Ebb Tide

The lyrics compare love to the movement of the sea. At first, the speaker feels urgency and uncertainty, rushing toward the person they love while wondering whether they will be welcomed. When they meet and embrace, that anxiety gives way to closeness and calm. The emotional movement resembles the tide: a rush of feeling followed by a quieter, settled state.

The tide “plants a kiss on the shore,” making the sea’s motion seem like a tender greeting. This image prepares for the lovers’ kiss and links nature with human affection. The speaker’s “burning thought” suggests a strong, perhaps nervous desire to know whether the other person will accept them. Later, being “in the web of your arms” suggests feeling safely held and surrounded, not trapped.

The speaker says the beloved is “really mine,” which expresses confidence and a sense of belonging, but it could also be a moment of emotional certainty rather than a claim of ownership. The repeated references to rain, darkness, and sunlight suggest that the connection feels real in different circumstances, not only during a perfect moment. “Ebb tide” usually names the tide as it moves away from shore; here it may suggest the speaker’s feelings settling into peace after their intense approach. The image is not entirely simple, since ebbing can also imply retreat.