The meaning of the lyrics of the song "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" by the artist "Willie Nelson Waylon Jennings"

The song "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" as performed by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings portrays a protagonist consumed by deep melancholy and apathy. He's undergoing an existential crisis, having lost his sense of purpose and seeing no direction for the future.

The image of "sitting on the dock of the bay" symbolizes not only physical inaction but also internal stagnation – an absence of movement and progress. The protagonist passively observes the passage of time ("watching the ships roll in and then I watch them roll away again," "watching the tide roll away"), emphasizing his detachment from life and unwillingness to participate in it.

The phrase "wasting time" emphasizes the meaninglessness of the protagonist's existence. He's not truly living but merely existing, seeing no value in his days.

The journey from Georgia to San Francisco, on the surface, seems to symbolize a search for a new beginning. However, the protagonist fails to find what he's looking for in this new location. He remains lonely ("this loneliness won't leave me alone") and lost ("nothing's gonna change").

The closing lines of the song suggest that the protagonist has resigned himself to his current state. He's "sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away," accepting his passivity and inaction. The dock of the bay, initially a symbol of despair, becomes his only refuge, a "home" where he can hide from the world and his troubles.