sailor
Stan Rogers Lyrics


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(CHORUS 1)
It's acrimony down in the card room
With winning hands thrown on the baize;
Forgotten cards wait on the end of debate
On the good old days.
Captains and mates getting testy
With memories not of the best
And tempers are flying
Down at the Sailor's Rest.

Blue eyes in wrinkled Morocco
Still search the horizon for squalls,
And Zeros in the sky and the watchkeeper's eye
And the pawn shop balls.
The spice in the wind off Java
And the bars in Papity were best,
But the deck is too steady
Down at the Sailor's Rest.

(Chorus 2)
And oh...how they talk of the day they arrived;
When after the years, all the storms and the tears,
Still very much alive.
And oh...how their lives were spilled out on the floor
From the battered old seabags, the journals and logs
And the keepsakes locked in the chests
That were stowed in the attic [sold at the auction]
Down at the Sailor's Rest.

No rail on the mess room table
And you're dead if you spit on the floor.
No grog allowed, no singing too loud,
And no locks on the doors;
But there's always a fire in the card room
And the tucker is always the best,
And they'll end it together
Down at the Sailor's Rest.

(CHORUS 2)
And oh...how they talked of the day they arrived...





So...(CHORUS 1)

Overall Meaning

The song "Sailor's Rest" by Stan Rogers reflects on the life of sailors who have retired and now reside in the Sailor's Rest tavern. The chorus describes the tension in the card room where winning hands cause disagreements and arguments ensue. The sailors' memories of their past lives are not always pleasant and their tempers flare. The second verse talks about a sailor's life at sea, the lookout for squalls, and the bars in exotic locales like Java and Papity. But now the sailor's lives have changed, and they are retired in the Sailor's Rest. There is no longer the turbulence of the sea, and the once-exciting bars and ports of call are just memories.


The second chorus describes the sailors reminiscing about their past lives, the challenges they faced, and the keepsakes they collected during their journeys. The sailors are grateful to be alive and are proud of their accomplishments.


The song highlights the comradeship of the sailors even in their retirement years. There are no locks on the doors, and the sailors eat their meals together. The tavern is their new home, and they have each other to reminisce and reflect on their past lives at sea.


Overall, the song Sailor's Rest talks about the changes that come with retirement and how people adapt to a slower and different pace of life. The sailors in the song had action-packed and adventurous lives while they sailed the oceans, but now they have learned that being together and sharing their stories is what brings them joy and comfort in their later years.


Line by Line Meaning

It's acrimony down in the card room
There's an atmosphere of animosity in the card room.


With winning hands thrown on the baize;
Cards with potential of winning are being discarded on the green card table.


Forgotten cards wait on the end of debate
Cards that are disregarded wait for a final decision on their fate.


On the good old days.
On how good the past was.


Captains and mates getting testy
Sea captains and their colleagues are becoming irritable.


With memories not of the best
Remembering experiences that were not ideal.


And tempers are flying
People are getting hot-headed.


Down at the Sailor's Rest.
At the Sailor's Rest tavern.


Blue eyes in wrinkled Morocco
Elderly people with blue eyes, in their wrinkled faces, from years of sailing in the Mediterranean.


Still search the horizon for squalls,
Looking our for storm clouds on the horizon.


And Zeros in the sky and the watchkeeper's eye
Looking out for hostile planes in the sky with the help of watchkeepers.


And the pawn shop balls.
And the pool table balls not being brand new.


The spice in the wind off Java
The aromatic smell coming from the Java ocean.


And the bars in Papity were best,
The taverns and bars in Papity were unbeatable.


But the deck is too steady
However, the deck of the Sailor's Rest tavern is too stable.


Down at the Sailor's Rest.
At the Sailor's Rest tavern.


No rail on the mess room table
There are no boundaries on the mess room table.


And you're dead if you spit on the floor.
If you spit on the floor, you get into trouble.


No grog allowed, no singing too loud,
There is no alcohol and you can't sing too loudly.


And no locks on the doors;
There are no locks on the doors of the tavern.


But there's always a fire in the card room
However, there is always a fire burning in the card room.


And the tucker is always the best,
And the food is always of the highest quality.


And they'll end it together
And they will finish their voyage together.


Down at the Sailor's Rest.
At the Sailor's Rest tavern.


And oh...how they talk of the day they arrived...
And how they fondly talk about experiencing the day they arrived at port.


And oh...how their lives were spilled out on the floor
And how they emptied out their lives on the floor.


From the battered old seabags, the journals and logs
From the battered old seafarer's bags, the registers of their journeys and the chronicles.


And the keepsakes locked in the chests
And the valuable items secured in the chests.


That were stowed in the attic [sold at the auction]
Which were placed in the upper part of the house [that have been auctioned off].


Down at the Sailor's Rest.
At the Sailor's Rest tavern.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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