"The Thresher" lyrics

"The Thresher"

In Portsmouth town on the eastern shore
Where many a fine ship was born
The Thresher was built
And the Thresher was launched
And the crew of the Thresher was sworn

She was shaped like a tear
She was built like a shark
She was made to run fast and free
And the builders shook their hands
And the builders shared their wine
And thought that they had mastered the sea

Yes, she'll always run silent
And she'll always run deep
Though the ocean has no pity
Though the waves will never weep

They'll never weep

And they marvelled at her speed
Marvelled at her depth
Marvelled at her deadly design
And they sailed to every land
And they sailed to every port
Just to see what faults they could find
Then they put her on the land
For nine months to stand
And they worked on her from stem to stern
But they could never see
It was their coffin to be
For the sea was waiting for their return

Yes, she'll always run silent
And she'll always run deep
Though the ocean has no pity
And the waves will never weep
They'll never weep

On a cold Wednesday morn
They put her her out to sea
When the waves they were nine feet high
And they dove beneath the waves
And they dove to their graves
And they never said a last goodbye
And its deeper and deeper
And deeper they dove
Just to see what their ship could stand
But the hull gave a moan
And the hull gave a groan
And they plunged to the deepest darkest sand

Now she lies in the depths
Of the darkened ocean floor
Covered by the waters cold and still
Oh can't you see the wrong
She was a death ship all along
Died before she had a chance to kill

And she'll never run silent
And she'll never run deep
For the ocean had no pity
And the waves, they never weep
They never weep


Writer(s): Phil Ochs
You May Also Like
Jim Croce - "The Blizzard" There's a blizzard comin' on, how I'm wishin' I was home For my pony's so weak he cannot stand Listen to that northern sigh, if we don't get home we'll die And it's only seven miles to Mary Anne And...
Tom Paxton - "Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation" I got a letter from L. B. J. It said this is your lucky day. It's time to put your khaki trousers on. Though it may seem very queer We've got no jobs to give you here So we are sending you to Viet...
Melanie - "Some Day I'll Be A Farmer" Someday I'll be a farmer, working the land I wish I was a farmer, to work with my hands 'Cause it's been too long a ride, too high the fare Well, I built an-climbed a mountain But it wasn't there And...
Simon & Garfunkel - "Somewhere They Can't Find Me" I can hear the soft breathing of the girl that I love, As she lies here beside me asleep with the night. Her hair in a fine mist floats on my pillow, Reflecting the glow of the winter moonlight. But...
Loudon Wainwright III - "Samson And The Warden" Once I got locked up in a dirty old jail And the coffee was cold and the cornbread was stale And I didn't cry, I tried to be brave Till the warden tried to give me a haircut and a shave Warden you...