Lord Franklin
sinead o'connor Lyrics

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We were homeward bound one night on the deep
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

Where all poor sailors do sometimes go.

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.

Overall Meaning

Sinead O'Connor's song "Lord Franklin" tells the story of an expedition undertaken by 100 sailors led by Sir John Franklin, a prominent naval officer in the 19th century. The crew set sail on a voyage in the month of May, seeking a passage around the pole in the frozen ocean. The lyrics describe the hardships faced by the sailors, with their ships getting trapped on mountains of ice. The only person who ever made it through was an Eskimo with his skin canoe, highlighting the significant cultural and technological differences between the sailors and the native people in the Arctic.

The lyrics suggest the uncertainty surrounding the fate of Franklin and his crew, as the singer laments not knowing where Lord Franklin is. The final verse of the song suggests that the singer would give ten thousand pounds to know where Lord Franklin is. The song captures the sense of mystery and loss associated with the expedition and the Arctic geography, which have captured people's imagination for generations.

Line by Line Meaning

We were homeward bound one night on the deep
We were returning home one night on the ocean

Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep
As I lay in my hammock, I drifted off to sleep

I dreamed a dream and I thought it true
I dreamt a dream that seemed so real it left me convinced

Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew
This dream was about Franklin and the brave sailors who were with him

With 100 seamen he sailed away
Franklin set sail with one hundred skilled sailors

To the frozen ocean in the month of May
They embarked on their journey to the icy Arctic in the month of May

To seek a passage around the pole
Their main objective was to find a route around the North Pole

Where all poor sailors do sometimes go.
This is a place where many sailors are lost and perish

Through cruel hardships they vainly strove
They faced countless difficulties but never gave up hope

Their ships on mountains of ice was drove
Their ships ended up stranded on ice mountains

Only the Eskimo with his skin canoe
The only person who managed to survive and help others was the Eskimo with his lightweight canoe made of animal hides

Was the only one that ever came through
He was the sole survivor who managed to make it out alive

In Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow
They ended up in Baffin's Bay where whales are plentiful

The fate of Franklin no man may know
Franklin's destiny is still a mystery to everyone

The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
No one can explain what happened to Franklin

And Lord Franklin among his seamen do dwell
Lord Franklin is presumed to be among his fellow sailors who were lost

And now my burden it gives me pain
The thought of not knowing what happened weighs heavily on me

For my Lord Franklin I'd sail the main
I would cross the seas to find Lord Franklin if I could

Ten thousand pounds I would freely give
I would pay a large sum of money just to know where Franklin is

To know Lord Franklin, and where he is.
All I really want is to find out where Lord Franklin is and what happened to him

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ADRIAN MAXWELL SHERWOOD, ALAN EDWARD BRANCH, PETE LOCKETT, CORA VENUS(CV LUNNY) LUNNY, DONAL LUNNY, SINEAD O'CONNOR, TRADITIONAL, STEPHEN WICKHAM

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