Sir Patrick Spens
Sandy Denny Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The King sits in Dunfirmline town,
Drinking of the blood-red wine
"Where can I get a steely skipper
To sail this might boat of mine?"

Then up there spoke a bonny boy,
Sitting at the King's right knee
"Sir Patrick Spens is the very best seaman
That ever sailed upon the sea"

The King has written a broad letter
And sealed it up with his own right hand
Sending word unto Sir Patrick to come to him at his command

"An enemy then this must be
Who told the lie concerning me
For I was never a very good seaman,
Nor ever do intend to be"

"Last night I saw the new moon clear
With the new moon in her hair
And that is a sign since we were born
That means there'll be a deadly storm"

They had not sailed upon the deep a day,
A day but barely free
When loud and boisterous blew the winds
And loud and noisy blew the sea

Then up there came a mermaiden,
A comb and glass all in her hand
"Here's to you my merry young men for you'll not see dry land again"

"Long may my lady stand
Qith a lantern in her hand
Before she sees my bonny ship
Come sailing homeward to dry land"

Forty miles off Aberdeen,
The waters fifty fathoms deep




There lies good Sir Patrick Spens
With the Scots lords at his feet

Overall Meaning

Sandy Denny's song Sir Patrick Spens is a ballad that tells a tale of a Scottish sea tragedy. The song tells the story of the Scottish king sitting in Dunfirmline town, seeking a sailor to sail his boat. A young boy speaks up and suggests Sir Patrick Spens, the finest sailor in all of Scotland. The king then sends a letter to Sir Patrick, demanding that he come to sail the king's ship. However, Sir Patrick is hesitant, saying that he was never a good sailor and doesn't intend to be.


Despite his reluctance, Sir Patrick sets sail with the king's ship, and soon after they set off, a deadly storm hits. Sir Patrick and the Scots lords accompanying him all die, and they are lost at sea. The last verse talks about Sir Patrick's lady, who is waiting for his return on dry land with a lantern in her hand, hoping to see his bonny ship sailing homeward. Unfortunately, Sir Patrick and his men never make it back, and in the end, their souls lie forty miles off Aberdeen with the Scots lords at their feet.


The song is a poignant reminder of the dangers of the sea and the bravery of those who sail them. It's a beautiful and haunting melody that expresses both the sadness and the strength of the human spirit.


Line by Line Meaning

The King sits in Dunfirmline town, Drinking of the blood-red wine
The King is in Dunfirmline town, drinking red wine.


"Where can I get a steely skipper To sail this might boat of mine?"
The King is looking for a skilled captain to sail his boat.


Then up there spoke a bonny boy, Sitting at the King's right knee "Sir Patrick Spens is the very best seaman That ever sailed upon the sea"
A young boy informs the King that Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor he knows.


The King has written a broad letter And sealed it up with his own right hand Sending word unto Sir Patrick to come to him at his command
The King writes a letter to Sir Patrick, commanding him to come see him.


"An enemy then this must be Who told the lie concerning me For I was never a very good seaman, Nor ever do intend to be"
Sir Patrick believes someone must be lying about his skill as a sailor because he knows he isn't very good.


"Last night I saw the new moon clear With the new moon in her hair And that is a sign since we were born That means there'll be a deadly storm"
Seeing a clear new moon with a halo usually means a deadly storm is coming, according to Sir Patrick.


They had not sailed upon the deep a day, A day but barely free When loud and boisterous blew the winds And loud and noisy blew the sea
They hadn't been sailing for long when the winds and waves picked up and become loud and boisterous.


Then up there came a mermaiden, A comb and glass all in her hand "Here's to you my merry young men for you'll not see dry land again"
A mermaid appears to the sailors, and they think it's a bad omen since mermaids are negative symbols in sailing culture.


"Long may my lady stand Qith a lantern in her hand Before she sees my bonny ship Come sailing homeward to dry land"
Sir Patrick wishes his lady waits for him until he comes back home safely to dry land.


Forty miles off Aberdeen, The waters fifty fathoms deep There lies good Sir Patrick Spens With the Scots lords at his feet
Sir Patrick and other Scottish lords have drowned in the waters off Aberdeen.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ASHLEY HUTCHINGS, DAVID MATTACKS, RICHARD JOHN THOMPSON, SANDY DENNY, SIMON JOHN NICOL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

コギソマサヒロ

王は云った、だれか、
私の船を
大海原にうかばせて、
魔物共を討ち果たせ。

パトリック・スペンス、おん前に、
彼こそ勇者。
ひと度船をこぎだせば、
向うところ敵なしと。



All comments from YouTube:

Paul Lavan

Glorious Sandy, you still own my heart.

Brian E. Reinecke

A fine job my friend. Such a pure voice..

Pete Rigan

Beyond words how timelessly beautiful.That is celtic/british folk rock that got even more and punk fans listening in!

Michael Igoe

Dave Mattacks was essential to the band in a way that a drummer normally isn't in other bands.

Paul Lavan

Oh, glorious Sandy. Nobody has ever been able to even begin to touch you. I love The Notes and The Words set more than words. May God forever bless you, Sandy, my heroine.

mickigoe

Lovely tribute, mate.

PDSJohn

WOW never heard this version before thanks ever so much for the posting. I have been in love with Sandy since I first heard Liege and Lief in 1969. Surely the best British female singer of her time.

Peter Robin

No .....the Best British Female singer of ALL time!

G. Geurtsen

I absolutely adore her!

sandra morey

Beautiful and as we got into it there was the variant tune I know. There are a ton of folks who covered this, including me. It is one of the oldest of the ballads written by "Anonymous". It was in my 9th grade anthology. I use John Longstaff's variant, but I suggest that folks who like this one, try listening to some others as well. Oakland,CA 2020

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