The Island
Skipinnish Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Summer time long years ago
I always will remember
Just a boy who didnt know
That those days would never die
Oh I recall the island girl
Her heart was still unbroken
And still i hear the pipers skerral
In the summer island sky

Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun
Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun

Bluest eyes theres ever been
Like sunshine on the ocean
Sweetest smile i've ever seen
And her black (?) hair
And the golden Hebrides
We danced until the morning
And felt the warm southern breeze
In the summer island air

Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun
Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun

I've walked this road for many years
And wisdoms often failed me
Looking back now through the tears
Those days will never die
Oh and when we're old and grey
Our hearts too often broken
We'll see again those summer days
And the summer island air

Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun
Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun




Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Skipinnish's song 'The Island' speak of nostalgia and longing for a past summer on an island that the singer will always remember. The opening verse sets the scene as a time long ago when the singer was just a boy, reminiscing on days that would never die. The island girl, with her unbroken heart and bluest eyes, is the subject of the singer's affection for the summer. The sound of the pipers' skerral (a screeching or squealing noise) in the summer island sky transports the singer back to that time.


The chorus of the song asks the listener if they too will dance and return to the island of the young, a place seemingly frozen in time where the dancer can dance until the dawn and the rising of the sun. The second verse describes the physical beauty of the island, with golden Hebrides and warm southern breezes, but also hints at the fleeting nature of youth and happiness through the repetition of the line "her heart was still unbroken." The final verse is a reflection on life's journey and how wisdom can fail us when looking back through tears. Despite this, the singer remains certain that the memory of those days on the island will never die.


In conclusion, 'The Island' is a wistful and nostalgic tribute to a past time and place of happiness and beauty. The song speaks to the human desire to return to a simpler, carefree time and to hold onto memories that will never fade.


Line by Line Meaning

Summer time long years ago
It was a summer a long time ago


I always will remember
It is a memory the singer will always hold onto


Just a boy who didnt know
The singer was young and unaware


That those days would never die
The artist did not realize that the memories of those days would remain with them forever


Oh I recall the island girl
The artist remembers a girl they met on the island


Her heart was still unbroken
The girl had not experienced heartache or pain


And still i hear the pipers skerral
The singer can still hear the sound of the bagpipes in their memory


In the summer island sky
The memory takes place during a summer day on the island


Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
The artist is asking if they will dance and relive their youth on the island


Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun
The artist is asking if they will dance all night long


Bluest eyes theres ever been
The girl had beautiful blue eyes


Like sunshine on the ocean
Her eyes had a brightness and warmth like sunshine on the ocean


Sweetest smile i've ever seen
The girl had a beautiful smile


And her black (?) hair
The girl had dark hair


And the golden Hebrides
The singer remembers the beautiful landscape of the Hebrides


We danced until the morning
The artist and the girl danced all night long


And felt the warm southern breeze
They felt the warm breeze of the south blowing on the island


In the summer island air
The beautiful summer air on the island


I've walked this road for many years
The singer has experienced many things since that summer day


And wisdoms often failed me
The artist feels that their wisdom has often let them down


Looking back now through the tears
The artist is emotional when they look back on their memories


Those days will never die
The artist realizes that they will always hold onto the memories of those days on the island


Oh and when we're old and grey
The singer imagines themselves growing old


Our hearts too often broken
The artist has experienced heartbreak


We'll see again those summer days
Despite the heartbreak, the singer hopes to revisit those happy summer days


And the summer island air
The beautiful summer air on the island


Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
The singer is asking again if they will dance and relive their youth on the island


Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun
The artist is asking if they will dance all night long


Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
The artist continues to ask if they will dance and relive their youth on the island


Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun
The singer continues to ask if they will dance all night long


Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
The singer repeats the question if they will dance and relive their youth on the island


Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun
The artist repeats the question if they will dance all night long




Contributed by Anna H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@jossel61

Summer time long years ago
I always will remember
Just a boy who didnt knowThat those days would never die
Oh I recall the island girl
Her heart was still unbroken
And still i hear the pipers skerral
In the summer island sky

Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun
Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun

Bluest eyes theres ever been
Like sunshine on the ocean
Sweetest smile i've ever seen
And her black (?) hair
And the golden Hebrides
We danced until the morning
And felt the warm southern breeze
In the summer island air

Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun
Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun

I've walked this road for many years
And wisdoms often failed me
Looking back now through the tears
Those days will never die
Oh and when we're old and grey
Our hearts too often broken
We'll see again those summer days
And the summer island air

Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun
Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun
Will ye dance and return to the island of the young
Will ye dance untill the dawn until the rising of the sun 2 Favoritess Skipinnish



All comments from YouTube:

@elodiehellbach5953

I felt in love with this song so badly. It makes me miss something I never met. I’m from Switzerland and found it by accident on YouTube and I listen to it nearly every time in the car. I started to watch documentaries about Scotland and now I want to travel to this beautiful country and learn more about its culture after university. All because of this song.😍

@guyro3373

Scotland is certainly worth a first visit (when it‘s safe and sensible to travel again, at least). And in most cases, „the first visit“ will not be the only visit you‘ll make!
We will return there when luck, health and travel conditions allow it…

@pikehunter5238

Gods Country,

@duncancallum

You will truly love our land Elodie and love our Culture and the music and the Scottish Folks that will give you a warm welcome .

@stevenfairlie3407

@@guyro3373 or your first visit will be your last visit, as you'll never leave and make Scotland your home.

@guyro3373

@@stevenfairlie3407 In most cases, while I like the sentiment, that is unlikely - unless you move there directly with a contract ;-). But yes, we will go there again, time (and money, and regulations, ...) permitting!

4 More Replies...

@daviemcf

This is the kind of bands we should have on telly at New Year, not crappy pop bands!!

@dj-protoOfficial

I agree wae ya.

@wwfgumby

I've been a Runrig fan for 30 years and have just discovered Skipinnish. Fabulous music and love the videos. Cheers from an Aussie with Scottish heritage.

@Amelkicio

I’m polish and I’ve lived in Scotland for all of my life (since I was 2) and my friends always play your songs and I love them 😂

More Comments

More Versions