Brandy
Tony Basley Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a port on a western bay
And it serves a hundred ships a day
Lonely sailors pass the time away
And talk about their homes

And there's a girl in this harbor town
And she works layin' whiskey down
They say "Brandy, fetch another round"
She serves them whiskey and wine

[Chorus]
The sailors say "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)
"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
"Yeah your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea"

Brandy wears a braided chain
Made of finest silver from the North of Spain
A locket that bears the name
Of the man that Brandy loves

He came on a summer's day
Bringin' gifts from far away
But he made it clear he couldn't stay
No harbor was his home

[Chorus]

Yeah, Brandy used to watch his eyes
When he told his sailor stories
She could feel the ocean foam rise
She saw its ragin' glory
But he had always told the truth, lord, he was an honest man
And Brandy does her best to understand

At night when the bars close down
Brandy walks through a silent town
And loves a man who's not around
She still can hear him say

[Chorus]

"Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)





"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
"But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea"

Overall Meaning

The song "Brandy" by Tony Basley narrates the story of a girl named Brandy, who works in a harbor town where lonely sailors come to pass the time away. Though all the sailors find Brandy as a fine girl who would make for an excellent wife, she still loves a man who is not around, and the only thing that reminds her of him is a braided chain, made of finest silver, and a locket with his name. The man she loves was once a sailor who came to the town, bringing gifts from far away, but he made it clear that the harbor town is not his home, and he cannot stay. Though Brandy loves him deeply, she understands that he belongs to the sea and accepts that her lover, life, and lady is the sea.


The lyrics of the song, "Brandy," beautifully convey the theme of love, loss, and acceptance. It tells the story of a woman who loves unconditionally and understands that the man she loves cannot belong to her because he belongs to the sea. It's a classic representation of how people make sacrifices for the ones they love and accept the outcome that fate has in store for them. Overall, the song is an emotional journey that tugs at the heartstrings and leaves a mark on the listener.


Line by Line Meaning

There's a port on a western bay
In a place far off, there is a port located on the Western Bay


And it serves a hundred ships a day
A large number of ships, around hundred, are served at this port on a daily basis


Lonely sailors pass the time away
To pass time, sailors who are lonely or isolated spend their time in the port


And talk about their homes
Sailors discuss about their hometowns with each other in free time


And there's a girl in this harbor town
A girl resides in the same town as the port and the sailors


And she works layin' whiskey down
She has a job to serve whiskey to people in the same town


They say "Brandy, fetch another round"
People ask her to bring another glass of whiskey or wine


She serves them whiskey and wine
She fulfills their request and serves them whiskey or wine


The sailors say "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)
Sailors complement her by saying she is a beautiful girl


"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
Sailors suggest that she can be a good wife because of her charming personality and beauty


"Yeah your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea"
Sailors admire her pretty eyes and believe her eyes can attract and distract a sailor who is at sea


Brandy wears a braided chain
Brandy wears a chain that is well-crafted with braids


Made of finest silver from the North of Spain
The chain is made up of high-quality Silver from the North of Spain


A locket that bears the name
She has a locket that has the name of the person she loves engraved on it


Of the man that Brandy loves
She is in love with a man and the locket indicates that man's name


He came on a summer's day
Her love interest arrived one day during summers in the same town


Bringin' gifts from far away
The man had got gifts for Brandy from a far-off place


But he made it clear he couldn't stay
Although the man had arrived, he had already conveyed that he won't be staying for long


No harbor was his home
He did not reside or settle down in any one particular coastal town or port


"Yeah, Brandy used to watch his eyes
Brandy noticed and observed her lover's eyes and his expressions lately a lot


When he told his sailor stories
She would listen patiently to his stories about his time at sea as a sailor


She could feel the ocean foam rise
Listening to his stories, she feels the enthusiasm for the ocean and sea rising inside her


She saw its ragin' glory
She imagines and visualizes the ocean's ferocity and grandeur based on his stories


But he had always told the truth, lord, he was an honest man
Although his stories often sound far-fetched, she trusts him because he is honest and virtuous


And Brandy does her best to understand
She tries her best to understand his sailor's perspective and his love for the ocean


At night when the bars close down
After the bars and pubs close down for the night in the same town


Brandy walks through a silent town
Brandy strolls around the town when it is peaceful and deserted


And loves a man who's not around
In a place where her lover is not physically present, she still loves him deeply


She still can hear him say
She still remembers and can hear her lover's voice in her thoughts


"Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)
He complimented her for being a beautiful and flawless girl


"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
He appreciated her traits and mentioned that she would be an excellent wife


"But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea"
Despite his love for her, his passion for the ocean and seafaring overrides everything else




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ELLIOT LURIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions