I'm Your Captain

Good ideas so far, but this song is actually about the fear of being drafted to fight in Vietnam. It came out in 1970 when the conflict was still raging. The ship can be thought of as the soldier's freedom or his life. He doesn't want that life to be taken away by a "stranger." That's all I have to say about the song's meaning. This song really rocks, it's one of the best classic rock songs ever, right up there with Stairway, Comfortably Numb, Hotel California, Hey Jude, etc

Reality slips away weather it be drugs or the draft. We always want to return to the sober side of life the innocence we have as a child. Remember the first time you relized that life is not as much fun as you thought it was going to be. Feel in what you want to just return me, my ship.

Since the song was written by Larry Carlton, it refers to the USS Pueblo incident of 1968 in Korea. The ship was boarded and captured by North Korean forces on 23 January 1968, in what is known as the Pueblo incident or alternatively as the Pueblo crisis or the Pueblo affair. The capture, less than a week after President Lyndon B. Johnson's State of the Union Address and only a week before the start of the Tet Offensive, and subsequent 11-month prisoner drama were major incidents in the Cold War.

North Korea stated that Pueblo strayed into their territorial waters, but the United States maintains that the vessel was in international waters at the time of the incident.

Pueblo, still held by North Korea today, officially remains a commissioned vessel of the United States Navy.[2] It was moored along the Taedong River in Pyongyang, and used there as a museum ship. Pueblo is the only ship of the U.S. Navy currently being held captive.

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I don't know but I have wondered for years if if is based on any real event (e.g. Mutiny on the Bounty) or symbolism for something else.

Drugs? I dont think it is about that... I just think it is a catchy chord progression mixed with a classic story of an old sea captain and his love for his ship. I dont see how the ship could represent drugs. I'm Getting Closer to my Home? How is that drugs?

This verse is the giveaway.

"I'm your captain, I'm your captain, Although I'm feeling mighty sick. Everybody, listen to me, And return me, my ship. "

Hes like, comparing himself to a ship, I think.

It starts out with something like Acid. When you drop that first hit, you feel lost. Unable to cope or understand the plethora of new emotions presented to you.

It moves on to a bad trip. Maybe something violent, like coke or heroin ? "I can feel the hand, of a stranger, And it's tightening, around my throat."

The last three verses are the peak and the comedown, eventually it just fades away.

Or hey, I could be wrong, the whole thing just seems like a euphemism for a trip to me,I guess.

I always thought it was about drugs. The ship being the drug that keeps him afloat:

"You'd better think about it, I just can't live without it. So, please don't take my ship from me"

-I take that as some type of intervention to try to get the person off of drugs.

"I'm your captain, I'm your captain, Although I'm feeling mighty sick. Everybody, listen to me, And return me, my ship."

-The intervention works so he tries cold tuckey but withdrawal makes him sick and he feels like he is drowing so he wants his drugs/"ship" back.

"I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah"

-He relapses and goes on a massive binge.

"I'm getting closer to my home (to fade)"

-Either he is OD'ing and dying, or he feels at home tripping.

That's just my take.

It sounds like the lyrics could be about someone who is trying to get off of drugs, and return "home", or out of the life of addiction.

Cool wait GREAT Song it is definetly signature Grand Funk its great my fav song of GFR

Anybody else at least get the idea that this was alluding to Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!"?