I never used to miss the chance To climb upon his knee And listen to the many tales Of life upon the sea We'd go sailing back on barkentines And talk of things he did Tomorrow's just a day away For the captain and the kid His world had gone from sailing ships To raking mom's back yard He never could adjust to land Although he tried so hard We both were growing older then And wiser with our years That's when I came to understand The course his heart still steers He died about a month ago While winter filled the air And though I cried I was so proud To love a man so rare He's somewhere on the ocean now The place he ought to be With one hand on the starboard rail He's waving back at me Repeat first verse For the captain and this kid