The Cruel Sea is a multi-ARIA Award winning 90s Australian rock/blues outfi… Read Full Bio ↴The Cruel Sea is a multi-ARIA Award winning 90s Australian rock/blues outfit. Originally an instrumental band focused on surf sounds, the addition of vocalist Tex Perkins (also a member of The Beasts of Bourbon and a solo artist) proved an inspired decision. Combining the charismatic Perkins with the highly talented musicians created an unstoppable force through much of the 90s. Members of the band continue to perform, though with the exception of Perkins, most activity is fairly low key.

James Cruikshank has recently been playing in Sydney with newly formed band, The Millionaires, which also includes Dave McCormack from Custard.

Unending Thing
The Cruel Sea Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm the type of lover
That you never have around
I'm a smoker and I'm a sucker
‘Cause I'm hard to the ground
But the pound round town
You cannot put me down

Love me till you're dead

And this is the sound of my heartbeat
Back jacks stick to the facts
Cut me some slack, stack to the back
Some dumb money grabber get in your way
Smoke his ass, it makes my day

Do you understand?
Do you understand?
Do you understand?

I never knew who to be true to
But now I do what I gotta do
Run on the night train, ride on the day bus
Tickle my tongue, utter my [unverified]

Do you understand?
Do you understand?
Do you understand?

I'm the type of lover
That you never have around
I'm a smoker and I'm a sucker
‘Cause I'm hard to the ground
But the pound round town
You cannot put me down

Love me till you're dead
And this is the sound of my heartbeat
Back jacks stick to the facts
Cut me some slack, stack to the back
Some dumb money grabber get in your way
Smoke his ass, it makes my day

Do you understand?
Do you understand?
Do you understand?

I will be there for you, I will be for you there
I will be there for you, I will be there for you

Do you understand?
Do you understand?
Do you understand?

It's an unending thing
It's an unending thing

Do you understand?
Do you understand?
Do you understand?

I will be for you there, I will be there for you
I will be you there for, I will be there for you
I will be for you there, I will be for you there
I will be you there for, I will be there for you

It's an unending thing
It's an unending thing

I'm the type of lover
That you never have around
I'm a smoker and I'm a sucker
‘Cause I'm hard to the ground
But the pound round town
You cannot put me down

Love me till you're dead
And this is the sound of my heart beat
Back jacks stick to the facts
Cut me some slack, stack to the back
Some dumb money grabber get in your way
Smoke his ass, it makes my day

Do you understand?
Do you understand?
Do you understand?

Do you get it?

Overall Meaning

The Cruel Sea's song Unending Thing is a rock song that appears to be about a self-realizing person who is hard to be tied down, smoking and being a lover that one will never have around. The singer is proud of who he is and his way of life, even if people see him as the one that is hard to catch or bring down. The lyrics suggest that the singer is not about chasing people or things, but being true to himself and what he wants to do.

The repeated phrase "Do you understand?" seems to be the singer's way of asking whether others truly comprehend and appreciate his way of living. He talks about running on the night train, riding on the day bus, and being true to himself. It appears that the singer has gone through a journey of self-discovery and now knows who he is, and he expects others to understand him. He concludes by stating that "it's an unending thing," possibly meaning that his self-realization journey is ongoing and that he will always be true to himself regardless of what others think or do.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm the type of lover That you never have around I'm a smoker and I'm a sucker ‘Cause I'm hard to the ground But the pound round town You cannot put me down
I am a difficult person to have a relationship with because I am emotionally distant and addicted to smoking. However, I am resilient and will not be defeated by anyone.

Love me till you're dead And this is the sound of my heartbeat Back jacks stick to the facts Cut me some slack, stack to the back Some dumb money grabber get in your way Smoke his ass, it makes my day
Love me until the end of your life, and you will hear the constant beat of my heart. Don't bother with any deception, just be honest with me. Don't get in the way of my pursuit of money, or I will take pleasure in defeating you.

Do you understand? Do you understand? Do you understand?
Are you comprehending my message? Are you understanding my desires and warnings?

I never knew who to be true to But now I do what I gotta do Run on the night train, ride on the day bus Tickle my tongue, utter my [unverified]
I used to be unsure of who to trust, but now I am taking control and doing what I need to do. I travel and speak with whomever I please.

I will be there for you, I will be for you there I will be there for you, I will be there for you
I will support and stand by you in your time of need.

It's an unending thing It's an unending thing
This is a never-ending cycle, an unbreakable pattern.

Do you get it?
Do you finally understand my message and intentions?

Contributed by Bailey S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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