When 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!" ~ Bob Dylan

Today was a beautiful Indian Summer day. The sun was shining, and the air had that slightly cold crisp feeling that signals us that Autumn has come and Winter is not far away.

I was grocery shopping, exited the store, and as I walked to my car with my groceries, this song popped into my head. I don't know why. It has no special significance that I know of, and I don't remember seeing or hearing anything that reminded me of it, and yet, bits and pieces of the song came back to me as if I heard it for the first time yesterday. I hadn't heard it or even thought of it in years:



Bob Dylan is apolitical, meaning he doesn't make his political views public. He may be a Democrat, or he might not be. This song can be considered political by people who perceive special messages in music, but I prefer to just enjoy the music.

Here are the lyrics:


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
'Fore the hurricane begins
The hours when the ship comes in.

And the seas will split
And the ship will hit
And the sands on the shoreline will be shaking
Then the tide will sound
And the wind will pound
And the morning will be breaking.

Oh the fishes will laugh
As they swim out of the path
And the seagulls they'll be smiling
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 will be buried at 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.

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 drownded in the tide
And like Goliath, they'll be conquered