Everybody,
listen to me,
and return me, my ship.
I'm your captain, I'm your captain,
though I'm feeling mighty sick.
I've been lost now,
days uncounted,
and it's months since,
I've seen home.
Can you hear me, can you hear me,
or am I all alone?
If you return me,
to my home port,
I will kiss you,
mother earth.
Take me back now, take me back now,
to the port, of my birth.
Am I in my cabin dreaming,
or are you really scheming,
to take my ship away from me.
You'd better think about it,
I just can't live without it,
so please don't take my ship from me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I can feel the hand,
of a stranger,
and it tightening,
around my throat.
Heaven help me, heaven help me,
take this stranger, from my boat.
I'm your captain, I'm your captain,
though I'm feeling mighty sick.
Everybody, listen to me,
and return me, my ship,
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm your captain, yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm getting closer to my home.
I'm getting closer to my home.(Berry/Buck/Mills/Stipe)
The wheelbarrow's fallen
Look at my hands
They've found some surplus, cheaper hands
Rubbing palms and pick and choose,
Who will they choose? Here is the news
Look at that building, look at this man
Haloed and whitewashed
Gone to find a cheaper hand
He'll offer a pound, offer a pound
(chorus)
Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
The compass points the worker's home
Pay for your freedom, find another gate
Guilt by associate, the rushes wilted a long time ago
Guilty as you go
Stay off that highway, word is it's not so safe
The grasses that hide the greenback
The amber waves of gain again
The amber waves of gain
(repeat chorus)
Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go