The Tide Is High Lyrics Meaning

The original song was written by Jamaicans, who are very familiar with the ocean tides. Two possible interpretations come to mind: (1) Old-time sailing ships left port at high tide, when the reefs and underwater obstacles were covered by the maximum amount of water. Thus "holding on" here would mean not leaving port when there was golden opportunity. (2) It might also refer to the maximum tidal current or flow, so "holding on" means refusing to be swept away by the force of the tide.