When The Ship Comes In
The Chieftains & The Decemberists Lyrics
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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 when the ship comes in
Oh, the seas will split
Shoreline will be shakin'
And the tide will sound
And the winds will pound
And the morning will be a-breakin'
Oh the fishes will laugh
As they swim out of the path
And the seagulls they'll be 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 are spoken
For the chains of the sea
Will have busted in the night
And be buried at the bottom of the ocean
A song will lift as the mainsail shifts
And the boat drifts out onto the shoreline
And the sun will respect
Every face on the deck
The hour that the ship comes in
And 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
And 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 the pharaoh's tribe
They'll be drownded in the tide
Like Goliath they'll be conquered
"When the Ship Comes In" is a song that speaks to the anticipation and arrival of a transformative moment. The lyrics describe a time when the winds will still, signaling the coming of a powerful force, just like the calm before a hurricane. The arrival of the ship is portrayed as a significant event, as the seas will split, the ship will hit the shore with force, and the tide and winds will pound. Nature itself seems to respond to the ship's arrival, with fishes laughing, seagulls smiling, and rocks on the sand proudly standing.
The song also touches upon the power of words and how they can be misunderstood or misused. The singer suggests that the words used to confuse and control will no longer hold power, as the chains of the sea will break and be buried at the bottom of the ocean. Instead, a song will be lifted as the ship sails, and the sun will respect every face on board. The arrival of the ship is seen as a moment of triumph, where the world is watching and the weary souls on the ship will find solace as the sands roll out a carpet of gold for them to walk upon.
In the final verses, the song takes a defiant turn as it discusses the reaction of the ship's foes. They will wake from their sleep, startled by the reality of the ship's arrival. They may try to negotiate, but the response from the ship will be one of resolve: their days are numbered. The foes will be drowned in the tide, much like the biblical story of Goliath being conquered.
Overall, "When the Ship Comes In" conveys a message of hope, triumph, and the anticipation of a transformative moment. It speaks to the power of nature, the ability to overcome adversity, and the strength of the human spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the time will come up
The anticipated moment is drawing near
When the winds will stop
The gusts of wind will no longer blow
And the breeze will cease to be breathin'
The gentle winds will no longer be felt
Like the stillness in the wind
Similar to the calmness before a storm
Before the hurricane begins
Just prior to the violent storm's arrival
The hour when the ship comes in
The decisive moment when the ship arrives
Oh, the seas will split
The waters will part ways
And the ship will hit and the sands on the Shoreline will be shakin'
The vessel will dock, causing tremors on the beach
And the tide will sound
The ocean's waves will resound
And the winds will pound
The strong gusts will relentlessly strike
And the morning will be a-breakin'
The dawn will be breaking
Oh the fishes will laugh
The fish will delight joyfully
As they swim out of the path
They will move away from the ship's trajectory
And the seagulls they'll be smilin'
The seagulls will display joyous expressions
And the rocks on the sand will proudly stand
The sturdy rocks on the shore will stand tall
The hour that the ship comes in
The moment when the ship arrives
And the words that are used
The spoken words
For to get the ship confused
In an attempt to mislead the ship
Will not be understood as they are spoken
They will not be comprehended in their literal sense
For the chains of the sea
The restraining forces of the ocean
Will have busted in the night
Will have broken free during the night
And be buried at the bottom of the ocean
And now lie submerged at the ocean's floor
A song will lift as the mainsail shifts
A joyful melody will rise as the main sail changes position
And the boat drifts out onto the shoreline
And the boat gracefully moves towards the beach
And the sun will respect
The sun will show admiration
Every face on the deck
Every person on the ship's deck
The hour that the ship comes in
The moment when the ship arrives
And the sands will roll out a carpet of gold
The sand will create a luxurious golden carpet
For your weary toes to be a-touchin'
On which your tired feet can touch
And the ship's wise men
The knowledgeable individuals on the ship
Will remind you once again
Will prompt your memory once more
That the whole wide world is watchin'
The entire world is observing attentively
Oh the foes will rise
The adversaries will emerge
With the sleep still in their eyes
Having just woken up from sleep
And they'll jerk from their beds
And they will abruptly rise from their beds
And think they're dreamin'
And believe they are still dreaming
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal
But they will pinch themselves and shriek
And they'll know that it's for real
And they will realize it is indeed happening
The hour that the ship comes in
The moment when the ship arrives
And they'll raise their hands
They will lift their hands
Sayin' "We'll meet all your demands"
Declaring that they will fulfill all requests
But we'll shout from the bow
But we will shout from the front of the ship
"Your days are numbered"
"Your time is limited"
And like the pharaoh's tribe
Similar to the pharaoh's people
They'll be drownded in the tide
They will be overwhelmed by the ocean's current
Like Goliath they'll be conquered
Similar to Goliath, they will be defeated
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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