I’m your captain, I’m your captain,
Though I’m feeling mighty sick.

Who knew Grand Funk Railroad’s fans were so wonderfully nuts? I mean, look at them going crazy in that video.

On the surface, Grand Funk Railroad’s “I’m Your Captain” tells a story about a ship captain who fears a mutiny. Due to the surreal nature of being away from home for so long—and due to illness–he can’t tell if he is imagining the mutiny or if he is just being vigilant.  He knows one cure for all of these problems: If he could only get home all of these fears and problems would be eliminated.

This literal interpretation works just fine. It does a great job of explaining a unique situation that creates a universal feeling of dread and fear—one we can all perhaps relate to. Each of us have felt afraid in strange circumstances, I can’t imagine the feelings of danger one must feel as a captain in the middle of the ocean. Though “I’m Your Captain” does a good job of bridging that gap.

There is a plethora of figurative interpretations of this song; interpretations that might hit closer to home for you than the literal one. The Vietnam War was being fought during the time this song was written, and it is possible to imagine many young men suddenly given positions of authority halfway across the world. I can imagine they dreamt everyday of getting “closer to home”. I imagine this song resonates strongly with many Vietnam Vets.

The sound is an interesting combination of southern rock and progressive rock. Southern rock brings the layered guitar sound, long jams and relatively simple melodies combined with progressive rock’s multitude of instruments, dream-like sound and/or themes and heavy post-production. It sounds like an odd combination! However, this accounts for the radically different sound in the verses, bridge and outro. The verses are clearly inspired by the southern rock sound, while the outro is progressive rock.

The instrumentation throughout is great, but especially the rhythm section. Both the bass and drums feel like they drive the song. In the outro, the transition to the orchestra with a solo flute creates perhaps its signature sound.

I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home) Lyrics

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 for 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!

I can feel the hand of a stranger,
And it’s 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.
I’m getting closer to my home,
I’m getting closer to my, closer to my home.

Everybody listen to me,
And return me my ship.
I’m your captain, I’m your captain,
Though I’m feeling mighty sick.

Songwriters: Mark Farner

Nobody right if everybody’s wrong.

Buffalo Springfield was ultimately a one-hit wonder, but “For What it’s Worth” has had an enormous meaning on rock. This was the first success for Stephen Stills and Neil Young—who would of course go on to create CSNY. The opening riff to “For What it’s Worth” is so iconic that I think it transcends even their two careers…if that is possible. (Bassist Jim Messina would later create Poco).

Every movie that involves the 60s or the Vietnam War or the civil rights movement is not complete without this song in the soundtrack. It is simply not done.

The lyrics of “For What it’s Worth” are not as protest-y as its reputation. The message is “we should take a second and think about things”. Radical! The guitar refrain is obviously what will be noticed, but the rest of the guitar work sounds great too. It is actually a welcome change from the familiar riff. It shows off Neil Young’s guitar skills in a way that we don’t see in his solo work or CSNY.

Buffalo Springfield

For What It’s Worth Lyrics

There’s something happening here.
What it is ain’t exactly clear.
There’s a man with a gun over there.
Telling me I got to beware.

I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down.

There’s battle lines being drawn.
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.
Young people speaking their minds,
Getting so much resistance from behind.

It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down.

What a field-day for the heat.
A thousand people in the street.
Singing songs and carrying signs,
Mostly say, hooray for our side.

It’s s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down.

Paranoia strikes deep-
Into your life it will creep.
It starts when you’re always afraid,
You step out of line, the man come and take you away.

We better stop, hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down.
Stop, hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down.
Stop, now, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down.
Stop, children, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down.

Songwriters: Stephen Stills

There’s a calm before the storm/
I know it’s been comin’ for some time.

The rain is obviously a big motif in “Who’ll Stop the Rain”, but I am not sure everyone has listened to what Creedence is really trying to say. Fogerty tells us that that it is calm right before a storm. Then the storm will come and the rain will begin to fall. But after a storm, there is a period when the sun starts to shine again portending of future good weather. It can be a great feeling.

Fogerty is not asking if you’ve ever seen rain in a storm, he is asking if you’ve ever experienced that special time after the storm when the rain is falling while the sun is out. It is a time of hope and cleansing.

Obviously Fogerty isn’t interested in the weather patterns. The reason this song resonates is because it was written during a difficult time in the 60s. Specifically people were fighting for civil rights and also fighting an unjust was in Vietnam. Fogerty is anticipating the people rising up (the storm) and making things just in the world. That will be a beautiful time like when rain falls down on a sunny day. It will be a time of hope and hopefully it will all have been worth it.

Who’ll Stop The Rain Lyrics

As long as I remember
The rain’s been comin’ down
Clouds of mystery pourin’
Confusion on the ground

Good men through the ages
Tryin’ to find the sun
And I wonder, still I wonder
Who’ll stop the rain

I went down Virginia
Seekin’ shelter from the storm
Caught up in the fable
I watched the tower grow

Five year plans and new deals
Wrapped in golden chains
And I wonder, still I wonder
Who’ll stop the rain?

Heard the singers playin’
How we cheered for more
The crowd then rushed together
Tryin’ to keep warm

Still the rain kept pourin’
Fallin’ on my ears
And I wonder, still I wonder
Who’ll stop the rain?

Songwriters: John Fogerty