Highwayman
Eternal Journeys and Everlasting Legacies: The Meaning Within 'Highwayman'
Lyrics
I was a highwayman
The speaker identifies as a highwayman, someone who robbed travelers on the roads.
Along the coach roads I did ride
Describes the speaker's actions riding along the coach roads.
With sword and pistol by my side
The speaker carried weapons (sword and pistol) for defense or intimidation.
Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
Indicates the speaker's thievery, causing young women to lose their valuables.
Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade
Refers to the lives taken by the speaker in combat, likely in self-defense or during robbery attempts.
The bastards hung me in the spring of twenty-five
Tells of the highwayman's execution by hanging in the year 1825.
But I am still alive
Despite being executed, the speaker believes his essence or spirit endures.
I was a sailor
Describes a different past life of the speaker as a sailor, living on the sea.
I was borne upon the tide
The speaker was carried by the tide, possibly indicating the unpredictability of life.
And with the sea I did abide
Expresses the speaker's close association with the sea.
I sailed a schooner round the Horn to Mexico
Details a journey on a schooner from Horn (a challenging sea passage) to Mexico.
I went aloft and furled the mainsail in a blow
Describes ascending the ship's mast to secure the sail during a storm.
And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed
References an incident where others believed the speaker had died, but he survived.
But I am living still
Confirms the speaker's continued existence despite reports of death.
I was a dam builder
Depicts another phase of the speaker's life as a dam builder.
Across the river deep and wide
Worked in a location where steel and water met, possibly symbolizing challenges.
Where steel and water did collide
Describes the challenging and perilous work environment of the speaker.
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
Specifically mentions working in Boulder, Colorado, on the river.
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
Tells of an accident where the speaker fell into wet concrete.
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
Implies the speaker's burial but asserts his ongoing presence despite this.
But I am still around
Asserts the speaker's continued existence, despite the physical burial.
I'll always be around and around and around and around and around
Emphasizes the speaker's persistence and ongoing presence in different forms.
I fly a starship
Describes another phase of existence as a starship pilot, possibly in a futuristic setting.
Across the Universe divide
Indicates traveling across vast distances in space.
And when I reach the other side
Refers to the speaker's search for a resting place for his spirit after death.
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Expresses the hope of finding peace after crossing to the other side.
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
The possibility of returning to a familiar role (highwayman) or adopting a different form after death.
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
Suggests the uncertainty of the speaker's future form or existence.
But I will remain
Asserts the speaker's determination to persist in some form despite changes.
And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again
Reinforces the notion of the speaker's continuous return or reincarnation.
Comment