[Verse 1]
A passing ship
I have found the open ocean
Give me no lip
The waves roll by as I press on
A sunlit sea
On the first day in April
How fresh the wind
Will you miss me when I'm gone?

[Verse 2]
How many words
How many songs still unwritten?
How many ships
Of the line have come and gone
In the good old days?
May they never be forgotten
They had heavy wind
Or they had no wind at all

[Verse 3]
A passing ship
It is midnight on the ocean
Had a real long trip
I have been at sea all winter
When my ship came in
I was giving up the ghost
I think I should be
Leaving those passing ships alone
[Verse 4]
When the sea runs high
The sea runs wild and I'm unsteady
And I think of you
In the warmth of your home and family
When love is true
There is no truer occupation
And may this gale
Blow us to the ones we love

[Verse 5]
Another day
Another ocean
Give me no lip
But stand aside as I press on
A sunlit sea
On the last day in October
How fresh the wind
Will you miss me from now on?
I guess I should be
Leaving passing ships alone