Nick Garrie-Hamilton, better known as Nick Garrie, is a British singer-song… Read Full Bio ↴Nick Garrie-Hamilton, better known as Nick Garrie, is a British singer-songwriter best known for his extremely rare 1969 debut album, The Nightmare of JB Stanislas, which is considered by many to be an exemplary piece of psychedelic baroque pop. Original copies of the album, which was reportedly only available in France, are known to very expensive, and it wasn't until 2005, when Rev-ola Records issued it, that it was available on CD.

Fourty years after this debut, Nick Garrie is back with "49 Arlington Gardens", long-awaited new album, due to be released on Elefant Records in early 2009.

The Wanderer
Nick Garrie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Please set me free to roam in cities far away
And to lose myself in lands I've never seen
Let me be the wanderer I know I have to be
Don't want to stay here anymore and dream

It's difficult to tell you
And the words don't fit my thoughts
And my thoughts they don't live anywhere

They roam
And dream
And wander
The wanderer

I'm going to the mountain lands across the northern seas
The winds are very cruel there they say
I'll wander down the southern coasts
To follow drifting clouds
And may the good sun guide me on my way

It's difficult to tell you
And the words don't fit my thoughts
And my thoughts they don't live anywhere
They roam
And dream
And wander
The wanderer

I'll scratch your name across blue tinted snow in winter lands
In summer's warmth I'll sing it to the sea
And soon I'll lose its meaning
And it's sound will disappear
My wandering love will be completely free

It's difficult to tell you
And the words don't fit my thoughts
And my thoughts they don't live anywhere
They roam
And dream
And wander
The wanderer

Please set me free to roam in cities far away
And to lose myself in lands I've never seen
Let me be the wanderer I know I have to be
Don't want to stay here anymore and dream

It's difficult to tell you
And the words don't fit my thoughts
And my thoughts they don't live anywhere
They roam
And dream

And wander
The wanderer

Overall Meaning

"The Wanderer" by Nick Garrie is a song expressing the desire to travel and explore the world, to wander and dream freely. The lyrics express a longing to be free from the restrictions of staying in one place, to explore new cities and lands, and to lose oneself in the beauty and mystery of the unknown. The singer seeks to become a "wanderer" and follow where their thoughts and dreams take them. Throughout the song, the singer alludes to various landscapes and regions they wish to visit - "mountain lands across the northern seas," "southern coasts," "blue tinted snow in winter lands," and "the sea."

The chorus repetition reinforces that the desire to wander comes from a deep within as the words do not fit the singer's thoughts, which roams, dreams, and wanders freely. The song's theme of a wanderlust spirit is further elaborated through metaphors of singing to the sea and scratching a lover's name into the snow. The phrase "wandering love" implies that the desire for adventure extends even to the emotional realm. The final plea, "Please set me free to roam," emphasizes the emotional desperation to explore, unshackle, and get lost in the beauty of the world.

Overall, "The Wanderer" is a reflective song about embracing a personal, nomadic spirit and journeying through life unbridled. The song reveals that wanderlust, the desire to travel and explore, is not only about physical adventure or discovery but also about seeking the freedom, pursuing life through authentic exploration.

Line by Line Meaning

Please set me free to roam in cities far away
I want to be set free to travel to faraway places and explore cities.

And to lose myself in lands I've never seen
I want to get lost in unknown lands and experience something new.

Let me be the wanderer I know I have to be
I want to live like a wanderer and follow my own path without any restrictions.

Don't want to stay here anymore and dream
I don't want to stay in the same place and dream about adventures anymore.

It's difficult to tell you
I find it difficult to express myself.

And the words don't fit my thoughts
I cannot find the right words to express my thoughts and feelings.

And my thoughts they don't live anywhere
My thoughts are constantly changing and don't have any fixed place.

They roam
My thoughts wander aimlessly.

And dream
My thoughts can be dreamy and idealistic.

And wander
My thoughts wander and explore new ideas.

I'm going to the mountain lands across the northern seas
I'm planning to travel to places far away, like the mountain lands across the northern seas.

The winds are very cruel there they say
I've heard that the winds in those places can be very harsh and unforgiving.

I'll wander down the southern coasts
I plan to travel to explore the southern coasts as well.

To follow drifting clouds
I want to be free like the clouds and follow my own path wherever it leads me.

And may the good sun guide me on my way
I hope that the sun will guide me and keep me safe on my travels.

I'll scratch your name across blue tinted snow in winter lands
I'll try to leave a trace of my presence wherever I go, like scratching your name on snow.

In summer's warmth I'll sing it to the sea
In warmer months, I'll sing your name to the sea as a way of remembering you.

And soon I'll lose its meaning
After a while, your name might lose its significance to me.

And it's sound will disappear
I might forget how your name sounds as I travel further away.

My wandering love will be completely free
My love for exploration and adventure will be completely free and unhindered.

Contributed by Chloe D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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