Born of the 2010's folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock an… Read Full Bio ↴Born of the 2010's folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock and roll era, The Crane Wives epitomize the evolving sound of the indie genre. Having performed hundreds of shows on stages across the country, they gravitate toward high-energy melodies, featuring the kinetic percussion of Dan Rickabus, the silky, driving bass lines of Ben Zito and playful guitar leads from front women Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury. Counterbalancing their lively stage presence, their lyrics extol the shadow side of the human condition, delving into mythology and themes of darkness and inner conflict. The band softens the blows of their emotional candor with soulful three-part vocal harmonies, like a 21st century Cerberus, the hound of Hades reimagined as an emotional support animal. To date, they have released five full length albums, including their 2020 live album, "Here I Am".

Safe Ship Harbored
The Crane Wives Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Watch me give up,
Honey, watch me give up
I swore I never would
But we've been wishing upon ourselves
Things that I forgot
I cannot do
Where does your faith form
Where does your faith form in me?

Don't break the bottle
Don't waste your blessings on me
I am a safe ship, harbored,
A safe ship, harbored,
Losing all of my good years to the shallow waters
I ain't proud
I ain't proud
I wasn't born a safe ship
Something wore me down
All the places,
Honey, all the places
I'll never get to see
I'll always wonder what's across the tossing ocean
The world I'm at
Looks pretty flat to me
Where does your faith form
Where does your faith form in me?
Don't break the bottle
Don't dare waste your blessings on me
I am a safe ship, harbored,
A safe ship, harbored,
Losing all of my good years to the shallow waters
I ain't proud,
I ain't proud,

I wasn't born a safe ship
Someone wore me down

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Crane Wives' "Safe Ship Harbored" speaks of a person's resignation, expressing the feeling of being stuck and unable to move forward. The singer talks about giving up on the dreams and aspirations she once had, losing hope in reaching her goals, and becoming too afraid to take risks. She compares herself to a safe ship, harbored in shallow waters and losing her good years, unable to explore what's beyond the horizon.

The chorus, "I am a safe ship, harbored / Losing all of my good years to shallow waters / I ain't proud, I wasn't born a safe ship / Someone wore me down," implies that the person is not proud of her situation and recognizes that she wasn't meant to be this way. She acknowledges that someone or something has caused her to wear down, giving up on her dreams and settling for a life without risks and adventures.

The lines, "Don't break the bottle / Don't waste your blessings on me," suggest that the singer is asking someone to stop investing in her dreams and aspirations, recognizing that she can't meet their expectations. The phrase "I cannot do" implies inadequacy and loss of faith in oneself. The repeated question, "Where does your faith form in me?" reflects the singer's desire for validation and support, as well as the fear of disappointing those who believe in her.

Overall, the song speaks about losing hope and giving up on our passions and aspirations, feeling stuck in life, and fearing failure. It emphasizes the importance of taking risks and exploring the unknown, as well as the power of faith and support in reaching our goals.

Line by Line Meaning

Watch me give up, Honey, watch me give up
I am about to quit and I want you to witness it, even though I promised I wouldn't.

I swore I never would But we've been wishing upon ourselves Things that I forgot I cannot do
I promised myself that I wouldn't give up, but the things we have been hoping to achieve are beyond my abilities.

Where does your faith form Where does your faith form in me?
Do you still believe in me, even though I am failing to accomplish what we set out to achieve?

Don't break the bottle Don't waste your blessings on me
Please don't waste your time and resources trying to help me, as I am not capable of succeeding.

I am a safe ship, harbored, A safe ship, harbored, Losing all of my good years to the shallow waters
I am like a ship that is safely docked in port, but by staying in my comfort zone, I am wasting my best years without ever experiencing the open sea.

I ain't proud I ain't proud I wasn't born a safe ship Someone wore me down
I am not proud of who I am or what I am capable of achieving, and the reason for this is that someone or something has worn me down and taken away my confidence and abilities.

All the places, Honey, all the places I'll never get to see I'll always wonder what's across the tossing ocean The world I'm at Looks pretty flat to me
I am filled with regret that I will never get to see all the amazing places in the world and explore what lies beyond the horizon, as from where I stand, everything looks dull and unexciting.

Contributed by Riley M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS