Full Fathom Five
Miranda Sex Garden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
of his bones are coral made
those are pearls that were his eyes
nothing of him doth fade
but doth suffer a sea change
into something rich and strange
sea nymphs hourly ring his knell
hark now i hear them now i hear them
The opening lines of Miranda Sex Garden's song Full Fathom Five are actually an excerpt from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest. In the play, the character Ariel is tasked with singing this song over the supposed death of Ferdinand's father. The opening line, "full fathom five thy father lies," is a reference to the depth at which the father's body lies underwater. The following lines describe how the father's body has transformed into coral and pearls, which are beautiful and permanent, unlike his earthly body that would have decayed over time. The final lines describe how the sea nymphs ring his knell, which is a reference to the ringing of a bell to announce a death.
Line by Line Meaning
full fathom five thy father lies
Deep below the ocean's surface lies your father
of his bones are coral made
His skeletal remains have transformed into coral
those are pearls that were his eyes
Even his eyes have become pearls, indicative of his wealth and value
nothing of him doth fade
Though he has passed, his memory remains strong and enduring
but doth suffer a sea change
Although there is continuity in his essence, he has undergone a significant transition
into something rich and strange
This transformation has led to something novel and exceptional, yet not fully understood or fathomable
sea nymphs hourly ring his knell
Nymphs of the sea commemorate him by ringing a bell every hour
hark now i hear them now i hear them
I can hear the sound of the bells ringing even now
ding dong bell
This is the sound of the bell ringing, a melodic tribute to your father
Contributed by Wyatt N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kevin
on Fear
I always thought that the last two lines were:
"Afraid to laugh, afraid to cry,
Afraid to love, afraid to try.