The Rudderless Ship - Josh O'Keefe Cover - HIVE Open Mic 115

Hi Everyone

This week I found a new sea shantie by an interesting folk musician named Josh O Keefe.

I thought this one would work for the "doing the work" theme since it tells the tale of a 4 year long sea voyage.

The sailors onboard this "Rudderless ship" would have been putting in hard work for those 4 years to safely reach thier destination.

I hope you guys enjoy what I have come up with for this song.

"The Rudderless Ship"
Josh O'Keefe

Call me Okeefe, another tale of the sea
Sailing by the light of the sun
In the year of our lord, two thousand something
A four year long voyage begun
All the world watched in shock, waved farewell from the dock
To us bound on a bountyless trip
And in a gale we set sail into the mouth of a whale
Sailing on The Rudderless Ship

"Oh dailors take warning" screamed the red sky of morning
To a far from gallant band
While a wise lighthouse stood quiet as a mouse
Knowing we'd bury our heads in the sand
We struck left and we struck right, from the break of dawn until night
Headed nowhere, but adrift
Down the long the wavy straight of the Titanic's fate
Sailing on The Rudderless Ship

Oh the captain of the keel was no hands on the wheel
A reckless abandon! A fool!
With promises of freedom dropped the anchor of treason
To what depths will a man go to rule?
And his men whatever rank for him would walk the plank
Bare the lashes of his accursed whip
Paying the devil well upon a floating hell
Sailing on The Rudderless Ship

I hoped a final harbour would terminate the charter
So one could unmoor no more
For the chains of the sea weighed down heavy on me
I hope to end my days on the shore
I dreamed and I dreamed of Fiddler's Green
Where the journey was all but a blip
Forget trouble and strife, close the chapter of life
Sailing on The Rudderless Ship

But a sailor's last dance is just a game of chance
Swirling around in the deep
Be it quadrille or peril you're at the wind's will
Pray the lord your soul to keep
And if you ever get the notion to be a pilot at the ocean
Find another craft to skip
Your destination is unknown, the sea will have it's own
When you're sailing on The Rudderless Ship

Your destination is unknown, the sea will have it's own
When you're sailing on The Rudderless Ship