1) Michael McD… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Michael McDermott is an American singer-songwriter from Chicago who is also a member of The Westies.
2) Michael McDermott is one half of British duo Workshy.
3) Michael McDermott is been the drummer of American band The Bouncing Souls.
1) Michael McDermott (born August 24, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter from Chicago. He has been crafting personal, evocative music for almost two decades. His first album, 620 W. Surf, recorded when he was only 20 years old, established McDermott as a young man filled with poetry and power. Since then he has documented on vinyl his battles with booze, women, substances and faith. Comparisons to Springsteen, Dylan, Van Morrison and James Joyce have followed McDermott throughout his career, but on his later albums he has broken free of these influences to make highly original, potent music.
In 2013, McDermott formed The Westies together with Heather Horton, Ian Fitchuk, Joe Pisapia and Lex Price.
In 2016, McDermott released Willow Springs, named for the small town where he now resides.
In April 2018, McDermott released Out From Under and followed it with extensive domestic and international touring.
2) Michael John McDermott is one half of British duo Workshy, the smooth jazz / sophisti-pop duo from London.
3) Michael McDermott has been the drummer of The Bouncing Souls, a punk rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1987, since 2000.
sailor
Michael McDermott Lyrics
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I've been thinkin' and drinkin'
But it feels like I'm sinkin' tonight
Sing alleluia, but don't let 'em fool ya, it's just temptation
I act as if it doesn't matter, while I step out of time
To the clatter of generations
Like a sailor, I'm driftin'
Like an orphan I'm searching for a place that's safe and warm
Like a scavenger I'll find the pieces
Of our lives which have been torn
Like a sailor I'll surrender unto the sea
Like a fire I'll be reborn
Blue tide tumbles upon itself
The night would never mistake me for someone else
For it knows
Blue desert rumbles my formless track
"I'll be dead before I ever come back" she told me
Driftin' so endlessly, movin' so friendlessly
Under the candlelit moon
If there's a chance for contact send some word
To the dark haired girl on Pine and Third
That I'll be comin' soon
Like a sailor in the dark hand of mystery
I'll search the sea and it's soul
Like a knight I'll guard your frozen gates
With a heart that burns like coal
Like a vagrant I stand bewildered for I know not which way to got
Like a sailor I'll surrender unto the sea
Like a fire I'll lose control
Marking the days, marking the years
I exit in dreams, dreams and fears of longing
Drifting into this mystical fog
I looked and swore I thought I saw the dawning
Like a sailor, I'm driftin'
Into the hungry mouth of the storm
Like an orphan I'm searching for a place that's safe and warm
Like a scavenger I'll find the pieces
Of our lives which have been torn
Like a sailor I'll surrender unto the sea
Like a fire I'll be reborn
The lyrics to Michael McDermott's "Sailor" tell a story of a person who feels lost, contemplating their life while they reflect on their mistakes and how they’ve fallen. The imagery of drifting and sailing through rough waters is used to convey a sense of isolation and uncertainty. The use of the phrase "sing alleluia" in the opening line, which is a phrase found in religious hymns, suggests that the singer is seeking salvation of some kind. It's likely that the person is in a state of despair, but they continue to push forward in search of something better.
The sailor metaphor is used to express the idea that the singer has no real control over their life. Just as a sailor is subject to the wind and the waves, the singer is at the mercy of their own fate. The use of the words "drifting" and "searching" emphasize the feeling of aimlessness and the need to find a place of safety and stability.
The lines "Like a knight I'll guard your frozen gates with a heart that burns like coal" suggest that the singer is searching for someone to protect and love, a kind of salvation. The line, "Like a vagrant I stand bewildered for I know not which way to go" reveals the singer’s confusion and indecision. By the end of the song, the singer comes to the realization that they need to surrender to the sea, to release their fears and let their spirit be reborn like a fire.
Line by Line Meaning
Time wasted waiting and time contemplating my life
I have wasted time waiting and wonder what my life means.
I've been thinkin' and drinkin'. But it feels like I'm sinkin' tonight.
I've been drinking and lost in thought, but tonight feels like I'm sinking.
Sing alleluia, but don't let 'em fool ya, it's just temptation.
Don't be fooled by temptation despite how good it may feel.
I act as if it doesn't matter, while I step out of time. To the clatter of generations.
I act like nothing matters while I feel out of sync with the passing of time around me.
Like a sailor, I'm driftin' Into the hungry mouth of the storm.
Like a sailor, I'm wandering through life, facing its stormy trials as they come.
Like an orphan I'm searching for a place that's safe and warm.
I feel lost like an orphan searching for security and comfort.
Like a scavenger I'll find the pieces Of our lives which have been torn.
Like a scavenger, I will gather and piece together what's left of our broken lives.
Like a sailor I'll surrender unto the sea, Like a fire I'll be reborn.
Like a sailor, I'll submit to fate and whatever comes my way and find new life like a burning flame.
Blue tide tumbles upon itself. The night would never mistake me for someone else. For it knows.
The foaming ocean reminds me of my own turbulent emotions and the night knows me well and my struggles.
Blue desert rumbles my formless track. "I'll be dead before I ever come back" she told me.
I feel lost and out of place like in a desert where directions are meaningless. Someone told me they'd rather die than come back here.
Driftin' so endlessly, movin' so friendlessly Under the candlelit moon.
I wander aimlessly with no real friendships or connections under the flickering candlelight of the moon.
If there's a chance for contact send some word to the dark haired girl on Pine and Third That I'll be comin' soon.
If you hear from the dark haired girl on Pine and Third, tell her I'm on my way.
Like a sailor in the dark hand of mystery, I'll search the sea and it's soul.
Like a sailor lost in mystery, I'll search for answers in the sea's depths and soul.
Like a knight I'll guard your frozen gates with a heart that burns like coal.
Like a knight, I'll protect and defend your heart despite the challenges and hardships.
Like a vagrant I stand bewildered for I know not which way to go
I feel like a homeless wanderer, bewildered by life, and unsure of which path to follow.
Marking the days, marking the years I exit in dreams, dreams and fears of longing.
As I mark the passage of time, I dream and fear while longing for something more.
Like a sailor, I'm driftin' Into the hungry mouth of the storm. Like an orphan I'm searching for a place that's safe and warm.
Once again, like a sailor, I'm tossed into life's storms, searching like an orphan for a place of safety.
Like a scavenger I'll find the pieces Of our lives which have been torn. Like a sailor I'll surrender unto the sea. Like a fire I'll be reborn.
Back to the chorus, I'll collect the scattered pieces of our lives, surrender to life's fate, and find new life through the flames.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL MC DERMOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind