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I Used To Be A Sailor

Tracy Chapman

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I Used To Be A Sailor

I Used To Be A Sailor

I used to be a sailor

Who sailed across the seas

But now I'm just an island

Since they took my boat away from me

Oh no

I don't like being stationary

I like the rocky wavy motions of the sea

I sit and rot behind these padded walls

Hoping one day they'll fall

And set me free

He wrote his epitaph

He wrote his eulogy

It said "I think that I can die now

For my true love won't come for me"

Oh no

I don't like being stationary

I like the rocky wavy motions of the sea

I sit and rot behind these padded walls

Hoping one day they'll fall

And set me free

I used to be a sailor

Who sailed across the seas

But now I'm just an island

Since they took my boat away from me

Oh no

I don't like being stationary

I like the rocky wavy motions of the sea

I sit and rot behind these padded walls

Hoping one day they'll fall

And set me free

Set me free

Set me free

Set me free

LanguageEnglish
Translated byAllen Morningstar

About this Song

Tracy Chapman’s song 'I Used To Be A Sailor' is a deeply introspective reflection on the passage of time and the changes it brings. The narrator once led an adventurous life on the sea, but now lives a more settled, yet reflective existence. The song explores themes of loss, change, and nostalgia, contemplating how past experiences shape our present selves. Key moments include the narrator’s longing for their former freedom and the acceptance of a more grounded reality. The poignant juxtaposition of past turbulence with present tranquility adds depth to the narrative.

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