And now for some Friday Music Therapy with The Brotherhood of Dobbie, doing one of those songs that spoke deeply to me the first time I ever heard it and speaks to me so deeply still that I will never get tired of hearing it and dancing to it when nobody’s watching or when they are.
“The Captain And Me”
Deep as a river, wide as the sea
Changin’ the ways of a captain and me
I could be happy, Lord, so then should he
If all of the universe unveiled itself to me
So then a day flows into night
Down the street the beggar man who finds himself in wine
If I am a good man and sure in all my ways
The captain of a starship that’s homeward bound today
Growin’, growin’, changin’ ev’ry day
Knowin’, showin’ all my worldly ways
Hear the chimes, hear how they ring
Marking time all through the day
A whisper, an answer, a cry in the night
Break down, turn around, a feeling of fright
The Indian, the Black Man, the Asian who see
A door that is opening, and they’re goin’ to be free
Growin’, growin’, changin’ ev’ry day
Knowin’, showin’ all my worldly ways
Hear the chimes, hear how they ring
Marking time all through the day
We are all acceptable, we are all a place in time
Moving through a passageway, bringing forth the end of time
Growin’, growin’, changin’ ev’ry day
Knowin’, showin’ all my worldly ways
Hear the chimes, hear how they ring
Marking time all through the day
Light the fire, start the day, mark the light that shows the way
Changing times of fortunes past, we will all be free at last
We are the people of the round about
We are the sails upon the sea
We’re gonna be there when ev’ry body laughs about
The way that we are changin’, you and me, yeah
We are the people of the round about
We are the sails upon the sea
We’re gonna be there when ev’ry body laughs about
The way that we are changin’, you and me, yeah
We are the people of the round about
We are the sails upon the sea
*Lyrics by Tom Johnston
And oh wait … here’s bonus therapy!
Good lyric writing in this song; however, I never really cared for the Doobs until the Michael McDonald era – I know, blasphemy to most fans but musical taste is subjective. My fave album was Minute by Minute. Most big fans might say it is the worst album they made. I didn’t like their songs with the chunka-chunka rhythm like China Grove. How ya gitten’ along, mi amigo?
I love mot of Johnston’s Doobie songs, but I hated China Grove and didn’t like “Without Love” at all. But most all my favorite hitmakers had hits I hate. As much as I love Willie, I HATE “On the Road Again!” I’m good. Hope you’re well, hippie dawg.
I am doing well, Paul.