There is more than one band with the name The Limits.

(1)One of the … Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one band with the name The Limits.

(1)One of the first British Invasion influenced bands in Allentown, PA, The Limits were formed in late 1964.
(2)The Limits are a 4-piece alternative/rock band from Livingston, in West Lothian,Scotland. They have been together for a little over 3 years and in that time have managed to play some of the best venues in towns and cities around Scotland. These include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Dundee, Aberdeen and of course their home town of Livingston. As a band they are all about making rocking riffs and relevant lyrics that will stick in your head long after the gig has finished.

Band Members

Dann Sumpter - Lead Guitar
Garry Anderson - Drums
Paul Walsh - Vocals and Guitar
Thom Muir - Bass Guitar

Vanity
The Limits Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A ship I've got in the north country called the Golden Vanity
And I fear it will be taken by the Spanish galleon

To the captain spoke the cabin boy "What's in for me if I destroy
The Spanish galley on the sea as we sail by the lowlands low?"
The captain spoke to the cabin boy "More than you can handle,son.
Your own ship you'll get with a crew on board
As we sail by the lowlands low"

And we sail by the lowlands low

At night the boy bared his breast and sprang
Into the sea with his heart in his hand
He swam to the Spanish galleon as she lay by the lowlands low
Some were playing cards, some were playing dice
He surprised them all with his whispering knife
Flames were dancing in broken eyes
As they burned by the lowlands low

The cabin boy returned to the labour side he said
"Captain, take me in! I'm drifting with the tide!"
"Your courage is only exceeded by your foolishness!" he replied,
"No one is getting rich today by the lowlands low"

"The burning Spanish galleon is yours to own, my son.
It was a pleasure cheating you and don't you forget to go

Down on your ship!" the cabin boy kept yelling till he was gone.
He drowned by the lowlands low

Overall Meaning

In The Limit's song Vanity, the lyrics tell the story of a ship captain and his cabin boy in the midst of a battle with a Spanish galleon. The cabin boy offers to destroy the galleon in exchange for his own ship and crew, and the captain agrees. The boy then swims to the Spanish ship and surprises the crew with his knife, causing a fire that eventually sinks the ship. The boy returns to his own ship, but due to his bravery and foolishness, he ends up losing his life to the sea.

The story in the song can be interpreted in different ways, but one theme that comes through is the idea of pride and vanity leading to one's downfall. The captain's desire to save his ship and the cabin boy's desire for his own ship both result in tragic consequences. The cabin boy, in particular, embodies a reckless and impulsive attitude that ultimately brings about his untimely death.

The song's use of vivid imagery and poetic language helps to convey the emotions and atmosphere of the story. The lines "Flames were dancing in broken eyes" and "He swam to the Spanish galleon as she lay by the lowlands low" paint a picture of a violent and chaotic scene.

Line by Line Meaning

A ship I've got in the north country called the Golden Vanity
The singer owns a ship in the northern country called the Golden Vanity

And I fear it will be taken by the Spanish galleon
The singer is afraid that their ship will be taken by a Spanish galleon

To the captain spoke the cabin boy "What's in for me if I destroy
The cabin boy asked the captain what he would get if he destroyed the Spanish galley

The Spanish galley on the sea as we sail by the lowlands low?"
The cabin boy wanted to destroy the Spanish galley while sailing by the lowlands sea

The captain spoke to the cabin boy "More than you can handle,son.
The captain told the cabin boy he would get more than he could handle

Your own ship you'll get with a crew on board
The cabin boy will get his own ship with a crew on board

As we sail by the lowlands low"
This will happen while sailing by the lowlands sea

And we sail by the lowlands low
The ship sails by the lowlands sea

At night the boy bared his breast and sprang
During the night, the cabin boy exposed his chest and jumped into the sea

Into the sea with his heart in his hand
He jumped into the sea with great courage and determination

He swam to the Spanish galleon as she lay by the lowlands low
He swam to the Spanish galleon while it was stationed by the lowlands sea

Some were playing cards, some were playing dice
The sailors on the Spanish galleon were engaged in various activities

He surprised them all with his whispering knife
The cabin boy surprised the sailors with his silent weapon, a knife

Flames were dancing in broken eyes
The sailors' eyes were broken and filled with flames

As they burned by the lowlands low
The Spanish galleon burned while stationed by the lowlands sea

The cabin boy returned to the labour side he said
The cabin boy returned to his duties on the ship

"Captain, take me in! I'm drifting with the tide!"
The cabin boy asked the captain to let him back on the ship

"Your courage is only exceeded by your foolishness!" he replied,
The captain praised the cabin boy's bravery but called his actions foolish

"No one is getting rich today by the lowlands low"
The captain stated that no one will profit by staying near the lowlands sea

"The burning Spanish galleon is yours to own, my son.
The captain told the cabin boy he now owns the burning Spanish galleon

It was a pleasure cheating you and don't you forget to go
The captain sarcastically told the cabin boy it was a pleasure doing business with him and to leave

Down on your ship!" the cabin boy kept yelling till he was gone.
The cabin boy continued to shout as he left

He drowned by the lowlands low
The cabin boy drowned in the lowlands sea

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J BAIRD, TRADITIONAL, PD TRADITIONAL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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