Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: folk
Song Meaning of “Lusitania” by Andrew Bird
‘Lusitania’ by Andrew Bird is an emotional lament for the thousands of people that lost their lives when the passenger ship, RMS Lusitania, was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915. Bird creates a beautiful and mournful tone though his thoughtful lyrics and soaring strings. He paints a vivid scene of the many who perished in the ship’s sinking and laments the tragic outcome. The lyrics reference the Mermaid of Norse mythology, associating the victims with a figure of innocence and youth—as the vast majority of passengers were in their twenties and thirties. The song suggests that this tragedy will not be forgotten, and that the departed still live on in the collective memory of those affected and remain forever young. By including this reference, Bird offers a small sense of solace in the face of the tragedy that befell the many passengers of the Lusitania. The song is a sobering reminder of the power of human life and a tragic act of war.