Never Love an Anchor

The song 'Never Love an Anchor' by the band The Crane Wives addresses a deeply painful and emotional theme: the abandonment of a child by their parents. From the beginning, the lyrics reveal an internal understanding that the narrator's hands are clumsy and incapable of offering the necessary care. This self-perception of inadequacy is a burden the narrator carries, knowing that despite their efforts, they couldn't hold or protect the child.

The metaphor of the ship and the anchor is central to the song. The narrator recognizes that a ship (the child) could never really love an anchor (the parent). This powerful image illustrates the idea that the narrator's presence would be a weight, something that would prevent the child from moving forward and thriving. Thus, the decision to cut the rope and let the ship sail away is a painful but necessary act of love, to give the child a chance at a better life, free from the narrator's burden.

The song also explores the narrator's persistent guilt and pain. There is a confession of selfishness, cruelty, and personal failings, reflecting on times when they wonder if the child thinks of them and the reasons why they were never there to care for them. This absence is a burden the narrator carries, knowing that their hands never had the chance to tie the child's shoes, soothe them, or hold them gently. The song is a deep reflection on the complexity of love, guilt, and sacrifice, and the pain of knowing that sometimes the best way to love someone is to let them go.