Ships in the night
Mick Flannery Lyrics


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I am a sailor, I am a sailor,
An' I've been on my hunt for treasure,
When I find it, when I find it,
I will leave all else behind it.

But the day hasn't come yet,
the day hasn't come yet,
the day hasn't come.

They say the way your life is made,
Is only stars aligning,
On you go the seas'd roll,
Lonely souls a-pining.
The great unknown you live and hope the one that fits you right,
Won't pass you by.

I wanna see you, I wanna see you,
Though I have no idea what i'll do.
I wanna feel it, I wanna feel it,
I wanna feel that very moment.

But the day hasn't come yet,
The day hasn't come yet,
The day hasn't come.

They say the way your life is made,
Is only stars aligning,
On you go the seas'd roll,
Lonely souls a-pining.
Will we be those who meet and know a love on it's sight,
Or two ships in the night?

They say the way your life is made,
Is only stars aligning,
On you go the seas'd roll,
Lonely souls a-pining.




Will we be those who meet and know a love on it's sight,
Or two ships in the night?

Overall Meaning

Mick Flannery's song "Ships in the night" is a ballad that talks about the journey of a sailor searching for treasure. He expresses his eagerness to find it and leave everything else behind, but the day hasn't come yet. The chorus of the song emphasizes this fact, and the same idea is repeated throughout the song. The verses delve deeper into the concept of destiny and how a person’s life is shaped by the alignment of the stars. The sailor hopes that the one that fits him right won't pass him by. He wants to experience that very moment but is still waiting for the day it will happen.


The concept of "two ships in the night" is a recurring theme in the song. It refers to the idea of two people who meet briefly and then go on their separate ways. The sailor wonders if he will have a chance encounter with someone who will know and love him at first sight or will it just be another brief encounter of two ships passing in the night. The song has a melancholic tone to it as the sailor’s waiting for the day that may never come.


Overall, the song is about the longing for something that might not happen. The sailor is searching for his treasure and hoping for a chance encounter that he might never get. The song highlights the need to live in the moment and cherish the moments that we have right now as we never know what the future holds.


Line by Line Meaning

I am a sailor, I am a sailor, An' I've been on my hunt for treasure,
I am someone who is always on the search for something better, much like a sailor searching for treasure.


When I find it, when I find it, I will leave all else behind it.
When I finally find what I've been looking for, I will leave everything else behind and focus solely on that one thing.


But the day hasn't come yet, the day hasn't come yet, the day hasn't come.
Although I am still searching, I haven't found what I'm looking for yet.


They say the way your life is made, Is only stars aligning, On you go the seas'd roll, Lonely souls a-pining.
Some believe that life is simply based on luck and chance, and you just have to keep moving forward and searching even if you feel alone and lost.


The great unknown you live and hope the one that fits you right, Won't pass you by.
You may live in uncertainty, but you still hope that you will find the one thing that truly fits you and won't miss it when it comes your way.


I wanna see you, I wanna see you, Though I have no idea what i'll do.
I desire to be with you, even if I'm not quite sure what I will do when that happens.


I wanna feel it, I wanna feel it, I wanna feel that very moment.
I want to experience that one moment when everything finally falls into place.


Will we be those who meet and know a love on it's sight, Or two ships in the night?
Will we be the lucky ones who meet and know true love when we see it, or will we pass each other by like two ships in the night?




Contributed by Adam S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Ivana V.

Why is it that my first impression of this song, upon seeing the album cover in Spotify, made me think of Vincent von Gogh.

Meyzen76

Amazingly beautiful! Glad a friend shared this with me...

Saagarika Mathpal

hauntingly beautiful! ♥️

Зарина Стефани

Amazing!💔

Flora Hansen Damm

Where is it I have heard that melody before?

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