What Did The Deep Blue Sea Say
Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston Lyrics
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Does my sailor sail with you
No he does not sail with me
He sleeps on the bottom of the sea
What did the deep sea say,
Tell me what did the deep sea say
Well it moaned and it groaned
And it rolled on it's weary way
Well he promised to write to me
But his promise he never kept true
Never a word from my sailor have I heard
Since he sailed on that ocean blue
What did the deep sea say,
What did the deep sea say
it moaned and it groaned
And it splashed and it foamed
And it rolled on it's weary way
A beautiful rose every day
A place on the crest of the waves
Said take it please and let the pedals fall
Upon his watery grave
What did the deep sea say,
Tell me what did the deep sea say
It moaned and it groaned
And it splashed and it foamed
And it rolled on it's weary way
Oh what did the deep sea say,
What did the deep sea say
It moaned and it groaned
And it splashed and it foamed
And it rolled on it's weary way
what did that deep sea say,
tell me what did that deep sea say
It moaned and it groaned
And it splashed and it foamed
And it rolled on it's weary way
The lyrics of Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston's song "What Did The Deep Blue Sea Say" tell a story of a woman who is searching for answers about her sailor lover. She asks the captain of the ship if her lover is with him, but the captain tells her that the sailor sleeps at the bottom of the sea. She then asks what the deep sea said, and the answer she receives is that it moaned and groaned, splashed and foamed, and rolled on its weary way. This suggests that the sea knows the fate of the woman's sailor lover but cannot provide her with any concrete information.
The woman then laments that her lover promised to write to her but never did. She has not heard from him since he sailed on the ocean blue. The deep sea is asked again what it said, and it gives the same answer, emphasizing its sullen and mysterious nature. The woman is then given a rose to throw on her lover's watery grave, and the deep sea is asked what it said once more, with the same refrain offered in response.
This song operates at multiple levels. Fundamentally, it speaks to loss and the ocean's sullen, mysterious, and treacherous nature. It suggests that the sea holds secrets that it cannot reveal to humans, hinting at a kind of ethereal communication that's only accessible to the human heart that can feel the deep pain of loss. Additionally, it reflects on the sea as an unpredictable entity, absorbing lives and separating people who can never hear from one another.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh captain tell me the truth
The singer asks the captain for honesty
Does my sailor sail with you
The singer wonders if their loved one is on the same ship as the captain
No he does not sail with me
The captain assures the singer that their loved one is not on their ship
He sleeps on the bottom of the sea
The captain reveals that the artist's loved one has died and is buried at sea
What did the deep sea say,
The artist asks what message the ocean has for them
Tell me what did the deep sea say
The singer pleads for an answer from the ocean
Well it moaned and it groaned
The ocean made mournful sounds
And it splashed and it foamed
The ocean churned and bubbled
And it rolled on it's weary way
The ocean continued its endless journey
Well he promised to write to me
The artist's loved one promised to keep in touch
But his promise he never kept true
The loved one did not follow through on their promise
Never a word from my sailor have I heard
The artist has not received any communication from their loved one
Since he sailed on that ocean blue
The last time the singer heard from their loved one was when they set sail
A beautiful rose every day
The singer offers a flower as a symbol of remembrance
A place on the crest of the waves
The singer wishes their loved one had a peaceful resting place on the ocean's surface
Said take it please and let the pedals fall
The artist asks the ocean to take the flower and let its petals scatter on their loved one's watery grave
Upon his watery grave
The artist acknowledges that their loved one rests on the ocean floor
Oh what did the deep sea say,
The singer repeats their question to the ocean
What did the deep sea say
The singer asks again for a message from the ocean
It moaned and it groaned
The ocean continued to sound mournful
And it splashed and it foamed
The ocean still churned and bubbled
And it rolled on it's weary way
The ocean continued its unrelenting journey
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@IndianRiverMan1
Very nice rendition...like the ship photos as well...
@cjrsk
good job
@rexzens
wow great job guys you should cover other songs along the lines of Woody