Best known as founding members of the spirited and unpredictable rock trio The Slip, brothers Andrew and Brad Barr had spent most of the 90s criss-crossing North America. In the spring of 2004, the band was playing a small club in Montreal, QC when a fire broke out in the venue. They grabbed a few guitars/drums and rushed out onto the rainy street with the rest of the concert goers. As the club's mezzanine was swallowed by flames, Andrew offered his coat to one of the waitresses from the bar. One year later, Brad and Andrew Barr were living in Montreal. That waitress is now one of their managers.
In his first apartment in the new city, Brad shared an adjoining wall with Sarah Page, a classically-trained harpist from Montreal, whose melodies would seep through the cracks of the wall and into the music Brad was writing. From this nebulous relationship, a friendship developed and the brothers, with Sarah, began recording and performing around Montreal. Soon, their friend and multi-instrumentalist Andres Vial was brought in to lend his wide array of expertise to the outfit, playing keyboards, bass, vibes, percussion, and singing. In 2006 they began to call themselves The Barr Brothers.
Never Been a Captain
The Barr Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always been a sailor,
And until the sea releases me, a sailor I will remain.
Well, you worry about your mama,
Worry about your baby,
And you dream about a love that only comes your way when you close your eyes at night.
They may come to you with diamonds,
They may come to you with roses,
It's a sad old world,
sad old world,
gotta to keep on trying,
that's all I know,
all I know,
If you're lucky enough to have her,
you hold that pearl,
hold that pearl,
If you're lucky enough to have her,
you hold that pearl,
hold that pearl.
Hold her.
Hold her.
We all come here as strangers,
(come here a strangers)
beggars at the table,
(beggars at the table)
but we leave here arm in arm, laughing at the morning light.
(oh)
(oh)
(oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(oh)
(oh)
(oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
It's a sad old world,
sad old world,
gotta keep on trying,
that's all I know,
all I know
If you're lucky enough to have her,
you hold that pearl,
hold that pearl,
If you're lucky enough to have her,
you hold that pearl,
hold that pearl,
hold her (oh),
hold her (oh),
hold her (oh),
hold her (oh),
hold her (oh),
hold her (oh),
Hold it in you,
borrowed and blue,
And everything, everything,
comes to you.
(oh)
(oh)
(oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(oh)
(oh)
(oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
The song "Never Been a Captain" by The Barr Brothers is an introspective reflection on life and love. The singer acknowledges that they have always been a sailor and never a captain, indicating that they have always followed the metaphorical currents of life rather than actively steering their own ship. The song is about finding joy and meaning in life, even when it is uncertain and difficult.
The lyrics further emphasize the importance of holding onto the things that matter in life. The singer tells the listener to cherish the person they love, even when the world seems sad and hopeless. The line "If you're lucky enough to have her, you hold that pearl" is a metaphor for the preciousness of true love and the importance of not taking it for granted. The final verse brings the song to a hopeful conclusion, as the singer suggests that life is a journey that ends with us leaving "arm in arm, laughing at the morning light."
Overall, the song is a poignant reminder that life is unpredictable, but that we can find joy and meaning in human connection and the love we hold in our hearts.
Line by Line Meaning
I've never been a captain,
I've never been in charge of things,
Always been a sailor,
But I've always played my part and followed instructions,
And until the sea releases me, a sailor I will remain.
Until I'm free from the things that bind me, I'll continue to put in the work as a dedicated sailor.
Well, you worry about your mama,
You may have concerns about your family and loved ones,
Worry about your baby,
And you may feel anxious about the future of your children and their well-being,
And you dream about a love that only comes your way when you close your eyes at night.
But in the stillness of night, you allow yourself to envision a love that seems elusive at other times.
They may come to you with diamonds,
People may try to impress you with material possessions like diamonds,
They may come to you with roses,
Or with affectionate gestures like offering roses,
And then they come to you with promises, but darlin' I promise only this:
But ultimately, they may make grand promises that can't really be kept - I, on the other hand, will only make one simple promise to you.
It's a sad old world,
This world can be a tough and disappointing place,
gotta to keep on trying,
But it's important to keep striving,
that's all I know,
That's the only advice I can give,
If you're lucky enough to have her,
If you're fortunate enough to be with someone special,
you hold that pearl,
You should cherish and treasure that rare and beautiful thing,
Hold her.
Hold onto your love with all that you've got; don't let it slip away.
We all come here as strangers,
We may start out as strangers in this world,
(come here a strangers)
beggars at the table,
And we may feel like we need to beg for what we want and need,
(beggars at the table)
but we leave here arm in arm, laughing at the morning light.
But if we're lucky, we'll leave this world with the people we love, sharing in the joy and beauty of life.
(oh)
(oh)
(oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(oh)
(oh)
(oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Hold it in you,
Embrace and internalize the love you have,
borrowed and blue,
Even though everything may not be perfect, hold onto it because it's precious,
And everything, everything,
Because ultimately, everything in life,
comes to you.
Comes back to the love you hold in your heart.
(oh)
(oh)
(oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(oh)
(oh)
(oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Contributed by Christian E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.