Right Away, Great Captain! recorded their debut album The Bitter End over a span of 3 days in a 100 year old log cabin near Bastian, VA in August of 2006. It is a concept record concerning a 17th century sailor at sea for 3 years. Each song is a journal entry to either his family at home, or his captain.
Part two of the story The Eventually Home was released in 2008.
The final part of the trilogy The Church Of The Good Thief was released mid-January of 2012. 6 months later in July, The Lost Sea was released.
I'm Not Ready To Forgive You
Right Away Great Captain! Lyrics
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you stood like a girl i've always known, always want to
and i fell back in love with you again, didn't want to
and i forgot the things i thought that i would say, didn't have to
and to your left and right there stood my son, and my daughter
but smiling back behind you stood the sum, for departure
so here i stand a man without a plan, or a virtue
I'm not ready to forgive you
I'm not ready to forget you
The lyrics of "I'm Not Ready to Forgive You" by Right Away Great Captain! describe a moment of intense emotional turmoil for the singer. As the ship he is on docks, he sees the face of someone he has a complicated history with. The person, addressed as "you", stands like a girl the singer has always known and wanted, and he falls back in love with her again, despite having previously thought he would say certain things to her. The singer's wife and children are with him, but the person he loves stands behind them, ready to depart. In this moment, the singer is left feeling lost, without a plan or virtue, and presented with a difficult decision: spend his life out at sea or become a murderer.
The song's lyrics explore themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. The singer grapples with conflicted feelings towards the person he loves, even as he confronts the reality of his own family and the dark choices he may have to make. The song's haunting melody and powerful lyrics capture the raw emotion of this moment, as the singer faces a decision that will change the course of his life forever.
Line by Line Meaning
the minute the ship docked i saw your face, in the window
As soon as the ship came to a stop, I saw your face looking back at me through the window
you stood like a girl i've always known, always want to
You were standing with the same grace and beauty that's been consistent since the first time I saw you
and i fell back in love with you again, didn't want to
In that moment, I couldn't help but feel my heartstrings get pulled by my love for you, despite my hesitation
and i forgot the things i thought that i would say, didn't have to
I had some things planned to say, but when I saw you again, those words seemed trivial and unnecessary
and to your left and right there stood my son, and my daughter
Standing beside you were two of the most important people in my life, my offspring
but smiling back behind you stood the sum, for departure
But in the distance, behind you were signs of leaving, as if you were ready to start anew somewhere else without any concerns of what might be left behind.
so here i stand a man without a plan, or a virtue
I find myself standing before you with no clear direction or set of principles to guide me
i can either spend my life out here at sea, or be a murderer
I can either continue living a life of isolation on this boat or I can be pushed to the brink of anger and frustration, perhaps doing something drastic
I'm not ready to forgive you
I am not mentally prepared to forgive you for what you have done
I'm not ready to forget you
I am not ready to let go of the memory of you just yet
Contributed by Olivia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.