So a few weeks back I became obsessed over a track by Katatonia called Nightmares By the Sea. I didn’t realize initially that the song was a cover until I went to do a lyrics search. Lo and behold the original song was done by an artist named Jeff Buckley. I had never heard of Jeff Buckley so naturally I looked him up on wikipedia only to discover that tragically he had drown in 1997.
In lieu of this horrible realization, I discovered that a live version (performed only 3 months before his death) of Nightmares By the Sea with alternate lyrics existed. I decided that I would try to transcribe the lyrics from alternate version, so I could have a side by side comparison with the original lyrics.
Here are the album version lyrics:
Beware the bottled thoughts of angry young men
Secret compartments hide all of the skeletons
Little girl wants to make her home with him
In the middle of the shore she wonders“Don’t know what you asked for”
“Don’t know what you asked for”All young lovers know why
Nightmares blind their mind’s eye
Your rube is young and handsome
So new to your bedroom floor
You know damn well were you’ll goI’ve loved so many times and I’ve drowned them all
From their coral graves they rise up when darkness falls
With their bones they’ll scratch the window
I hear them call“Don’t know what you asked for”
“Don’t know what you asked for”Stay with me under these waves tonight
Be free for once in your life tonightThe alternate lyrics (from what I can make out, some of the vocal parts are not very clear):
Beware the story of all you angry young men
God mention bride shoreside as a tale to men
Sweet companion, want to live
She asked him men
To tie her men“Don’t know what you asked for”
“Don’t know what you asked for”
Don’t know, I don’t know why
Nightmares fill my mind’s eye
Your rube is young and handsome, brand new to your kitchen floor
You know damn well where you’ll goI came down knowing where id find my eyes
Down living through her bottle-size
I found her in the morning she capsizedTold you not to go down
Told you not to go down“Don’t know what you asked for”
“Don’t know what you asked for”All my life I don’t know why
Nightmares blind my mind’s eye
Your rube is young and handsome, brand new to your bedroom floorYou don’t learn or read no more
Don’t tell them
To the floor
You’re passed out asleepScream baby
Scream baby
Scream baby
Scream baby
Scream baby
Scream baby
Scream
Scream
Scream
Scream
Scream“Don’t know what you asked for”
Let me tell you about living, living with someone
Comeon baby, live with me
Come live with me forever and ever
Lets go down
Comeon babyNightmares
Don’t know, I don’t why
Nightmares fill my mind’s eye
Your rube is young and handsome brand new to your kitchen floor
You know damn well what it was forAll the time I don’t know why
Nightmares fill my mind’s eyeOh, I don’t why the (?) find me somewhere after sundown
Runaway with me nevermore
See how she’s layed out
Cheeks and body’s blue
She moves no more
And I writhe out in the hall
Apartment 33, huh
Still you find me after sundown
Run to me nevermoreI wish they’d stop
The title of the album containing Nightmares By the Sea, Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk, seems to make more sense in alternate lyrics context. The alternate lyrics version puts a totally different spin on the song, it seems to be telling a different story, about how his wife/girlfriend drunk herself to death and he was blamed. Where as in the album version seems to be telling the story of a serial killer that plotwise reminds me of the movie Cabin By the Lake.