Lord Franklin
sinead o' connor Lyrics
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Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep
I dreamed a dream and I thought it true
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew
With 100 seamen he sailed away
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
To seek a passage around the pole
Through cruel hardships they vainly strove
Their ships on mountains of ice was drove
Only the Eskimo with his skin canoe
Was the only one that ever came through
In Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow
The fate of Franklin no man may know
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
And Lord Franklin among his seamen do dwell
And now my burden it gives me pain
For my Lord Franklin I'd sail the main
Ten thousand pounds I would freely give
To know Lord Franklin, and where he is.
In Sinéad O'Connor's song "Lord Franklin," the singer shares a dream she had about the fate of Sir John Franklin, a British explorer who led an ill-fated expedition in 1845 to find the Northwest Passage. With 100 seamen, Franklin sailed away in May, seeking a passage around the pole, but they faced cruel hardships as their ships got stuck in mountains of ice. The Eskimo with his skin canoe was the only one who managed to pass through. The song speaks of the uncertainty of Franklin's fate, as the singer ponders "The fate of Franklin no man may know, The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell, And Lord Franklin among his seamen do dwell."
Line by Line Meaning
We were homeward bound one night on the deep
Sinéad is telling a story. She starts by describing a scene on board a ship. Everyone was on the ship, sailing home.
Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep
Sinéad was tired and she fell asleep in her hammock while sailing.
I dreamed a dream and I thought it true
Sinéad dreamt and it seemed like it was real.
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew
Her dream was about Franklin and his courageous crew.
With 100 seamen he sailed away
Franklin, along with 100 sailors, set sail to navigate the world.
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
It was May when they set sail to explore the icy waters.
To seek a passage around the pole
Franklin and his sailors were trying to find a way around the North Pole.
Where all poor sailors do sometimes go.
The area they were exploring was dangerous for sailors, and many had lost their lives there before.
Through cruel hardships they vainly strove
Franklin and his crew battled through tough conditions, but their efforts were futile.
Their ships on mountains of ice was drove
Their ships got stuck on huge pieces of ice.
Only the Eskimo with his skin canoe
The only one who could navigate through the icy waters was an Eskimo in his small canoe.
Was the only one that ever came through
Out of everyone who tried to navigate through the icy waters, only the Eskimo was successful.
In Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow
Baffin's Bay is a place where whales swim around and play.
The fate of Franklin no man may know
Nobody knows what happened to Franklin and his crew.
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
Even though many people have speculated, no one can accurately recount what happened to them.
And Lord Franklin among his seamen do dwell
Franklin's fate is also shared by his crew, who are with him wherever they are.
And now my burden it gives me pain
Talking about Franklin's fate has caused Sinéad emotional pain and grief.
For my Lord Franklin I'd sail the main
Sinéad would go to great lengths to find out what happened to Lord Franklin.
Ten thousand pounds I would freely give
Sinéad would happily give up a huge sum of money to uncover the mystery of Lord Franklin's fate.
To know Lord Franklin, and where he is.
Sinéad wants to find out what happened to Lord Franklin and where he is now.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADRIAN MAXWELL SHERWOOD, ALAN EDWARD BRANCH, PETE LOCKETT, CORA VENUS(CV LUNNY) LUNNY, DONAL LUNNY, SINEAD O'CONNOR, STEPHEN WICKHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bargainmom
Adore this woman. Her songs, her voice, her big beautiful eyes, her deep soul, her passion, her anger, her intelligence! What a true inspiration! What a fighter she is!
Jenny Rose
I feel for Sinead. She was such a wonderful voice
PlanktoniusRex
For anyone wondering this is from the extras on the DVD of her live performance 'Live in Dublin - Good Night, Thank You' which supports the CD title Sean-Nos Nua (her best in my view). The extras are worth the price alone because we get to see/hear her and the musicians talk about their inspiration and experience in Ireland during the recording. I picked it up for $6.99 from Amazon and it is better than any DVD I own based on the content. The production values are great but for a few minor audio flaws yet it is a must own for a fan of Sinead and the musicians who work with her.
dtz jones
PlanktoniusRex yes your right the DVD is amazing and one of her best albums I love it her voice is beautiful along with Christy of course she was born to sing the Dublin concert is very special I still watch it often I love Irish traditional music it chills me out💚sean-nos-nua is just perfect.i am Welsh fan💚🌈🙏
jeremiahn
Thank you Cerridwen. I hadn't seen this before. Another example of what a true artist Sinnead is--as if we didn't know before. But it's really amazing to see how she works...talking about "inhabiting" a song since she is able (by doing that) to pull me also into a song and let me feel the same emotions (yes even to tears.) I love her for that, her integrity, and her bravery.
Andy Peace
An exquisitely beautiful rendition.
Robert Loades
A beautiful rendition, so much emotion. The last verse is so powerful for anyone suffering a loss..... I just want to hear Sinead sing it without interruptions...
salacct
This is absolutely the most stunning & beautiful song I've ever heard! What a gift to humanity she is!
Denis F
I guess we have to remember that Sinead is not an on the surface type of person. She sings songs as she feels them, and as her convictions grow in any direction she is going to Sing them. My wife and I love you Sinead.
dtz jones
Denis F your right she's amazing she's got away of getting in my heart she's delicate and very special💚🌈🙏