The Wyrd Sisters - Wholly - When Ships Had Sails

When Ships had Sails

These lyrics were not meant to be a song. It was a love poem I sent to someone. I haven't done too well in the love-song writing department. It became a song by accident, when a melody tripped over it and everything just fell naturally into place. I wasn't happy with it in the studio, however, perhaps because of my discomfort with love songs. Murray had arranged extraordinarily lush instrumentation over the song, but I still wasn't happy. One day, while Murray was away, John and I stripped the song down to the basics. Then I was happy. Well, happier... Murray would have prefered the extra instrumentation, but then I pointed out that I am the one whose face is superimposed over the figurehead and that was that... ha!

Lyrics

I have never looked upon this landscape before
though somehow it feels familiar deep down inside
And I can taste the wind of this country on my lips
though I 've never woken up under her skies
and I see an old love in a stranger's face
tell me what kind of fate has brought us to this place?

you can trust me with your secret, you can trust me with your pain
and I can build a little shrine
where we both can go to pray
for there's something about your beauty that reminds me of long ago
when ships had sails....

I have never walked in a desert afternoon
though I know I would recognize
it's searing heat
for I've felt my face burning with the same kind of shame
when I couldn't take my eyes up from my feet
but there's no shame in this kind of fear
come on, let us bless that fates that brought us here...

you can trust me with your secret, you can trust me with your life
carve your initials in my heart
with any kind of knife
for there's something about your loving
that reminds me of long ago
when ships had sails, and we were all free to go...
when ships had sails...

Trust me with your secret, you can trust me with your life
carve your initials in my heart
with any kind of knife
for there's something about your loving
that reminds me of long ago
when ships had sails, and we were all free to go...
when ships had sails...