The group has been performing locally since 1995, and signed a record deal with Universal Music in March 2010. Whilst essentially an a cappella group, their studio recordings and live performances now often include traditional simple instrumentation.
Widow Woman
The Fisherman's Friends Lyrics
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Why do you stare out at me?
Is it a secret you keep in your heart buried deep
Of a boy on the bed of the sea
In Port Quin there′s a clouded glass window
Paint cracked and frame dusty dry
And behind the old lace is a sad weathered face
In her eye she stills sees the great tempest
Blew fast and furious through the bay
She sees the fleet sinking down to the deep
Made two dozen widows that day
Why do you sit Widow Woman?
Why do you stare out at me?
Its the secret you keep in your heart buried deep
Of a boy on the bed of the sea
How cruel a past, to the present
Could God really mean it this way?
For if He were kind, she′d empty her mind
The sorrow she still feels today
She sees her love, deep on the water
Pale faced; unchanged by the years
For the boy she loved drowned lies in Marazion sound
Last Widow left drowning in tears
Why do you sit Widow Woman?
Why do you stare out at me?
Is it a secret you keep in your heart buried deep
Of a boy on the bed of the sea
Of a boy on the bed of the sea
Of a boy on the bed of the sea
The Fisherman's Friends song "Widow Woman" is a poignant and haunting ballad that captures the sadness and grief of an elderly woman who has lost her beloved to the sea. The singer of the song addresses the widow, questioning why she sits and stares out at him with a secret buried deep in her heart. The lyrics reveal that the woman's heart has long since died, and she is haunted by the memory of a boy who drowned in Marazion sound.
The song describes a clouded glass window in Port Quin, with a sad, weathered face behind it. The woman behind the window sees the great tempest that blew fast and furious through the bay, sinking the fleet and making two dozen widows that day. The singer questions whether God could be so cruel as to allow such sorrow to exist, and wonders if the woman will ever be able to empty her mind of the sorrow she still feels.
The song's refrain repeats the question, "why do you sit, Widow Woman? Why do you stare out at me?" The answer, of course, is the secret buried deep in her heart of the boy on the bed of the sea. The image of the boy, pale-faced and unchanged by the passing of years, is a haunting one that speaks to the enduring power of loss and grief.
Line by Line Meaning
Why do you sit Widow Woman?
Questioning the woman's constant presence by the window
Why do you stare out at me?
Asking what she sees when she gazes into the distance
Is it a secret you keep in your heart buried deep
Wondering if the pain she holds is hidden from the world
Of a boy on the bed of the sea
Referencing the woman's lost love who drowned
In Port Quin there's a clouded glass window
Describing the setting where the woman can be found
Paint cracked and frame dusty dry
The state of the window suggests it has not been tended to in a while
And behind the old lace is a sad weathered face
The woman's appearance is worn and dispirited
Of a woman who's heart has long since died
Implying that the woman suffers from a deep emotional wound
In her eye she stills sees the great tempest
The woman's memories of the tragic event are vivid
Blew fast and furious through the bay
Describing the intense storm that caused the tragedy
She sees the fleet sinking down to the deep
The woman can still visualize the sinking of multiple ships
Made two dozen widows that day
The magnitude of the tragedy is emphasized
How cruel a past, to the present
Wondering how such a traumatic event could continue to impact the woman's life
Could God really mean it this way?
Questioning the fairness of the situation
For if He were kind, she'd empty her mind
Suggesting that a kind God would erase her pain
The sorrow she still feels today
The woman's grief has not diminished over time
She sees her love, deep on the water
The woman's memory of her lost love is powerful
Pale faced; unchanged by the years
The image of her love remains the same in her mind
For the boy she loved drowned lies in Marazion sound
Confirming that the woman's love drowned and is buried at sea
Last Widow left drowning in tears
The woman is the final survivor of the tragedy, left to mourn alone
Of a boy on the bed of the sea
Repeating the phrase to underscore the theme and tragedy of the song
Writer(s): Jonathan Robert Cleave, Michael William Hawkins
Contributed by Alaina G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.