseted, and caught the dread disease
He then goes on to suggest that I've fallen ill from my restrictive clothing, as I've been corseted.
by which one comes to know such peace."
He suggests that this disease has given me peace in a certain sense.
Well, it's true that I came to know such things as
Though I may have learned much about other areas of life,
the laws which govern property
I learned the various rules that pertain to owning and managing goods.
and herbs to feed the babes that wean,
I gained knowledge of the herbs that should be eaten to ensure healthy breastfeeding.
and the welting weight for every season;
I learned the various weights and thicknesses of materials suitable for different seasons.
but still
In spite of this learning,
I don't know any goddamned "Colleen."
I still don't have full knowledge of who I am.
Then dive down there with the lights to lead
The tone of the narrative shifts to a more direct urging, in which the artist implores me to
that seem to shine from everything -
descend with him beneath the ocean.
down to the bottom of the deep blue sea;
We are to descend to the ocean floor.
down where your heart beats so slow,
This is where my heartbeat will slow.
and you never in your life have felt so free.
The singer argues that I will never have felt so free in my life as I will in this moment.
Will you come down there with me?
He once again urges me to join him beneath the sea.
Down were our bodies start to seem like
Once we have been beneath the surface for long enough,
artifacts of some strange dream,
Our bodies will begin to feel like objects with strange, otherworldly qualities.
which afterwards you can't decipher,
In the aftermath of our time beneath the sea, we will be unable to make sense of what has occurred.
and so, soon, have forgotten
Thus, we will soon forget what has happened to us during our journey.
Everything.
We will forget everything that has transpired.
Contributed by Vivian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.