When the Ship Comes In
Bob Dylan
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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 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 know that it's for real The hour 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 And like Pharaoh's tribe They'll be drownded in the tide And like Goliath, they'll be conquered
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Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
13 facts about this song
Song Inspiration"When the Ship Comes In" was inspired by an incident where Bob Dylan was denied a room in a hotel.
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Album DebutThe song first appeared on Dylan's third studio album, "The Times They Are a-Changin'" which was released in 1964.
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Lyric PoetryDylan's lyrics in the song are regarded as a poetic tale which features numerous sea and ship imagery.
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Similarity to Irish Folk SongIt’s been noted that Dylan's composition has strong similarities with a traditional Irish folk song called 'The Clancy Brothers'.
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Live FortitudeThe live version of the song was featured in the concert film "The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1963–1965."
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Civil Rights EraThe poetic justice in "When the Ship Comes In" is believed to have been heavily inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in America, as Dylan was active in the movement.
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Chorus MysteryThe chorus of the song is left open-ended when sung, with multiple interpretations for what it could mean.
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In Popular CultureThe song was used in the 2006 movie, 'Inland Empire,' directed by David Lynch.
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Cover VersionsVarious artists have covered "When the Ship Comes In" including Peter, Paul and Mary who also performed the song at the 1963 March on Washington.
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Literary ReferenceThe song makes a reference to the poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, particularly in its use of sea imagery.
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Use in ProtestsThe song, due to its powerful and poetic justice portrayal, is often used in protests and demonstrations.
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AccoladeRolling Stone magazine ranked Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'" album, where "When the Ship Comes In" debuted, at number 123 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, highlighting its timeless relevance.
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Song ConstructionUnlike many of Dylan's other songs, "When the Ship Comes In" follows a traditional verse-chorus structure.
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Citation
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"When the Ship Comes In Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/15785779/Bob+Dylan/When+the+Ship+Comes+In>.
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