What do you think Ships in the Night means?

Mat Kearney: Ships in the Night Meaning

Album cover for Ships in the Night album cover

Song Released: 2011


Ships in the Night Lyrics

Like ships in the night
You keep passing me by
Just wasting time
Trying to prove who's right
And if it all goes crashing into the sea
If it's just you and me trying to find the light

Like ships in the night
Letting cannonballs fly...

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  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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     Feb 24th 2012 !⃝

    The song is about relationships and how it's easier to sail by a problem instead of stopping and solving or talking about them. The night time provides a sort of "cover-up" that makes dilemmas easy to pass by or ignore. (Hence the "Ships in the Night" title.) It's difficult to stop a ship and it takes lots of time, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE. Think about GOD and how a relationship with Him is passed by because it takes too much time and it's easier to stick with things and people that are temporary instead of sticking with a being that is permanent. But God's love is free and available to everyone. It's why it's so easily passed up.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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     Apr 25th 2012 !⃝

    It's about a troubled relationship. 2 people just coexisting instead of living their relationship because it's easier to ignore than to deal with the problems at hand. They've let things get so out of control and now he's crying out and saying "I'm in this, I want to fix this."

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    nobodyyouknow
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     Apr 26th 2012 !⃝

    This is about being in love but having problems with yourself and your family. This causes you to lash out at the one you love most but then "like ships in the night" you are searching but aren't finding what you are looking for. "keep passing me by" you avoid the problems. "just waisting time" not dealing with the problems and not fixing anything. "trying to prove who's right" you are just trying to be right and not thinking about the consequences of all of it. " and if it all goes crashing into the sea" if everything is out in the open. " if it's just you and me trying to find the light" when each other is all that you have, what are you going to do?

  4. anonymous
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     Mar 16th 2021 !⃝

    This song is about a couple whose relationship is going through trials. Both the husband and wife have had not experienced a good example of marriage as both of their parents' relationships have been fractured, leaving them at a time in each of their lives to cope with the fallout of divorce. The female in this song sounds as if she has a plan that tends to be independent of her husband as she is afraid the same thing as what happened to her parents could happen to her. He could leave her and she would be heartbroken and alone. The protective emotional wall she puts up (making them similar to "ships passing in the night" idiom) does not stop him from loving her unconditionally and promising to never leave her. Unfortunately, in this life, sin has tainted the world and true intimacy and vulnerability is a struggle. God created the special bond of marriage for a husband and wife to share intimacy. This is a picture also of how God is steadfast and will never leave us despite how we run or put up walls. He is truly in love with his bride, the church, will pursue her and will return for her.

  5. anonymous
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     May 26th 2020 !⃝

    This song is about how sometimes, we just want to give up hope, and even though God is right beside us, it seems like He is ignoring us even though He says he will never forsake us. And all we have to do is remember that God is right beside us every step of the way.

  6. anonymous
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     Apr 16th 2020 !⃝

    Life is like the dark ocean at night, and the young couple are trying to make ends meet, yet they're in the dark; not knowing the future or the thoughts of the other. Despite all their trials, they will still pull through at the end, however and whenever it will come.

  7. anonymous
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     May 10th 2016 !⃝

    When a guy likes a girl, but she ignores him and he never give up after a stupid mistake he did. She felt something towards him but after the mistake his life was over.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  8. anonymous
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     May 10th 2016 !⃝

    A guy who likes a girl but she keeps ignoring him and thinks of him just as a friend or ¨Brother" but she rejects him and then she realizes she feels the same but a simple mistake makes her feel a different way after the mistake. But he always tries to get her attention but she still ignores him . But after a fight he still is in love with her but he wants to find out what she thinks of him but right now the girl feel the same way the guy feels about her

  9. anonymous
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     May 30th 2015 !⃝

    It's a christian song because our relationship with god slows when we lose faith

  10. Simisam555
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     Oct 22nd 2014 !⃝

    My interpretation towards this song is a troubled couple that no matter how many times they fight and the troubled events that take place with both of them, it will still be the two of them.

  11. anonymous
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     Oct 22nd 2014 !⃝

    this song is about the dreams we have and the nights we feel that we are but we can't and than we say something to that someone but they can't and than we and than I and than don't you get it.

  12. anonymous
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     Jun 27th 2013 !⃝

    This song is trying to show how the guy is really in love with the girl but she keeps ignoring him just wasting time thinking she's the one who's right. But deep inside they both love each other & no matter what problems might come or anything that has happened,he will always fight to make the relationship workout. Just like all those times they've broken up they always somehow go back together because they love each other.
    Everyone has problems but real love is always successful.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  13. anonymous
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     Oct 31st 2012 !⃝

    This is a Christian song so it's obviously Talking about our relationship with God and how our relationship with Him often dwindles because we don't want to face our issues and it's often painful and complicate and takes real focused time.

  14. anonymous
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     Aug 16th 2011 !⃝

    Their relationship is a cold one; they are waiting in the hospital.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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