Jackie
Sinťad O'Connor Lyrics
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Telling me he'd be home
Sailed the seas for a hundred years
Leaving me all alone
And I've been dead for twenty years
I've been washing the sand
With my ghostly tears
Searching the shores for my Jackie-oh
I remember the day the young man came
He said, "your Jackie's gone
We got lost in the rain"
And I ran to the beach
And laid me down
"You're all wrong", I said
And they stared at the sand
"That man knows that sea
Like the back of his hand
He'll be back some time
laughing at you"
And I've been waiting all this time
For my man to come
Take his hand in mine
And lead me away
To unseen shores
I've been washing the sand
With my salty tears
Searching the shore
For these long years
And I'll walk the seas forever more
Till I find my Jackie oh
Till I find my Jackie oh
Till I find my Jackie oh
Jackie oh
Jackie oh
Jackie oh
The hauntingly beautiful lyrics of Sinéad O'Connor's song "Jackie" speak of a woman who has been waiting for her lover Jackie for over twenty years. Jackie left her one cold, dark night and sailed the seas for a hundred years, leaving the woman behind to search for him on the shore with her ghostly tears. When she first heard of Jackie's supposed death, she refused to believe it and waited for him to return to her. However, as the years went by, she became more and more convinced that he was gone forever. Yet still, she holds onto hope, waiting for him to come back and share with her the unseen shores that he has discovered.
The song embodies themes of death, loss and hope. The woman, who has been dead for twenty years still holds onto her love for Jackie and waits endlessly to be reunited with him. Despite the sadness that embodies the lyrics, the song is uplifting in its description of hope, enduring love and a longing for reunion. It is a reminder that love transcends through death and time.
Line by Line Meaning
Jackie left on a cold, dark night
The singer's lover, Jackie, left in the darkness without any explanation.
Telling me he'd be home
Jackie promised to come back home upon leaving.
Sailed the seas for a hundred years
Jackie has been away for a long time, wandering the seas for what seems like an eternity.
Leaving me all alone
The artist was left behind with no one but herself.
And I've been dead for twenty years
The artist feels that she has been dead inside since Jackie left, even though she has physically lived for the past twenty years.
I've been washing the sand With my ghostly tears
The singer has been crying so much that her tears have stained the sand, making her feel like a ghost.
Searching the shores for my Jackie-oh
Despite years of searching, the singer is still trying to find her beloved Jackie.
I remember the day the young man came
A messenger arrived to deliver news about Jackie's whereabouts.
He said, 'your Jackie's gone We got lost in the rain'
The messenger informs the artist that Jackie got lost in the rain and is now gone, leaving her devastated.
And I ran to the beach And laid me down
The artist runs to the beach to mourn Jackie's loss by lying down and crying.
'You're all wrong', I said And they stared at the sand 'That man knows that sea Like the back of his hand He'll be back some time laughing at you'
The singer expresses her disagreement with the messenger's words, stating that Jackie knows the sea well and will eventually return to prove the messenger wrong.
And I've been waiting all this time For my man to come Take his hand in mine And lead me away To unseen shores
The artist has been waiting for Jackie's return so that they can finally be together and leave for new horizons.
And I'll walk the seas forever more Till I find my Jackie oh Jackie oh Jackie oh
The singer is willing to search the seas endlessly until she finds her beloved Jackie again, endlessly singing his name in hopes of finding him.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SINEAD O'CONNOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind