Called the 'Dutch Everly Brothers', The Blue Diamonds covered many Everly Brothers songs, but became famous in 1960 with their version of "Ramona", a song originally written for the 1928 film, Ramona. The song was written for promotional appearances with Dolores del Río (star of the film) but not featured in the film itself. The Blue Diamonds up-tempo version of it reached the American Billboard Hot 100 at number 72 in 1960. It sold over 250,000 copies in the Netherlands (the first record to ever do so) and over one million copies in Germany by 1961.
Although their last hit was in 1971, they continued to perform together up until Ruud de Wolff died at the end of year 2000. Riem de Wolff continued to perform and release albums. He died in September 2017.
Little Ship
The Blue Diamonds Lyrics
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Sailin' cross the sea
Bring my lovin' baby
Safely home to me
Oh, the nights are lonely
My heart feels such pain
Little ship please hurry
She may be in trouble
As I say this prayer
See her through the trouble
Keep her safe out there
Little ship keep sailin'
Till you reach the shore
Then I'll hold my loved one
In my arms once more
She may be in trouble
As I say this prayer
See her through the trouble
Keep her safe out there
Little ship keep sailin'
Till you reach the shore
Then I'll hold my loved one
In my arms once more
In my arms once more
In my arms once more
(C) J. Pomus; M. Shuman
The Blue Diamonds' song "Little Ship" is a heartfelt plea to a ship sailing across the sea to bring the singer's lover safely back to them. The song starts with the singer addressing the little ship, asking it to keep sailing across the sea while their lover is aboard, and bring her home safely to the singer. The singer expresses their loneliness and the pain they feel in their heart while waiting for their lover's return. They ask the little ship to hurry and bring their lover home soon.
The singer then speaks of their worry that their lover might be in trouble, and asks the ship to see her through the trouble and keep her safe out there. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer asking the little ship to keep sailing till it reaches the shore, where they will hold their loved one in their arms once more. The lyrics beautifully express the hope, worry, and pain of a lover waiting for their beloved to return.
Overall, the song "Little Ship" is a touching and emotional plea for a safe return of a loved one, and it speaks to the universal feeling of longing and hope for the return of loved ones who are far away.
Line by Line Meaning
Little ship keep sailin'
The singer urges the ship to continue its course
Sailin' cross the sea
The ship is traveling across the sea
Bring my lovin' baby
The singer is waiting for their loved one to return
Safely home to me
The artist wants their loved one to arrive back without danger or harm
Oh, the nights are lonely
The artist is feeling lonely during the absence of their loved one
My heart feels such pain
Their heart aches for the return of their loved one
Little ship please hurry
The singer urges the ship to speed up
Bring her home again
The artist wants their loved one to return to their home
She may be in trouble
The artist is worried that their loved one might be in danger
As I say this prayer
The artist is praying for the safety of their loved one
See her through the trouble
The singer wants the ship to help their loved one overcome any difficulties
Keep her safe out there
The artist hopes that their loved one remains safe during their journey
Little ship keep sailin'
The singer again urges the ship to keep going
Till you reach the shore
The singer wants the ship to continue until it reaches its final destination
Then I'll hold my loved one
The singer is excited for the return of their loved one
In my arms once more
The artist is eagerly waiting to embrace their loved one again
In my arms once more
Repetition of the previous line
In my arms once more
Repetition of the previous line
Writer(s): Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman
Contributed by Tristan M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.