Studio albums
Saxon (1979)
Wheels of Steel (1980)
Strong Arm of the Law (1980)
Denim and Leather (1981)
Power & the Glory (1983)
Crusader (1984)
Innocence Is No Excuse (1985)
Rock the Nations (1986)
Destiny (1988)
Solid Ball of Rock (1991)
Forever Free (1992)
Dogs of War (1995)
Unleash the Beast (1997)
Metalhead (1999)
Killing Ground (2001)
Lionheart (2004)
The Inner Sanctum (2007)
Into the Labyrinth (2009)
Call to Arms (2011)
Sacrifice (2013)
Battering Ram (2015)
Thunderbolt (2018)
Inspirations (2021)
Carpe Diem (2022)
S.O.S
Saxon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the bottle smashed on her bow
The flagship of the gilded age
Moved slowly out to sea
Never had such luxury
Been seen afloat before
They said she was unsinkable
The fools were wrong once more
S. - S.O.S.
We're sinking fast
You better get to the boats
S. - S.O.S.
The captain cried
For God sakes save your souls
Sailing on into the night
Toward the northern star
Laughter rang, people danced
Under crystal chandeliers
No one sensed the danger
In the unforgiving sea
Steaming into legend
A voyage into history
S. - S.O.S.
We're sinking fast
You better get to the boats
S. - S.O.S.
The captain cried
For God sakes save your souls
2000 tortured souls cry out
Cry out from their sleep
Damned to spend eternity
Travelers of the deep
S. - S.O.S.
We're sinking fast
You better get to the boats
S. - S.O.S.
The captain cried
For God sakes save your souls [Repeat until end]
The lyrics of Saxon's song S.O.S. describe the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic, a luxury liner that was touted as unsinkable but ultimately met its demise on its maiden voyage in 1912. The song begins by painting a picture of the opulence and grandeur of the ship's launch as the band played and cameras turned. However, the festivities are cut short as the ship smashes into an iceberg and begins to sink. The captain desperately calls for passengers to evacuate to the lifeboats, as 2000 souls cry out from their sleep, doomed to spend eternity as travelers of the deep.
The lyrics capture the sense of disbelief and tragedy that surrounded the sinking of the Titanic, which was supposed to be the pinnacle of human achievement but instead became a cautionary tale about the dangers of hubris and overconfidence. By weaving together elements of historical fact with a sense of poetic storytelling, Saxon's song S.O.S. offers a poignant tribute to the lives that were lost in one of the most infamous maritime disasters of all time.
Line by Line Meaning
The band played and the cameras turned
The musicians performed and people captured the moment on camera
As the bottle smashed on her bow
As a bottle broke against the front of the ship
The flagship of the gilded age
The most important and impressive ship of the time
Moved slowly out to sea
Left the port and sailed into the ocean
Never had such luxury
People had never seen such extravagance before
Been seen afloat before
Such a luxurious ship had never sailed before
They said she was unsinkable
People believed that the ship could not be sunk
The fools were wrong once more
Those who believed the ship was unsinkable were mistaken
S. - S.O.S.
The distress signal that the ship sent out
We're sinking fast
The ship is quickly going underwater
You better get to the boats
The only way to survive is to get to the lifeboats
The captain cried
The captain shouted out in distress
For God sakes save your souls
Please save yourselves from danger and potential death
Sailing on into the night
The ship continued its journey even as darkness fell
Toward the northern star
Heading in the direction of the guiding star in the sky
Laughter rang, people danced
People enjoyed themselves and had a good time onboard the ship
Under crystal chandeliers
Beneath extravagant lighting fixtures
No one sensed the danger
No one realized the impending disaster
In the unforgiving sea
In a body of water that can be very harsh and cruel
Steaming into legend
Sailing towards historical significance
A voyage into history
A journey that would be remembered in history
2000 tortured souls cry out
The many people who were suffering and in distress cried out in agony
Cry out from their sleep
Cried out even as they were in the state of sleep or unconsciousness
Damned to spend eternity
Condemned to an existence that will never end
Travelers of the deep
Those who journey through the depths of the ocean
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: GRAHAM OLIVER, PAUL QUINN, PETERY ROONEY BYFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind