Gigi Perez’s “Sailor Song” is a 2024 folk track about the tension between religious upbringing and personal identity. The lyrics follow a relationship that feels intense and grounding at the same time, even as outside pressure and learned shame hang over it.
Below you’ll find a full interpretation of the lyrics in “Sailor Song.”
- Song: Sailor Song
- Artist: Gigi Perez
- Songwriter: Gianna Perez
- Released: 2024
- Album: At the Beach, in Every Life
- Genre: Indie folk
What is “Sailor Song” About?
Verse 1: An Irresistible Attraction
I saw her in the rightest way
Looking like Anne Hathaway
“The rightest way” could mean her partner’s in the perfect position, in the perfect light, or both.
Comparing her to Anne Hathaway hints at classic beauty, charm, and possibly even a hint of innocence.
Laughing while she hit her pen and coughed, and coughed
Her girlfriend is carefree, vaping, unbothered.
These lines are meant to tell us that Perez is watching her very closely, drinking her in.
And then she came up to my knees
Begging, ‘Baby, would you please
Do the things you said you’d do to me, to me?’
This moment flips the power dynamic.
Her partner, once untouchable like a movie star, is now vulnerable and pleading.
This is pure lust and desperation. Whatever was promised, she wants it now.
Chorus: Lust and Worship
Oh, won’t you kiss me on the mouth and love me like a sailor?
Historically, sailors were known for having intense, concentrated bursts of romance after long periods away, so this probably means that she wants an all-consuming kind of love.
And when you get a taste, can you tell me, what’s my flavor?
As much as this is an X-rated line, it also tells us what type of relationship they have.
It shows that Perez is 100% comfortable with her partner and can speak completely openly with her.
I don’t believe in God, but I believe that you’re my savior
Despite a lack of traditional religious faith, she finds a sense of redemption or peace through her partner.
This woman becomes the source of her healing.
My mom says that she’s worried, but I’m covered in His favor
This could mean her mother is worried about more than just the relationship, maybe about her daughter’s lost faith or her sexuality.
But Perez dismisses that concern, feeling protected by this love instead. She feels a sense of divine approval or “favor” because of the happiness her relationship brings.
And when we’re getting dirty, I forget all that is wrong
I sleep so I can see you ’cause I hate to wait so long
Sex becomes a distraction from everything else. In these moments, the weight of societal and/or parental judgment or personal struggles seems to vanish.
She is so preoccupied with her girlfriend that even the time spent awake feels like a burden if they aren’t together. Turning to dreams is the only way to bridge the gap during their time apart.
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Verse 2: Past Lessons and Present Sting
She took my fingers to her mouth
The kind of thing that makes you proud
That nothing else had ever worked out, worked out
This is intimate, sensual, and confident. There’s pride in having this effect on someone, of being the one they crave.
Whatever has happened before, nothing compares to this relationship. She’s happy that she broke up with her exes since that led her to this woman.
And lately, I tried other things
But nothing can capture the sting
Of the venom she’s gonna spit out right now
She’s tried to replace this feeling with something else, maybe other lovers or distractions, but nothing hits the same way.
Comparing her partner’s words or presence to venom suggests a sensation that is overwhelming and potentially dangerous.
This might also be referencing Genesis 3, in which Satan used a snake to deceive Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. If she is making that reference, she’s saying that even if this love is seen as a “sin” or “poison” by others, it has an intensity that nothing else can match.
Chorus 2: A Shift in Perspective
Most of the chorus repeats here, but there’s one key:
I know that you’ve been worried, but you’re dripping in my favor
The power dynamic has shifted again. Instead of Perez being “covered in favor,” now her girlfriend is “dripping” in it.
She’s reassuring her partner. She offers her own form of “favor” or devotion, meaning that the intimacy they share is enough to wash away any guilt or anxiety her partner might feel about their relationship.
Outro: Escape and Shared Control
And we can run away to the walls inside your house
I can be the cat, baby, you can be the mouse
This is a promise of isolation and shutting out the world.
The idea of running away to the “inside” of a house suggests finding freedom within private spaces where the world can’t see them.
The cat and mouse reference introduces a playful, predatory dynamic to their sexual chemistry.
And we can laugh off things that we know nothing about
We can go forever until you wanna sit it out
She seems to be saying that they have the power to ignore the complexities of the world and continue their journey for as long as it feels right.
The relationship will last only as long as both of them want to be there.
“Sailor Song” Meaning: Finding Divinity in Forbidden Love
Gigi Perez uses “Sailor Song” to describe the experience of finding a sense of belonging in a relationship that others might judge. By using religious language like “savior” and “favor,” she reclaims the idea of holiness for a queer relationship. The song centers on the idea that love doesn’t need to be traditional to be life-changing or soul-saving.
Whether it is the “sting” of attraction or the comfort of a “flavor,” Perez finds more certainty in her physical senses than in the rules she was taught growing up.
To me, “Sailor Song” is a song about choosing a person over a belief system and finding a new kind of peace in that choice.
Songs Like “Sailor Song”
If you enjoyed the themes of “Sailor Song,” here are a few other tracks with a similar feel:
1. “Silk Chiffon” by MUNA
This 2021 indie pop track centers on the thrill of same-sex attraction mixed with nervous excitement. It’s all about the joy and anxiety of a new relationship.
2. “Take Me to Church” by Hozier
“Take Me to Church” is another popular track that tackles the idea of worshiping love in place of religion. Both songs use religious imagery to convey devotion and desire.
Related: “Take Me to Church” Song Meaning
3. “Holy” by King Princess
“Night Shift” captures the lingering pull of a past relationship that still has a hold on someone. Like “Sailor Song”, it deals with the idea of love as both a comfort and a wound.
Conclusion: A New Kind of Devotion
“Sailor Song” depicts a relationship that serves as a sanctuary from the judgment of the outside world. Gigi Perez replaces traditional religious structures with the presence of her new partner, finding a sense of belonging that her upbringing couldn’t provide.
To me, “Sailor Song” is about choosing a person over a belief system and finding a new kind of peace in that choice.
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“Sailor Song” FAQs
Yes, but not completely. The song includes explicit references to sexual intimacy, including oral sex. Sex is framed as comfort, relief, and reassurance rather than something casual.
It stems from the idea that sailors, who spent long periods away at sea, would have built up passion when they returned home. By asking for this, Perez is saying that she doesn’t want her partner to hold back.
Her girlfriend takes on that role. Love and sex with her are the source of safety and relief rather than religion.
Yes. Gigi Perez sings the song, though her voice seems to be pitched lower in the studio recording.
