Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a woman drawn to the ocean, finding solace and escape in its depths. The "waves are like a door" and the "green water scene" become portals, pulling her mind away from the present and into the "gray of yesterday." This suggests a deep yearning to revisit or perhaps escape from past experiences. The central tension lies in her retreat into a self-created world, symbolized by her "submarine." This vessel isn't just a physical object; it's a "time machine" and a "dream," allowing her to explore the "world beneath the waves" where "everything is strange" and "lost in time." The repeated question, "Oh, what does she mean?" underscores the mystery and perhaps the inaccessibility of her inner state to an observer. The recurring imagery of the ocean and its elements – waves, spray, caves, shine, sand – acts as a constant backdrop for her internal journey. The contrast between the vibrant "green water scene" and the melancholic "gray of yesterday" highlights the emotional space she inhabits. The phrase "everybody seems in between" hints at a shared sense of liminality or perhaps a collective struggle to find solid ground, mirroring her own state. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics stems from their evocative, dreamlike quality. The simple, almost childlike repetition of "She rides her submarine" combined with the profound questions about her meaning creates a compelling portrait of escapism. The closing lines, "The time slips through her hands / Just like the ocean sand / And everybody knows / That's the way it goes," offer a poignant, resigned acceptance of this transient, perhaps melancholic, existence.