> Sandy Denny > Songs > The Sea Captain

The Sea Captain

[Sandy Denny]

Sandy Danny’s song The Sea Captain from her 1971 first solo album, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens, was played by Sandy Denny, acoustic guitar; Richard Thompson, electric guitar; Pat Donaldson, bass; Gerry Conway, drums. It was included in 2004 on the 5CD Fledg’ling Sandy Denny anthology A Boxful of Treasures. Richard Thompson considers his solo on this song to be one of his best.

A live studio recording from November 1972 for the BBC Radio 1 show “Sounds on Sunday”, hosted by Johnny Moran, was broadcast on 3 December 1972 and published in 2007 on the 3CD+DVD set Live at the BBC.

Lyrics

Sandy Denny sings The Sea Captain

To cross the wide sea I deserted,
From the shore I did fly.
I thought it time that I travelled,
So I took to the roads of the sky.

It was late and the wind it did gently blow,
Oh the night it was calm.
I saw the flower of the ocean
And the universe did me noo harm,
It said to fly on.

The sea captain he loved the ocean,
But his ship was on fire.
His hands they did stretch out before him,
For to take one of many desires,
But there was no time.

Across the wide sea he departed,
From the ship he did fly.
He thought it time that he travelled
And I saw him as he passed by,
And I saw him as he passed by.

Sorry, I can't show the lyrics here as I don't have the copyright owners' permission to publish them. But please feel free and ask me to send you the song's lyrics.