The Ship Song
Martha Wainwright Lyrics
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And burn your bridges down
We make a little history, baby
Every time you come around
Come loose your dogs upon me
And let your hair hang down
You are a little mystery to me
We talk about it all night long
We define our moral ground
But when I crawl into your arms
Everything, it comes tumbling down
Come sail your ships around me
And burn your bridges down
We make a little history, baby
Every time you come around
Your face has fallen sad now
For you know the time is nigh
When I must remove your wings
And you, you must try to fly
Come sail your ships around me
And burn your bridges down
We make a little history, baby
Every time you come around
Come loose your dogs upon me
And let your hair hang down
You are a little mystery to me
Every time you come around
Come sail your ships around me
And burn your bridges down
We make a little history, baby
Every time you come around
The Ship Song by Martha Wainwright is a love song that speaks about accepting another person's flaws and being willing to brave the challenges together to create a lasting relationship. At the beginning of the song, Martha invites her lover to sail their ships around her and to burn their bridges down, which can be interpreted as an invitation to take risks and let go of the past. She speaks of making history every time he is around, which is perhaps a reference to the significance of their relationship and how it has changed them as individuals.
As the song progresses, Martha describes the struggles that come with being with this person - letting go of moral judgments and embracing the unknown - but ultimately finding solace in his arms. She likens their relationship to a little mystery, which is perhaps a nod to the fact that they are still learning about and discovering each other. Towards the end of the song, Martha acknowledges that their time together is coming to an end, but she wants him to spread his wings and fly, even though it means she will let him go.
Overall, The Ship Song is a poetic and introspective ode to love, growth, and acceptance. It speaks about the beauty in taking risks, building lasting connections, and being willing to let go.
Line by Line Meaning
Come sail your ships around me
Come visit me and spend time with me
And burn your bridges down
Leave your past behind and fully commit to being with me
We make a little history, baby
Our time together is memorable and significant
Every time you come around
Whenever we reunite
Come loose your dogs upon me
Let yourself be vulnerable and open with me
And let your hair hang down
Be your true self around me, without pretense
You are a little mystery to me
I find you intriguing and mysterious
We talk about it all night long
We discuss important matters and our values for hours on end
We define our moral ground
We establish our principles and beliefs
But when I crawl into your arms
When I am close to you and feel your love
Everything, it comes tumbling down
All of my defenses and fears disappear
Your face has fallen sad now
I can see that you are distressed
For you know the time is nigh
You realize a decision or change is coming soon
When I must remove your wings
I must take away something important to you
And you, you must try to fly
You must learn to adapt and move forward
Come sail your ships around me
Come back to me
And burn your bridges down
Fully commit to being with me and leave your past behind
We make a little history, baby
Our time together is always memorable and significant
Every time you come around
Whenever we reunite
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Blixa Bargeld, Roland Wolf, Nicholas Cave
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Janwa Janwa
Already watched this more than 10 times and her high notes still never fail to give me goosebumps. Absolutely beautiful! She should record this.
Melissa Pridham
Martha sang this on Tuesday night (the day after this show was recorded) as an encore in Brisbane at the Tivoli. I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful it was. She is unbelievable.
Swordfishstick
I second that recommendation - her rendition of "the traitor" sends shivers down my spine. This version of the Nick Cave song is very good too.
Homer Simpson
I think you can see how good it was by his reaction, live and only learned that day. I can't listen too it more than once at a time, it wrenches my heart so much.
OzMandala
Just brilliant....You can feel the emotion flowing through you.
Spider Rabbit
Great singer, great song, from a family of great musicians. Brilliant.
MAC
I love her version of this song.
Terrence Holmes
My god - I am a huge Nick Cave fan and feel her voice is just about perfect - real passion, well done Martha, I am not usually kind to those who cover Nick Cave.
chekwaala
Thanks for posting and yay Adam Hills show for asking her to sing it (as she explained to her Melb show audience on Fri night) - as resulted in her including it as la magnifique(!) encore amid the fabulous acoustics of the Melbourne Recital Centre. Great night, stunning encore.
pachucaboy1
I really really love this woman, she is so classy and incredibly talented as well.