Nightmares By The Sea

Jeff Buckley's 'Nightmares By The Sea' is a haunting exploration of love, regret, and the ghosts of past relationships. The song opens with a warning about the 'bottled thoughts of angry young men' and 'secret compartments' that hide 'skeletons,' suggesting that unresolved issues and hidden truths can haunt a person. The imagery of a 'little girl' wanting to make her home with someone on the shore, only to realize she doesn't know what she's asked for, sets the tone for a narrative of disillusionment and unforeseen consequences.

The recurring line 'all your lovers know why nightmares blind their mind's eye' implies that past lovers are tormented by memories and regrets, unable to see clearly because of the nightmares that plague them. The 'rube,' described as young and handsome, represents a new lover who is unaware of the emotional baggage that will inevitably follow. Buckley sings of having 'loved so many times and drowned them all,' indicating a pattern of failed relationships that continue to haunt him. The metaphor of lovers rising from 'coral graves' to scratch at the window is a vivid depiction of how past relationships can resurface and disturb one's peace.

The chorus, 'stay with me under these waves, tonight. be free for once in your life tonight,' suggests a desire for escape and liberation from these haunting memories. The waves symbolize a cleansing or a final resting place where one can find freedom from the past. However, the repetition of the young and handsome rube being new to the bedroom floor and the certainty of where they'll go underscores the cyclical nature of these doomed relationships. Buckley's melancholic tone and poetic lyrics create a powerful narrative about the inescapable nature of past mistakes and the longing for freedom from their grip.