In 1978, five of his albums were on the best-selling charts simultaneously, a feat equaled only by Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Mathis. He has recorded a string of Billboard hit singles and multi-platinum albums that have resulted in his being named Radio & Records number one Adult Contemporary artist and winning three straight American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist. Several well-known entertainers have given Manilow their "stamp of approval," including Sinatra, who was quoted in the 1970s regarding Manilow, "He's next." In 1988, Bob Dylan stopped Manilow at a party, hugged him and said, "Don't stop what you're doing, man. We're all inspired by you."
As well as producing and arranging albums for other artists, such as Bette Midler and Dionne Warwick, Manilow has written songs for musicals, films, and commercials. From February 2005 to December 30, 2009, he was the headliner at the Las Vegas Hilton, performing hundreds of shows before ending relationship with the hotel. From March 2010, he has headlined at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. He has sold more than 80 million records worldwide
Ships
Barry Manilow Lyrics
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And the dogs played around on the sand
Winter cold cut the air, hangin' still everywhere
Dressed in gray, did he say, "Hold my hand"
I said, "Love's easier when it's far away"
We sat and watched a distant light
We're two ships that pass in the night
We're still here, it's just that we're out of sight
Like those ships that pass in the night
There's a boat on the line where the sea meets the sky
There's another that rides far behind
And it seems you and I are like strangers a wide ways apart
As we drift on through time
He said, "It's harder now we're far away"
We only read you when you write
We're two ships that pass in the night
And we smile when we say it's alright
We're still here, it's just that we're out of sight
Like those ships that pass in the night
We're just ships that pass in the night
And we smile when we say it's alright
We're still here, it's just that we're out of sight
Like those ships that pass in the night
We're just two ships that pass in the night
And we smile when we say it's alright
We're still here, it's just that we're out of sight
The song "Ships" by Barry Manilow is a melancholic tune about two people who have grown distant and are now like two ships that pass by each other in the night. The song is mostly a conversation between a son and his father, as they take a walk by the sea. The winter cold cuts through the air, as the dogs play around in the sand. The father asks the son to hold his hand, a gesture of affection that the son doesn't seem too comfortable with. As they sit together on the beach, they watch a distant light and talk about how love is easier when it's far away.
In the second verse, Manilow brings in an extended metaphor of the two people being like two ships that pass in the night. The boats seem to be going in different directions, and there's a wide gap between them. The distance seems to be both physical and emotional. They try to reassure each other that it's alright, even though they're drifting apart. The father acknowledges that it's harder now that they're far away, and they only read each other when they write. Finally, Manilow repeats the chorus, reiterating the idea that they're like two ships passing in the night, and they're still there, but just out of sight.
Line by Line Meaning
We walked to the sea, just my father and me
I went to the beach with my father
And the dogs played around on the sand
Dogs enjoyed playing on the beach with us
Winter cold cut the air, hangin' still everywhere
It was cold everywhere as it was winter
Dressed in gray, did he say, "Hold my hand"
My father dressed in gray, asked me to hold his hand
I said, "Love's easier when it's far away"
I told my father that love is easier when we're not near each other
We sat and watched a distant light
We sat down and looked at a light far away
There's a boat on the line where the sea meets the sky
A boat can be seen at the horizon
There's another that rides far behind
There's a second boat further away
And it seems you and I are like strangers a wide ways apart
We are distant and feel like strangers
As we drift on through time
We continue to move apart over time
He said, "It's harder now we're far away"
My father said it's more difficult since we're far apart now
We only read you when you write
We can only communicate through writing
We're two ships that pass in the night
We are like two ships that cross paths in the darkness
We both smile and we say, "It's alright"
We smile and say everything is okay
We're still here, it's just that we're out of sight
We are still present, just not visible to each other
Like those ships that pass in the night
Just like the ships that glide past in the dark
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind