The Siren
This Mortal Coil Lyrics


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Long afloat on shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
'Til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle
And you sang
Sail to me
Sail to me
Let me enfold you
Here I am
Here I am
Waiting to hold you

Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you here when I was forced out
Now my foolish boat is leaning
Broken lovelorn on your rocks
For you sing, "Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow
Oh my heart, Oh my heart shies from the sorrow"

Well I'm as puzzled as the newborn child
I'm as riddled as the tide
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Or should I lie with death, my bride?




Hear me sing, "Swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you
Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Song to the Siren" by This Mortal Coil are about a man who is lost and alone on the seas until he is drawn to an island by the singing of a mysterious woman. He describes how her voice and touch bring him comfort and joy, but also acknowledges that she is aloof and hesitant to let him get too close. The singer is unsure whether his experiences are real or just a dream, and he struggles with the decision of whether to stay with this woman or return to the unknown dangers of the open sea.


The opening lines of the song set a melancholy tone, as the singer describes himself as "long afloat on shipless oceans" and struggling to maintain a positive attitude. However, his spirits are lifted when he encounters the woman singing on the island, and he describes her eyes and fingers as drawing him lovingly towards her. The chorus of the song, with its repeated calls to "sail to me" and "let me enfold you," expresses the woman's desire to bring the singer into her embrace and protect him from the trials of the outside world.


Line by Line Meaning

Long afloat on shipless oceans
I have been drifting aimlessly and without direction for a long time.


I did all my best to smile
I tried to keep a positive outlook, even though I was lost and alone.


'Til your singing eyes and fingers
But then I saw you, and your music reached out to me.


Drew me loving to your isle
You brought me to your home and showed me kindness and love.


And you sang
Your song filled me with hope and joy.


Sail to me
Come to me, and let me show you my love.


Sail to me
Don't be afraid, just come to me.


Let me enfold you
Let me hold you close and keep you safe.


Here I am
I am here for you, always.


Here I am
I will never leave you, no matter what.


Waiting to hold you
I am always waiting to be close to you, to comfort and protect you.


Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Wondering if you have thought of me as much as I have thought of you.


Were you here when I was forced out
Did you leave me because of something I did?


Now my foolish boat is leaning
My life is out of balance, and I am adrift.


Broken lovelorn on your rocks
My heart has been shattered by you, and I am lost and alone again.


For you sing, "Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow
You pushed me away, and now you are telling me to stay away until another day.


Oh my heart, Oh my heart shies from the sorrow"
I am in pain and cannot bear to face the sadness anymore.


Well I'm as puzzled as the newborn child
I am lost and confused, like a newborn in the world.


I'm as riddled as the tide
My emotions are constantly in flux, like the ever-changing tides of the ocean.


Should I stand amid the breakers?
Should I fight against the forces of nature and try to make things happen?


Or should I lie with death, my bride?
Or should I give up and accept my fate?


Hear me sing, "Swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you
But I still want you to come to me, to let me love and protect you.


Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you"
I am still here, waiting for you, even though I may never have you.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Larry Beckett, Tim Buckley

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@lucasmoreno10

Long afloat on shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
'Til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle
And you sang
Sail to me, sail to me
Let me enfold you
Here I am, here I am
Waiting to hold you
Did I dream, you dreamed about me?
Were you here when I was full sail?
Now my foolish boat is leaning
Broken lovelorn on your rocks
For you sing
Touch me not, touch me not
Come back tomorrow
Oh, my heart
Oh, my heart shies from the sorrow
Well I'm as puzzled as the newborn child
I'm as riddled as the tide
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Or should I lie with death my bride?
Hear me sing
Swim to me, swim to me
Let me enfold you
Here I am, here I am
Waiting to hold you



All comments from YouTube:

@renegade5130

I first heard this song in 2011. I was deep into heroin addiction and had been up for days in horrible withdrawal really trying with everything inside me to kick the heroin. At that time, in the middle of the night, at my absolute lowest point with my mind and body ravaged from the agony of withdrawal and ready to just die and have some relief I stumbled across this youtube video with this angelic song and for a moment I had the relief I was longing for. It's really strange and hard to explain but this song touched my soul in a way I'll never forget, other songs can do something similar but this song at that moment was almost like a religious experience. Today I am six years free from heroin and I come back here from time to time to re-live that moment.

@Nickadee

I'm so proud of you for the hard work and dedication I know you give every waking moment to stay clean 🥰i was a heroin addict for 12 years ,I'm now in my 7th year of recovery so I felt every word you wrote above as I've been there myself ! WELL DONE 👏 ❤#WEDORECOVER

@octobersb1tchin

keep shinin souljah its admirable how u worked for better days

@wildrosecece

God Bless you and stay the course, brave soul. Pray for all of us, Amen. Jesus wants us to live not of this world but through his Holy Spirit. Everything passes.

@octobersb1tchin

@Wild Rose CeCe amen

@TmaadHMD

107 More Replies...

@christopheradderley45

This is simply a track of pure beauty.
If it isn't played at my funeral, then I'm not going 🧡

@Abcd-gj1fu

😊👍👏

@marccas10

God bless you. We are playing it now and that is better as we are both still here to enjoy it.

@universeandlove

Word!

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