He was born in Washington, D.C. and began studying piano at the age of nine, and showed an aptitude for music by learning to play several different instruments, including the banjo and acoustic and bass guitars. Tork attended E.O.Smith High School in Storrs, Connecticut. He then attended Carleton College but dropped out and moved to New York City, where he became part of the folk music scene in Greenwich Village during the first half of the 1960s. While there he befriended other up and coming musicians such as Stephen Stills, and after both moved to the Los Angeles area Stills suggested Tork audition for a new television series about four pop-rock musicians. Tork got the job and became one of the four members of The Monkees, who ended up being both characters in a television sitcom and a band in their own right.
Tork was a proficient musician, and though the group did not play their own instruments on their first two albums, after that point he played keyboards, bass guitar, banjo, and other instruments on their recordings. He also wrote the closing theme song of the second season of The Monkees, "For Pete's Sake." On the television show, he was relegated to playing the dummy even though he was actually an intelligent, literate person.
After two years of the show, six albums, a movie, and a television special, Tork had had enough and quit the group, striking out on his own with a group called “Release.” This new band never achieved success, and problems with drugs including alcohol led to his leaving show business entirely for a few years while he taught school and coached basketball. Finally in 1980 he quit drinking and the next year gave up drugs, and in 1986 he rejoined fellow-Monkees Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz for a 20th anniversary reunion tour. Since then he has intermittently toured with his former bandmates and also played with his own bands The Peter Tork Project and Peter Tork & Shoe Suede Blues as well as in solo performances and with touring partner James Lee Stanley.
Sea Change
Peter Tork Lyrics
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Kneeling on your shore
Felt your changes in my body
Came crawling back for more
Screeching seagulls, moaning whales
Dare me to exist
Do I enter Mother Ocean?
I give up
I surrender to your charms
Take me down into your depths
And let me drown in your arms
Take me down
Yeah, take me down
Whoa, take me down
Yeah, take me down
Shape me, bend me to your will
Only give me time
To learn to seek your will for me
And to ease your mind
And I will do my best for you
Each moment that I′m able
I only want to please you
As I lie here in your cradle
Take me down
Yeah, take me down
Whoa, take me down
Yeah, take me down
Let the ocean waters
Wreak their darkness, black as coal
Drown the old me, make me over
Claim my soul
Take me down
Yeah, take me down
Whoa, take me down
Take me down
Oh, take me down, down, down, down
Take me down, down, down, down
Take me down, down, down, down
Take me down, down, down, down
Take me down, down, down, down
Take me down, down, down, down
Take me down, down, down, down
Take me down, down, down, down
The lyrics of Peter Tork's song "Sea Change" reflect a deep connection and surrender to the power and allure of the ocean. The singer describes their experience of drinking the deep sea water and feeling the changes it brings to their body. This intense connection with the sea compels them to return for more, despite the daunting challenges they face.
The presence of screeching seagulls and moaning whales represents the conflicting forces that both dare the singer to embrace existence and question their ability to resist the call of the ocean. The singer admits to giving up and surrendering to the charms of the sea, yearning to be taken down into its depths and drown in its embrace.
The lyrics convey a sense of being shaped and bent to the will of the ocean, with the singer desiring to ease its mind and please it. They express their commitment to doing their best and seeking the ocean's will, as they lie in its cradle, symbolizing a state of vulnerability and surrender.
In the latter part of the song, the singer embraces the darkness and transformation that the ocean represents. They are willing to let the waters of the ocean drown the old version of themselves and claim their soul, representing a profound change or rebirth.
Overall, "Sea Change" explores themes of surrender, transformation, and the irresistible pull of nature's forces, particularly the ocean's power and allure.
Line by Line Meaning
I drank your deep sea water
I immersed myself in your profound emotions and experiences
Kneeling on your shore
Being humbled by the greatness and power you possess
Felt your changes in my body
Sensing the transformative impact you have on my being
Came crawling back for more
Returning willingly and eagerly for further enlightenment
Screeching seagulls, moaning whales
The calls of nature challenging me to truly exist and thrive
Dare me to exist
Urging me to fully embrace life and confront my fears
Do I enter Mother Ocean?
Should I fully immerse myself in the expansive and nurturing force of the sea?
Do I dare resist?
Or should I deny my instincts and restrain myself?
I give up
I surrender myself to your irresistible allure
I surrender to your charms
I yield to the captivating influence you possess
Take me down into your depths
Lead me into the profound depths of your essence
And let me drown in your arms
Allow me to be consumed and enveloped by your love and embrace
Shape me, bend me to your will
Mold me into the person you desire, influencing my thoughts and actions
Only give me time
Just grant me the opportunity and patience to adapt and grow
To learn to seek your will for me
To understand and actively pursue your purpose and desires for my life
And to ease your mind
Bringing you comfort and solace, alleviating any concerns or worries
And I will do my best for you
I will exert maximum effort to fulfill your expectations
Each moment that I'm able
Whenever I have the capacity and opportunity to do so
I only want to please you
My sole desire is to bring you happiness and satisfaction
As I lie here in your cradle
While I am embraced and nurtured within your protective embrace
Let the ocean waters
Allow the vastness of your emotions and experiences
Wreak their darkness, black as coal
To unleash their powerful and sometimes daunting aspects
Drown the old me, make me over
To submerge the former version of myself and bring about transformation
Claim my soul
To take ownership of my very being and essence
Oh, take me down, down, down, down
Oh, guide me deep into the abyss of your depths
Take me down, down, down, down
Lead me further down into the unknown, unexplored territories
Writer(s): Peter Tork
Contributed by Alexis J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.