Wooden Ships - Nellie McKay

If you smile at me

I will understand

'Cause that is something everybody everywhere does in the same language

I can see by your coat, my friend

That you’re from the other side

There’s just one thing I’ve got to know

Can you tell me, please

Who won?

You must try some of my purple berries

Yes, I’ve been eating them

For six or seven weeks now

Haven’t got sick once

Probably keep us both alive

Wooden ships on the water, very free

Easy you know the way it’s supposed to be

Silver people on the shoreline let us be

Very free and easy

Sail away where the morning sun goes high

Sail away where the wind blows sweet

Young birds fly

Take a sister there by the hand

Lead her far from this barren land

Horror grips us as we watch you die

All we can do is echo your anguished cries

Stare as all human feelings die

We are leaving

You don’t need us

Go take a sister then by the hand

Lead her far from this foreign land

Far away, where we might laugh again

We are leaving

You don’t need us

Sailing ships on the water

Very free

Easy you know the way it’s supposed to be

Silver people on the shoreline let us be

Very free and easy