When the Ship Comes In
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics

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Oh, the time will come up when the winds will stop
And the breeze will cease to be breathin'
Like the stillness in the wind before the hurricane begins
The hour that the ship comes in

And the sea will split and the ships will hit
And the sands on the shoreline will be shakin?
And the tide will pound and the wind will sound

And the mornin? will be a breakin?

The fishes will laugh as they swim out of the path
And the seagulls, they'll be a smilin?
And the rocks on the sand will proudly stand
The hour that the ship comes in

And the words that are used for to get the ship confused
Will not be understood as they're spoken
For the chains of the sea will have busted in the night
And be buried on the bottom of the ocean

A song will lift as the mainsail shifts
And the boat drifts on to the shoreline
And the sun will respect every face on the deck
The hour that the ship comes in

And then the sands will roll out a carpet of gold
For your weary toes to be a touchin'
And the ship's wise men will remind you once again
That the whole wide world is watchin'

Oh, the foes will rise with the sleep still in their eyes
And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal and they'll know that it's for real
The hour that the ship comes in

Then they'll raise their hands sayin', we'll meet all your demands
But we'll shout from the bow, your days are numbered

And like Pharaoh's tribe they'll be drowned there in the tide
And like Goliath they'll be conquered

Overall Meaning

Arlo Guthrie's song "When the Ship Comes In" is a powerful expression of hope and faith in the face of adversity. The song is about a moment when everything changes - when the winds stop and the sea splits and a ship comes in. It is a time when the forces of nature and destiny align to bring about a transformation in the world, and those who have been waiting for this moment are vindicated.

The opening lines of the song set the stage for this transformation, describing the stillness of the wind before a hurricane begins. The hour that the ship comes in is a time of great power and upheaval, when the sea splits, the ships hit the shore, and the sands on the shoreline shake. The fishes laugh and the seagulls smile as the rocks on the sand stand proudly, witnessing this moment of change.

As the ship arrives, the chains of the sea are broken and the words used to confuse it are no longer effective. A song lifts as the boat drifts onto the shoreline and the sun respects every face on the deck. The sands roll out a carpet of gold for weary toes to touch, and the ship's wise men remind us that the whole wide world is watching.

But this moment of transformation is not without its challenges. The foes rise with sleep still in their eyes, thinking they are dreaming. They will try to meet all the demands of those who have been waiting for the ship, but their days are numbered, and they will be conquered like Pharaoh's tribe or Goliath.

Overall, the song is a powerful expression of hope and faith in the face of adversity, and a reminder that even the most powerful forces can be overcome with determination and perseverance.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, the time will come up when the winds will stop
There will be a calm before a storm.

And the breeze will cease to be breathin'
The wind will stop blowing completely.

Like the stillness in the wind before the hurricane begins
There will be a moment of silence before the chaos.

The hour that the ship comes in
The long-awaited arrival of the ship will happen during this moment of anticipation.

And the sea will split and the ships will hit
The arrival of the ship will be accompanied by some sort of miracle or profound event.

And the sands on the shoreline will be shakin'?
The impact of the ship's arrival will be felt throughout the land.

And the tide will pound and the wind will sound
The elements of nature will be in full force.

And the mornin' will be a breakin'?
The dawn of a new day will commence.

The fishes will laugh as they swim out of the path
Even the creatures of the sea will be in awe of the ship's arrival.

And the seagulls, they'll be a smilin'?
The birds will also be happy to see the ship's arrival.

And the rocks on the sand will proudly stand
Even inanimate objects will take notice of the ship's arrival.

The hour that the ship comes in
The significance of the ship's arrival will be felt during this crucial moment.

And the words that are used for to get the ship confused
Any attempts to deceive or mislead the ship will fail.

Will not be understood as they're spoken
Any attempts at deceit will be transparent and futile.

For the chains of the sea will have busted in the night
Any obstacles in the way of the ship will have been overcome.

And be buried on the bottom of the ocean
Any remnants of these obstacles will be left behind and forgotten.

A song will lift as the mainsail shifts
There will be a moment of celebration as the ship enters the harbor.

And the boat drifts on to the shoreline
The ship will arrive safely on land.

And the sun will respect every face on the deck
Everyone on the ship will be rewarded for their hard work and perseverance.

The hour that the ship comes in
The moment of arrival will be an unforgettable experience for all involved.

And then the sands will roll out a carpet of gold
The arrival of the ship will bring prosperity to the area.

For your weary toes to be a touchin'
The arrival of the ship will bring comfort to all who are tired.

And the ship's wise men will remind you once again
The elders on the ship will impart their wisdom and knowledge to all.

That the whole wide world is watchin'
The arrival of the ship will be a significant event that will be noticed by the world.

Oh, the foes will rise with the sleep still in their eyes
The enemies of the ship will be taken by surprise.

And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'
The enemies of the ship will be disoriented and confused.

But they'll pinch themselves and squeal and they'll know that it's for real
The enemies of the ship will eventually realize that the arrival of the ship is indeed happening.

The hour that the ship comes in
The arrival of the ship will be a decisive moment in the conflict between the ship's enemies and its supporters.

Then they'll raise their hands sayin', we'll meet all your demands
The ship's enemies will attempt to negotiate and placate the ship's supporters.

But we'll shout from the bow, your days are numbered
The ship's supporters will call out the ship's enemies and declare their imminent defeat.

And like Pharaoh's tribe they'll be drowned there in the tide
The enemies of the ship will be swallowed up and defeated like the Egyptians who pursued Moses.

And like Goliath they'll be conquered
The enemies of the ship will be defeated like the Philistine giant who was felled by David.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AUDIAM, INC
Written by: Bob Dylan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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