you can see the squares of canvas dancing over the horizon you can feel the chanty wailing to the heaving of the men you can feel the seas up to your knees and you know the sea is rising and you know the clipper s day has come again to the men on high the bosun s cry commands a killing strain till every mother s son begins to pray with a hearty shout she comes about as she heads into the rain and the ship has never seen a better day sailing ships and sailing men will sail the open waters where the only thing that matters is the wind inside the main so all you loving mothers keep your eyes upon your daughters for the sails will mend their tatters and the masts will rise again wooden beams and human dreams are all that makes her go and the magic of the wind upon her sails she d rather fight the weather than the fishes down below god help us if the rigging ever fails as the timber creaks the captain speaks above the vessel s groan til every soul on board can hear the call it s nothing but the singing of the ship inside her bones and this is when she like it best of all sailing ships and sailing men will sail the open waters where the only thing that matters is the wind inside the main so all you loving mothers keep your eyes upon your daughters for the sails will mend their tatters and the masts will rise again where the current goes the clipper s nose is plowing fields of green where fortune takes the crews we wish them well where men could be when lost at sea is somewhere in between the regions of a heaven and a hell well they re sailing eastern harbors and the california shores if you set your mind to see them them you can as you count each mast go sailing past you prouder than before then you ll know the clipper s day has come again