I Travel Alone
Noël Coward Lyrics
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Sometimes I'm east,
Sometimes I'm west,
No chains can ever bind me,
No remembered love
Can ever find me.
I travel alone,
Fair though the places
When the dream has ended
And passion has flown,
I travel alone.
The world is wide, and when my day is done I shall at least have traveled free,
Led by this wanderlust that turns my eyes to far horizons.
Though time and tide won't wait for anyone,
There's one illusion left for me
And that's the happiness I've known alone
I travel alone,
Sometimes I'm east,
Sometimes I'm west,
No chains can ever bind me,
No remembered love
Can ever find me.
I travel alone,
Fair though the places
And faces I've known,
When the dream has ended
And passion has flown,
I travel alone.
Free from love's illusion
My heart is my own,
I travel all alone.
Noel Coward's song "I Travel Alone" is a reflective ballad about the freedom and independence that comes with traveling alone. The lyrics describe the singer's wandering lifestyle, moving from place to place, and never staying in one place too long. The opening lines of the song "I travel alone, sometimes I'm east, sometimes I'm west" set the tone for the rest of the song, describing the sense of movement and exploration that often accompany solo travel. The singer expresses a sense of pride and liberation at being unbound by chains or remembered love, able to roam wherever they please.
As the song continues, the singer reflects on the beauty and variety of the places and faces they've encountered on their travels. However, despite the sense of adventure and romance that comes with exploring new places and meeting new people, the singer expresses the sense of sadness that inevitably follows when the dream has ended, and passion has flown. Though the loneliness of traveling alone can be difficult, it is a price the singer is willing to pay for the freedom they crave.
The final verse of the song speaks to the singer's ultimate acceptance of their solitary lifestyle. The singer suggests that their heart is their own, free from the illusions and heartbreaks of love. Ultimately, despite the challenges of traveling alone, the singer finds joy and fulfillment in their wanderlust, and in the knowledge that they are truly masters of their own destiny.
Line by Line Meaning
I travel alone,
I journey alone without accompanying anyone else or burdening myself with any baggage
Sometimes I'm east,
Occasionally I travel towards the eastern direction
Sometimes I'm west,
At times I head towards the western direction while travelling
No chains can ever bind me,
No constraints or limitations can restrict my movements or freedom to explore
No remembered love
Can ever find me.
Even if I recall past love, it will not locate me now as I move on in life
Fair though the places
And faces I've known,
Even though the locations and individuals I've encountered are lovely,
When the dream has ended
And passion has flown,
Once my aspirations or romantic feelings no longer exist
I travel alone.
I continue to journey by myself
The world is wide, and when my day is done I shall at least have traveled free,
The globe is vast, and no matter what happens, I will have roamed unencumbered till the end of my life
Led by this wanderlust that turns my eyes to far horizons.
Guided by my desire to explore, I often gaze at distant areas
Though time and tide won't wait for anyone,
Although time and the movements of the ocean will not pause for anyone
There's one illusion left for me
And that's the happiness I've known alone
The only mirage remaining for me is the satisfaction I've found through solitary pursuits
Free from love's illusion
My heart is my own,
Without deceiving myself about love, my heart belongs solely to me
I travel all alone.
I journey entirely by myself.
Contributed by Sophia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.