Gordon Lightfoot’s specific wish was for his song “A Passing Ship” to be played at his funeral.
I have a real penchant for songs and stories about ships and the sea, and this one by Gordon Lightfoot ticks all the right boxes – and then some. His strong, native Orillia, Ontario accent grounds the romantic storytelling, and when it combines with that open-to-the-wind, free-sailing ambience, it creates such a pure and aesthetic listening experience. It really puts you there, as if you’re about to set sail and embark on a quest of exploration and surrender to wherever the winds may take you.
The song also feels like a homage to seafaring ventures of the past – those told in books and songs that still captivate the senses and stir a sense of wonder about what lies far beyond the horizon, in that great unknown. When I served in the Navy as a young and impressionable person, with my future ahead of me, I often remained largely ignorant – obfuscated even (as we all were) – of what lay ahead on our journey.
So now, when I hear songs like “A Passing Ship”, I find it difficult, with time under my belt, not to feel overly sentimental and nostalgic. The experience of being at sea, as described in this song, is not just part of my own history – it also serves as a metaphor for the uncertainty and bewilderment of youth, with life still stretching out before you. It can feel disconcerting, but exhilarating at the same time.
If you’ll forgive me for getting a little trippy – my favourite part in the whole song, comes in the third line of the second verse (at 0:55 exactly), where he sings “How many ships”, followed by that very short instrumental phrase. It absolutely blew me away. Allow me to explain.
It’s like when you catch a scent that suddenly transports you to another time and place – a common enough phenomenon. That brief instrumental passage sent me straight to the introduction of an incredible cover of “Song to the Siren” by Tim Buckley, which ranks among the greatest ballads I’ve ever heard. And what’s more – lo and behold – it too is a romantic piece set against the imagery of ships and the sea.
So that fleeting instrumental moment in Gordon’s song carried me into a kind of romantic, transcendent recall – right into the opening of Paul Charlier & Paula Arundell’s version of “Song to Siren”. I’d be curious to know if anyone else hears that connection as well.
[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
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I love Gordon Lightfoot. Another great Canadian musician, who got a LOT of airplay here in Buffalo.
I remember you saying. I’m hardly across his music.
Dylan said about him: “I can’t think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don’t like. Every time I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever.”
Now if that isn’t higher enough praise, I don’t know what is.
There’s a good documentary about him, made shortly before he died. I think it was on Prime. I learned a lot about him.
He’s another Great Lakes person. We’re a separate breed.
Gordon Lightfoot was a favourite; a veritable troubadour. I’m not familiar with this song, though, so I appreciate you highlighting it. As for ‘seafaring’ I find there’s no equal to his “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
I could definitely hear the similarity in the intro to the cover of “Song to the Siren.” It’s a pretty version, with lovely vocals; I have to say that my all-time fave cover of that song is by Cocteau Twins on the This Mortal Coil project, but then I’m a sucker for anything sung by Elizabeth Fraser.
You’ve given me some homework here. That one — “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” — feels like a real seafaring ballad. Although bit stagnant, repetitive, and rudimentary for my tastes… but hey, still very nice.
“Song to the Siren” feels deeply personal — the words are spectacular (and Buckley’s original is hard to surpass), and the way you come to it matters. First encounters tend to stick with you.
For me, it’s the criminally underrated Australian film Candy and the version within that anchors the song. That’s the thing with music — we all attach songs to different moments and pathways. Yours with This Mortal Coil, mine with Candy. I suppose that’s half the magic.
Thanks so much for the recommendations, Steve. They always broaden my musical horizons.
I agree with you on “Song to the Siren” and the notion of first encounters with a song. The film looks vaguely familiar, and I like that version. Its dreamy sound goes well with the film clip.
The wonderful film absolutely devoured (negatively) by critics features ‘Song to the Siren’ twice. So the cover mentioned and then at the end Buckley’s original. For someone who’s more than familiar with the subject matter – it holds a special place for me. Yes, it’s kind of a dreamy sound and I couldn’t help but link it with Lightfoot’s ‘Passing Ship’ when I heard that part of the song. Thanks Steve as always.
While I thought the opening scene was familiar from the video, I read about the plot line and am not sure I remember it. Strange….
It’s a fairly little-known indie Australian film, so I’d be surprised if you’ve seen it.
Sounds like a compelling story.