Crossing the Bar
"Crossing the Bar" is an 1889 poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson; the music for … Read Full Bio ↴"Crossing the Bar" is an 1889 poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson; the music for this version is by American musician Rani Arbo. Tennyson, it is said, wrote the poem in elegy; the narrator uses an extended metaphor to compare death with crossing the "sandbar" between the river of life, with its outgoing "flood", and the ocean [death] that lies beyond.
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Crossing the Bar
The Longest Johns Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sunset and evening star
And one clear call for me
And may there be no moaning of the bar
When I put out to sea

When I put out to sea
When I put out to sea
And may there be no moaning of the bar
When I put out to sea

But such a tide as moving seems asleep
Too full for sound and foam
That which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home

Turns again home
Turns again home
That which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home

Twilight, and evening bell
And after that the dark
And may there be no sadness or farewell
When I embark

When I embark
When I embark
And may there be no sadness or farewell
When I embark

For tho' from out our borne of time and place
The flood may bare me far
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar

When I have crossed the bar
When I have crossed the bar
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar

When I have crossed the bar
When I have crossed the bar
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar

Overall Meaning

The Longest Johns's song "Crossing the Bar" is a hauntingly beautiful tribute to one of the great passages in life - the journey from this world to the next. The song opens with a vivid, poetic image of the sun setting and the evening star shining bright in the sky. Over this serene and peaceful scene, we hear the singer's steady, calm voice speaking of the "one clear call" that summons him to take his final journey beyond this life. What is striking about this opening stanza is the singer's stoicism and acceptance of his fate. He is ready to set sail into the unknown, with no fear or apprehension, even though we can imagine that this is one of the great mysteries of life and something that most of us would be afraid to face.


The second stanza builds on this sense of calm and acceptance, as the singer describes the great tide that carries him out to sea, drawing him back towards the "boundless deep" from which he came. The mood here is almost dream-like and mystical, as the singer describes the tide as "moving seems asleep, too full for sound and foam". It's as if the forces of nature are conspiring to help him on his way, gently guiding him towards his destiny beyond this world. In the third and final stanza, the singer speaks of the darkness that will follow him after the twilight and the evening bell, but he is still unafraid. He hopes that there will be no sadness or farewell when he sets out on his journey, and that he will have a chance to see his "Pilot face to face" when he has finally "crossed the bar".


Line by Line Meaning

Sunset and evening star
The day is coming to an end with the setting of the sun and the emergence of the evening star.


And one clear call for me
There is a clear signal or beckon for me to set sail.


And may there be no moaning of the bar
I hope that there will be no distress or difficulty encountered when crossing the sandbar.


When I put out to sea
When I begin my voyage across the waters.


But such a tide as moving seems asleep
The current is very calm, almost motionless.


Too full for sound and foam
It's so full and deep that it doesn't create the usual sounds and waves.


That which drew from out the boundless deep
The force or power that originates from the vast and limitless depths of the ocean.


Turns again home
Returns to its source or point of origin in the sea.


Twilight, and evening bell
Dusk is upon us, marked by the ringing of the evening bell.


And after that the dark
The darkness of night follows.


And may there be no sadness or farewell
I hope there will be no sorrow or goodbyes said when I depart.


When I embark
When I set out on my journey.


For tho' from out our borne of time and place
Although we come from different times and places in life.


The flood may bare me far
The current of life may take me far away.


I hope to see my Pilot face to face
I hope to meet my Guide, who will lead me through the turbulent waters of life.


When I have crossed the bar
When I have made it through the difficult obstacles and challenges of life.




Contributed by Tristan R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@pertnado3109

[Verse 1]
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

[Verse 2]
When I put out to sea,
When I put out to sea,
And may there be no moaning of the bar
When I put out to sea

[Verse 3]
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
That which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

[Verse 4]
Turns again home,
Turns again home,
That which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home

[Verse 5]
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

[Verse 6]
When I embark,
When I embark,
And may there be no sadness of farewell
When I embark

[Verse 7]
For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.

[Verse 8]
When I have crossed the bar
When I have crossed the bar
I hope to see my pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar

[Verse 9]
When I have crossed the bar
When I have crossed the bar
I hope to see my pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar



@thesaxophoneboy

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.

Lyrics are from a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson.



All comments from YouTube:

@xyrex5243

Thank you all for making this. I want you all to know how much this song has touched my family. Recently I lost my grandfather, and Crossing the Bar was his favorite poem. It was read at his funeral and holds such significance to us. This father’s day I played it for my father; it wasn’t long before he, my brother, and myself were overcome with emotion. We toasted my father and our grandfather and had a good cry and a good laugh remembering our grandfather. Great music elicits emotion, and through your artistry you have truly brought myself and family happiness. Thank you for your work and do not stop doing what you all love.

@goofyfoot2001

I lost my father this Thanksgiving day and he asked that this poem be read.

@scrimbles2973

holy wow, im sorry

@samsonhyde4213

Me too

@bradmattis683

I don’t know if you will see this but I read this at my grandmothers service in her request and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I hope the same is done for me.

@sokka1005

If this isn’t played during my funeral, I’m not fucking dying

@brandonwhittingham4464

0:54 the subtitles read "such as a tight ass moving seems asleep"

@thelongestjohns

Amazing! I love the auto-subtitles

@huntermcintosh8173

I can only ever hear it as that.

@therachaelgreennn

thats what i always hear!

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