Bluest Ocean, Deepest Sea

An original song

This song started as an experiment to write a proper murder ballad.

I’ve always loved traditional murder ballads. In a way, they feel like an early form of true crime, stories told in song that try to make sense of a beautiful life cut short.

There’s something compelling about how tenderness and brutality can exist side by side. Bluest Ocean, Deepest Sea grew out of my wanting to explore that contrast.

As I was writing it, I initially imagined leaving the ending ambiguous. Maybe the woman survives, maybe she doesn’t? I floated the idea past my wife Jo, and she immediately shut that down.

“You can’t write an attempted murder ballad,” she said. “You gotta kill her.”

She was right, of course.

Here are the lyrics:

I’ve been a rambling man
Most of my life
Thought I’d never settle down
Thought I’d never take a wife
Then I met Suzie
That all changed for me
With her eyes bluest oceans
And deepest seas

Took her down to the boardwalk
And I plied her with wine
And I told her that I loved her
My heart’s yours
Would you be mine
She said “Oh Willie
I’m so sorry
I love a sailor not thee
And he sails bluest oceans
And deepest seas”

I threw Suzie down
Against the cold hard sand
Oh Willie don’t hurt me
I held her throat with my hand
And I held her and held her
Till her light did leave
Into eternal blue oceans
And deepest seas