Daddy Was a Sailor
Marina & the Diamonds Lyrics

Grandpa was a miner
My grandfather worked in a mine and this is where I inherited my love for dark and tumultuous emotions

And he gave me my black heart
My grandfather instilled in me a hardened personality, filled with darkness, toughness and resilience to endure the struggles of life

Bitter rivers of black coal dust
The coal dust left a deep impact in the lives of the people who were stuck in that way of life and left them feeling resentful and angry

Tore our country apart
The dark period of coal mines, caused rancor, disrupting peace and social harmony

Covered in coal dust
I bear witness to the realities of the coal mines, my skin and clothes are always covered in the coal dust

Waking up too early in the morning
I have to wake up much before dawn and start my laborious work early in the day

Waiting for the moment the canary sings
The canary is my only source of relief, it tells me if the air quality in this dark hole is good enough to prevent asphyxiation

Mama was a mermaid
My mother was free-spirited, always hoping for something better and was never content with the present

And a Carnaby Street gal
She was a fashion-forward woman, living in her dream, but her life was surrounded by difficulties

She could have been a model
Her beauty and style could have taken her to fashionable runways or magazines, but she never got the opportunity

But she spent her life mopping up spilt milk
Instead, she was doing menial cleaning jobs all throughout her life and couldn't make her dreams come true

Covered in sea salt
I am drenched in salty sea water and my life is surrounded by the hardships of sailor families

Would he, could he, be home when the stars came out to party
I would often wonder if my father would return home in time, to see the glittering stars that light up the sea

Yeah I know it was my fault
I am aware that his absence was not because of his profession, but due to me being an annoying and difficult child

That he always ran away because he didn't want me
Despite knowing that it was not because of his profession, I feel that my father was not there with me because he did not wish to stay

Oh, daddy was a sailor
My father was a sailor, who I have felt conflicted emotions about, sometimes admiring and sometimes resenting him

And he gave me a black heart
I have been deeply influenced by my father and his absence, which has left me with a cold, stoic heart

The only man that could tear me apart
Despite my tough exterior, my father was the only one who could emotionally break me down

Sister dances salsa
My sister is a free and joyful dancer, she is everything that I am not

And she chants just like a queen
She is full of confidence and her voice reflects a sense of pride in her dance moves

I was a non-believer when she told me I was free
I rejected her suggestions that I could also dance like her, assuming that I was immensely restricted by my past experiences and the sense of responsibility I had to shoulder

Auntie Emy was a medium
My aunt has the ability to act as a medium and communicate with spirits beyond our world

And she worked the Ouija board
To exercise her abilities, she worked with a board that could communicate with spirits

Seeking out the lost souls
She uses her ability to help people communicate with lost spirits of their loved ones

And taking men back to the Lord
She also helps men struggling with their purpose, and has the ability to give them clarity in their path forward, to follow God's way

Oh but daddy still was a sailor
Despite my aunt's abilities, my father's focus and profession still remained at sea

And he gave me a black heart
Despite growing up and learning from other people around me, my father's emotional absence has still left me with scars that wounded deeply

The only man that could tear me apart
My father, despite everything else, was the one person who could make me feel deeply affected

Daddy, daddy, daddy
My mixed feelings towards my father and the various experiences around my difficult life as a child of a sailor and a coal miner has left me with a clouded and complicated mindset