Lord Franklin
Nic Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴It was 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 a hundred seamen he sailed away
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
To seek that passage around the pole
Near Baffin Bay where the whale fish blow
The fate of Franklin no man may know.
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell,
Lord Franklin along with his sailors do dwell.
And now my burden it gives me pain,
For my long lost Franklin I'd cross the main.
Ten thousand pounds would I freely give
To know on earth that my Franklin do live.
It was 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.
Overall Meaning
The lyrics of Nic Jones’s song “Lord Franklin” narrate a story of an unfortunate expedition led by Captain Sir John Franklin. The song enlightens the listeners about Franklin’s mission in 1845 where he led his crew of a hundred seamen towards the frozen ocean in May to seek passage around the North Pole. The singer of the song had a dream about Franklin and his crew, and the dream is what the song is about. The singer narrates his dream in which Franklin’s fate remains unknown near Baffin Bay, where the whale fish blow. Nobody knows the fate of Franklin as he and his sailors dwell in the abysmal depths of the ocean.
The lyrics of this song do not provide a straightforward narrative, but it does tell the audience about the mysteries of the ocean and how it can sometimes swallow even the most courageous and daring. The longing feeling of the singer makes this song incredibly poignant as he says that he would give ten thousand pounds to know whether Franklin is alive.
Line by Line Meaning
It was homeward bound one night on the deep,
The singer is on a ship at sea, sailing back home.
Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep.
The singer falls asleep while resting in a hammock.
I dreamed a dream and I thought it true
The singer has a dream that feels very real to them.
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew.
The dream is about Sir John Franklin and his crew.
With a hundred seamen he sailed away
Sir John Franklin embarked on a journey to the frozen ocean with a crew of one hundred sailors.
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
The voyage took place in May, and the crew was headed towards the frozen ocean.
To seek that passage around the pole
Franklin was in search of a passage around the North Pole.
Where we poor sailors do sometimes go.
This passage was the route that sailors sometimes take.
Near Baffin Bay where the whale fish blow
The crew reached a location near Baffin Bay, where whales can be found.
The fate of Franklin no man may know.
No one knows what happened to Sir John Franklin and his crew.
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell,
The disappearance of Franklin and his crew is still a mystery.
Lord Franklin along with his sailors do dwell.
The final fate of Franklin and his sailors is unknown, but they are believed to have died.
And now my burden it gives me pain,
The mystery of Franklin's fate is weighing on the singer's mind.
For my long lost Franklin I'd cross the main.
The singer would cross the ocean to find Franklin if they could.
Ten thousand pounds would I freely give
The singer would pay 10,000 pounds to learn the truth about Franklin's fate.
To know on earth that my Franklin do live.
The artist wants proof that Franklin is still alive.
Contributed by John J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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