The Waterboys (This is the Sea)

Album Cover

The Album

The Waterboys (This is the Sea) is the third studio album by The Waterboys. It was released in August of 1985. The band’s lead songwriter described This Is The Sea as:

 “The record on which I achieved all my youthful musical ambitions”

 “The final, fully realized expression of the early Waterboys sound”

The album reached number 37 on the Top 40 album chart in the UK. The two preceding albums never reached the charts.

Parke Puterbaugh of Rolling Stone wrote:

 “Mike Scott is more of a poet than a songwriter, yet within his limitations he weaves trances so spellbinding that he has few peers among his musical contemporaries.”

Track Listing

  1. “Don’t Bang the Drum” – 6:46
  2. “The Whole of the Moon” – 4:58
  3. “Spirit” – 1:50
  4. “The Pan Within” – 6:13
  5. “Medicine Bow” ) – 2:45
  6. “Old England” – 5:32
  7. “Be My Enemy” – 4:16
  8. “Trumpets” – 3:37
  9. “This Is the Sea” – 6:29

Lyrics

I pictured a rainbow
You held it in your hands
I had flashes
But you saw the plan
I wandered out in the world for years
While you just stayed in your room
I saw the crescent
You saw the whole of the moon!
The whole of the moon!

You were there at the turnstiles
With the wind at your heels
You stretched for the stars
And you know how it feels
To reach too high
Too far
Too soon
You saw the whole of the moon!

I was grounded
While you filled the skies
I was dumbfounded by truths
You cut through lies
I saw the rain-dirty valley
You saw Brigadoon
I saw the crescent
You saw the whole of the moon!

I spoke about wings
You just flew
I wondered, I guessed, and I tried
You just knew
I sighed
But you swooned
I saw the crescent
You saw the whole of the moon!
The whole of the moon!

With a torch in your pocket
And the wind at your heels
You climbed on the ladder
And you know how it feels
To get too high
Too far
Too soon
You saw the whole of the moon!
The whole of the moon!

Unicorns and cannonballs,
Palaces and piers,
Trumpets, towers, and tenements,
Wide oceans full of tears,
Flags, rags, ferry boats,
Scimitars and scarves,
Every precious dream and vision
Underneath the stars

Yes, You climbed on the ladder
With the wind in your sails
You came like a comet
Blazing your trail
Too high
Too far
Too soon
You saw the whole of the moon!

Reference

This Is the Sea – Wikipedia