Lakeman grew up with his two brothers Sean and Sam in the village of Buckland Monachorum in West Devon, England. He began playing music with his parents and two brothers at an early age. As The Lakeman Brothers, the three brothers released their debut album Three Piece Suite in 1994. Later that same year they were invited by two Yorkshire based singers Kathryn Roberts and Kate Rusby to join them as a backing group on a tour of Portugal. After the tour the five musicians became a permanent group and called themselves Equation. The group were signed in a record deal with Time Warner in 1995. After three full albums (Return to Me in 1996, Hazy Daze in 1998, and The Lucky Few in 2000), and tours in the UK, Europe and the United States, Lakeman left Equation in 2001. With his brother Sam he appeared on Sam's wife Cara Dillon's eponymous debut album, which featured Lakeman on fiddle, guitar and vocals. The album won two awards at the 2002 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
In 2002 Lakeman released his first solo album, The Punch Bowl, which received wide critical acclaim including a review in fRoots magazine which said: "The songs don't just glide smoothly by.....they get their claws into you".
Kitty Jay, Lakeman's second solo album was released in 2004. The title track of the album tells the story of Jay's Grave, a well known location on Dartmoor. That same year he collaborated with Devon singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and young local singer Jenna Witts on the album Western Approaches.
A UK tour in Autumn 2005 followed his Mercury Music Prize nomination, after which Lakeman and his band (regularly brother Sean on guitar, Ben Nichols on bass, Andy Tween on drums), toured extensively with folk-rock band The Levellers, who took to closing their set with a "fiddle off" between Lakeman and Levellers' fiddler Jonathan Sevink. Other support tours with Billy Bragg and Jools Holland brought Lakeman's music to a wider audience.
In March 2006 Lakeman began a UK tour in order to promote his new album Freedom Fields which was released on iScream. He signed to a new major record label, Relentless Records, promptly releasing a new single "Lady of the Sea" in early August 2006.
His fourth solo album, Poor Man's Heaven, was released on 30 June 2008 with an accompanying tour. It introduced a rockier edge to the folk of the previous albums. His fifth solo album, Hearts & Minds, was released on 19 July 2010. Lakeman released his sixth album called Tales From The Barrel House on 18 November 2011.
www.sethlakeman.co.uk
The Lady Of The Sea
Seth Lakeman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This ship would take her last breath.
Her full mast it was draping,
Like a mermaid she was dressed.
Her lonely heart is setting free,
All her cares they went sailing out to sea.
Flocked to view that lovely sight.
All young maidens came to town,
They waved her out into the night.
She tried to clear the rocks with swelling
sails,
The ocean beat her everytime,
And with a crack her body failed.
Sea engulfed and filled our eyes.
When the news returned to the town,
Every maid sat on the pier,
With lovers lost and fathers never found,
For now that mermaid`s dressed in tears.
Her lonely heart has set us free,
As all our prayers they went sailing out to
sea.
You can hear her calling,
Now that mermaid`s dressed in tears
The song "Lady Of The Sea" by Seth Lakeman is a haunting and melancholic ballad that tells the story of a ship that meets its fate on the rocks in the month of May. The ship is depicted as a beautiful and delicate being, like a mermaid, with a lonely heart that is now set free. The ship's tragic demise is witnessed by a crowd of onlookers, including young maidens who bid her farewell into the night. Despite the ship's valiant efforts to clear the rocks and navigate through the treacherous waters, the ocean proves too much and the ship ultimately fails, much to the sadness and despair of those left behind. The mermaid-like ship is now forever dressed in tears, a poignant image that captures the deep emotions and sense of loss conveyed throughout the song.
The lyrics of "Lady Of The Sea" are full of rich imagery and symbolism that add to its evocative and powerful impact. The metaphor of the ship as a mermaid serves as a poignant contrast between beauty and vulnerability, and highlights the sense of tragic loss that pervades the song. The imagery of swelling sails and the power of the ocean add to the sense of drama and urgency, while the mournful tone of the lyrics is heightened by the use of repetition and the haunting refrain of the "mermaid dressed in tears". As a whole, "Lady Of The Sea" is a moving and beautiful song that captures the struggles and triumphs of the sea, and the human emotions that are intertwined with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Out of the moonlight in the month of May,
In the month of May, during moonlit night, a ship was about to meet its demise.
This ship would take her last breath.
The ship would no longer sail on the waters.
Her full mast it was draping,
The ship's full mast was hanging down, signifying the end of her life.
Like a mermaid she was dressed.
The ship resembled a mermaid with her sails looking like fins.
Her lonely heart is setting free,
The ship's spirit is released from its earthly form.
All her cares they went sailing out to sea.
The ship's worries and sorrows were left behind as she perished.
All those people gathered round,
People congregated around the ship to witness its final moments.
Flocked to view that lovely sight.
They came together to observe the beautiful yet tragic sight of the ship's demise.
All young maidens came to town,
Young women were drawn to the commotion and watched from the shore.
They waved her out into the night.
The maidens bid farewell to the ship as it sailed off into the night.
She tried to clear the rocks with swelling sails,
The ship attempted to avoid rocks in the water with full sails.
The ocean beat her everytime,
Despite its efforts, the ship was defeated by the mighty sea in every attempt to escape.
And with a crack her body failed.
The ship's structure broke apart, leading to its downfall.
Sea engulfed and filled our eyes.
The sea consumed the ship and caused much sorrow to those watching.
When the news returned to the town,
Word of the ship's fate reached the town.
Every maid sat on the pier,
Every woman waited on the pier, hoping to see their loved ones return from the sea.
With lovers lost and fathers never found,
Their loved ones and fathers didn't return from the sea.
For now that mermaid`s dressed in tears.
The ship is now weeping and mourning her own fate.
Her lonely heart has set us free,
The ship's spirit has freed the town from the tragedy and sorrow of its demise.
As all our prayers they went sailing out to sea.
As the ship perished, they sent their prayers and good wishes with it.
You can hear her calling,
The ship's spirit can still be felt and heard.
Now that mermaid`s dressed in tears.
The ship's spirit is mourning while resembling a mermaid, her sails looking like fins.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SETH LAKEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@giuseppefurio4814
TESTO
ASCOLTA
ALTRE RICERCHE DEGLI UTENTI
Testo
Out of the moonlight in the month of May,
This ship would take her last breath.
Her full mast it was draping,
Like a mermaid she was dressed.
Her lonely heart is setting free,
All her cares they went sailing out to sea.
All those people gathered round,
Flocked to view that lovely sight.
All young maidens came to town,
They waved her out into the night.
She tried to clear the rocks with swelling
sails,
The ocean beat her everytime,
And with a crack her body failed.
Sea engulfed and filled our eyes.
When the news returned to the town,
Every maid sat on the pier,
With lovers lost and fathers never found,
For now that mermaid`s dressed in tears.
Her lonely heart has set us free,
As all our prayers they went sailing out to
sea.
You can hear her calling,
Now that mermaid`s dressed in tears
@chrisjp100
First time i heard this tune, i was in a warehouse i was working in, it was playing full blast. Never forgot it since. Bloody love it.
@KernowFishy
Seth deserves so much more fame than he has got. A brilliant musician and singer.
@angelamills980
Re deserving fame, I love you both for being satisfied that others appreciate your talents. Makes you both far more positive role models.
@ForkyMusic
Im in a Folk Rock band, all 16, from essex and its actually made me feel so much better watching this, that this type of music is finally being recognised!!
@ellievisionog
Hows the band going, 11 years on?
@fenris78uk
How are you doing at 27 mate?
@mikeyirish1967
This man is crazy talented.
@louisetaylor4658
So talented and just amazing live!
@Norkeiber
This is totally fantastic. Really love this! Such a talented mix of voice and string.
@EmillieKey
Love his singing and his talented playing! Proud to be from Devon! inspires me every time i hear this :)