☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a person saying goodbye to their beloved hometown, Liverpool.
- They are on their way to California and know they will be away for a while.
- The lyrics express longing for the loved one they are leaving behind.
- The difficulties of the journey and life aboard the ship are also described.
- The song lyrics express sadness and feelings of farewell.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song "Leaving of Liverpool" by
The Dubliners are about a person bidding farewell to their beloved hometown of Liverpool. They are on their way to California and know that they will be away for a while. The lyrics express the longing for the loved one they are leaving behind.
In the lines "Farewell to Princes' landing stage River Mersey fare thee well" and "Farewell to Lower Frederick Street, Anson Terrace and Park Lane, I am bound away for to leave you and I'll never see you again", the separation from the city is described. The person knows they have to leave their hometown, but it is not the separation from Liverpool itself that saddens them, but the fact that they have to leave their beloved person behind.
The line "I am bound for California, a place I know right well" shows that the person is seeking a new opportunity in California and hopes to be successful. They plan to write a letter to their loved one when they are on their way back to show their love.
The lyrics also mention the ship the person is traveling on, the "Yankee clipper ship, Davy Crockett". It is implied that life aboard the ship is not easy and that the captain, Burgess, is not an easy man. The lines "And Burgess is the captain of her and they say that she's a floating hell" and "I have sailed with Burgess once before, I think I know him well, If a man's a sailor he will get along, if not then he's sure in hell" show the difficulties the person will face on their journey.
Overall, the lyrics of the song "Leaving of Liverpool" by The Dubliners describe the feelings of a person leaving their hometown and parting from their loved one. It expresses the longing and sadness associated with the farewell.