Ship of Fools

A Grateful Dead song. One that many years ago after a particularly intense night of psychedelic magic at a “family” gathering one of my friends said was the dead song that always made them think of me.

Just came on on the show I’m listening to…and I can never not think of that moment.

So here are the lyrics, compliments of David Dodd’s Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics project. And oh yes- you can stream the song from Archive.org while you read here

“Ship of Fools”

Words by Robert Hunter; music by Jerry Garcia
Copyright Ice Nine Publishing; used by permission.

Went to see the captain
strangest I could find
Layed my proposition down
Layed it on the line;
I won’t slave for beggar’s pay
likewise gold and jewels
but I would slave to learn the way
to sink your ship of fools

Ship of fools
on a cruel sea
Ship of fools
sail away from me

It was later than I thought
when I first believed you
now I cannot share your laughter
Ship of Fools

Saw your first ship sink and drown
from rocking of the boat
and all that could not sink or swim
was just left there to float
I won’t leave you drifting down
but woah it makes me wild
with thirty years upon my head
to have you call me child

Ship of fools
on a cruel sea
Ship of fools
sail away from me

It was later than I thought
when I first believed you
now I cannot share your laughter
Ship of Fools

The bottles stand as empty
as they were filled before
Time there was and plenty
but from that cup no more
Though I could not caution all I yet may warn a few:
Don’t lend your hand to raise no flag
atop no ship of fools

Ship of fools
on a cruel sea
Ship of fools
sail away from me

It was later than I thought
when I first believed you
now I cannot share your laughter
Ship of Fools
No I cannot share your laughter
Ship of Fools

And of course- if you like the Dead and aren’t familiar with it- you can download or stream thousands of GD concerts at archive.org here (or hundreds of other bands live shows here

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