Violent Femmes

See My Ships

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See My Ships Lyrics

See my ships
They are sailing in and out of the harbour
Will they go together or must they stay apart
Yes I know it's in my heart
Surely you see what's inside of me
Jesus is coming soon
I can hear Gabriel blow his trumpet tune
This I know our lord is coming soon
Mercy mercy me Marvin Gaye was shot by his father
O my father have mercy on me
Cold kane O my cheap thrill
O my shame for Cain and the devil
Momma I need water I'm thirsty
Surely you see what's inside of me

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demirep7371 On Feb 27, 2005

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demirep7371

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2005-02-27 10:42:51

2 Meanings

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by 55779

19y ago

About family members killing each other.

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by nathan1149

8y ago

Terminal late-stage coke addiction. The feeling that a day of reckoning will come, and the question of whether the shıps will stay together and the singer will stay alive is answered. The singer is probably fucked up and talking to God. Hence, the Gabriel reference

The Marvin Gaye reference ties into cocaine (which Gaye and his father both used heavily) and to the the link between Gaye's earthly father, who killed his son because he believed Marvin was a sinner, and the singer's heavenly Father - who may be about to kill the singer for the same reason.

The cocaine lyrics are not fully correct here. 'cocaine, my cheap thrill. Cocaine, my Cain. Cocaine, to my shame. Cocaine, the devil.' In case you needed an explicit drug reference.

And, of course, he swtitches from talking to the Father who will judge hım to the Mama who will comfort hım and bring hım water. because they are the only ones who really know what he's going through.

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