Sinking Ship by David Johansen Lyrics
[Intro]
He's unhinged! He's gonna kill us all!
This is an S.O.S. from the U.S.A
Location: all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific
S.O.S.! S.O.S.! Mayday, mayday, mayday! Help, help!
[Verse 1]
The U.S.A., a luxury liner
Sailin' the great wide seas
With a captain named Barack Obama
For eight years sailed smooth and free
But sadly Obama had to go away
The ship hit rough water that day
Someone gave the bridge up
To the scoundrel Donald Trump
My blood crawl, things start to fall
Hold my head as the sailors bawl
[Chorus]
Captain, the ship is sinking
Captain, these seas are rough
Locking children up in cages
Dog-whistling your racists
How low can we go?
Shall we abandon ship
Or shall we sit on it
And perish slow?
We don't know (Wе don't know)
Captain, you tell me what to do
Whoa-oh! Whoa-oh!
[Verse 2]
The U.S.A., ah, shе was a beauty
With wealth that none surpassed
And in her day, she sailed majestically
There were few in her class
Faithfully she fulfilled her sailors' needs
Some were overpowered by greed
And so they pilfered slow
Some took [?] in gold
Now she looks dull, she's at a lull
She can barely sit on her hull
[Chorus]
Captain, the ship is sinking
Captain, these seas are rough
Locking children up in cages
Dog-whistling your racists
How low can we go?
Shall we abandon ship
Or shall we sit on it
And perish slow?
We don't know (We don't know)
Captain, you tell me what to do
Whoa-oh! Whoa-oh!
[Verse 3]
The U.S.A., in her day of sailing
She was a friend to one and all
She never once ever hesitated
To answer all S.O.S. calls
Yes, she always did her best
To help out those in distress
Now it's so sad to see
She's in difficulties
Though she helped jeer, some of them cheer
And sarcastically declare
[Chorus]
Captain, the ship is sinking
Captain, these seas are rough
Locking children up in cages
Dog-whistling your racists
How low can we go?
Shall we abandon ship
Or shall we sit on it
And perish slow?
We don't know (We don't know)
Captain, you tell me what to do
Whoa-oh! Whoa-oh!
[Sample: Donald Trump]
Maybe that's a question you should ask China
Don't ask me
Ask China that question, OK?
[Verse 4]
Now there's a lot of fingers pointing
Suspicion running strong
Who's to be blamed for all her failures?
Who's to be blamed for doing her wrong?
Oh, please remember, I'm warning you
The last four years she had the same crew
Who hold the keys to the vault
So now we know who's at fault
It's up to you, it's up to me
To make her worthy to go back to sea
[Chorus]
Captain, the ship is sinking
Captain, these seas are rough
Locking children up in cages
Dog-whistling your racists
How low can we go?
Shall we abandon ship
Or shall we sit on it
And perish slow?
We don't know (We don't know)
Captain, you tell me what to do
We don't know (We don't know)
[Bridge]
You tell me what to do
You tell me what to do
We don't know
Put up a flag! Oh gosh, we don't know! (You tell me what to do)
Somebody call the INTERPOL, whoa-oh!
He's a maniac! The pandemic is killing us! (We don't know)
[Sample: Donald Trump]
It's going to disappear one day
It's like a miracle, it will disappear
[Outro]
You tell me what to do! We don't know! (We don't know, we don't know, we don't know)
We don't know! We don't know! (We don't know, we don't know, we don't know)
Somebody put in an application to the world bank
See if we can get some help with repairs! (We don't know, we don't know, we don't know)
Please! Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! (We don't know, we don't know, we don't know)
(You tell me what to do)
He's unhinged! He's gonna kill us all!
This is an S.O.S. from the U.S.A
Location: all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific
S.O.S.! S.O.S.! Mayday, mayday, mayday! Help, help!
[Verse 1]
The U.S.A., a luxury liner
Sailin' the great wide seas
With a captain named Barack Obama
For eight years sailed smooth and free
But sadly Obama had to go away
The ship hit rough water that day
Someone gave the bridge up
To the scoundrel Donald Trump
My blood crawl, things start to fall
Hold my head as the sailors bawl
[Chorus]
Captain, the ship is sinking
Captain, these seas are rough
Locking children up in cages
Dog-whistling your racists
How low can we go?
Shall we abandon ship
Or shall we sit on it
And perish slow?
We don't know (Wе don't know)
Captain, you tell me what to do
Whoa-oh! Whoa-oh!
[Verse 2]
The U.S.A., ah, shе was a beauty
With wealth that none surpassed
And in her day, she sailed majestically
There were few in her class
Faithfully she fulfilled her sailors' needs
Some were overpowered by greed
And so they pilfered slow
Some took [?] in gold
Now she looks dull, she's at a lull
She can barely sit on her hull
[Chorus]
Captain, the ship is sinking
Captain, these seas are rough
Locking children up in cages
Dog-whistling your racists
How low can we go?
Shall we abandon ship
Or shall we sit on it
And perish slow?
We don't know (We don't know)
Captain, you tell me what to do
Whoa-oh! Whoa-oh!
[Verse 3]
The U.S.A., in her day of sailing
She was a friend to one and all
She never once ever hesitated
To answer all S.O.S. calls
Yes, she always did her best
To help out those in distress
Now it's so sad to see
She's in difficulties
Though she helped jeer, some of them cheer
And sarcastically declare
[Chorus]
Captain, the ship is sinking
Captain, these seas are rough
Locking children up in cages
Dog-whistling your racists
How low can we go?
Shall we abandon ship
Or shall we sit on it
And perish slow?
We don't know (We don't know)
Captain, you tell me what to do
Whoa-oh! Whoa-oh!
[Sample: Donald Trump]
Maybe that's a question you should ask China
Don't ask me
Ask China that question, OK?
[Verse 4]
Now there's a lot of fingers pointing
Suspicion running strong
Who's to be blamed for all her failures?
Who's to be blamed for doing her wrong?
Oh, please remember, I'm warning you
The last four years she had the same crew
Who hold the keys to the vault
So now we know who's at fault
It's up to you, it's up to me
To make her worthy to go back to sea
[Chorus]
Captain, the ship is sinking
Captain, these seas are rough
Locking children up in cages
Dog-whistling your racists
How low can we go?
Shall we abandon ship
Or shall we sit on it
And perish slow?
We don't know (We don't know)
Captain, you tell me what to do
We don't know (We don't know)
[Bridge]
You tell me what to do
You tell me what to do
We don't know
Put up a flag! Oh gosh, we don't know! (You tell me what to do)
Somebody call the INTERPOL, whoa-oh!
He's a maniac! The pandemic is killing us! (We don't know)
[Sample: Donald Trump]
It's going to disappear one day
It's like a miracle, it will disappear
[Outro]
You tell me what to do! We don't know! (We don't know, we don't know, we don't know)
We don't know! We don't know! (We don't know, we don't know, we don't know)
Somebody put in an application to the world bank
See if we can get some help with repairs! (We don't know, we don't know, we don't know)
Please! Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! (We don't know, we don't know, we don't know)
(You tell me what to do)