Building A Ship To Sink In

April 10, 1912
Titanic set to sea
four days later down it went
history to be
they said it was the greatest ship
to ever leave the shore
until it hit the iceberg
then it wasn’t anymore

first class on the upper deck
lifeboats for the crisis
lower classes underneath
left to their own devices
they said it was the pride
of the White Star Line
but after when it sank like that
people changed their mind

and all you great believers
who never learned to swim
good luck with those lifeboats
the water’s coming in
building a ship to sink in

I live in a gilded age
of palaces and greed
where arrogance is champion
and fake is all you need
with nothing much to show for it
but glossy magazines
still we say that we’re the greatest
thing the world has ever seen

first class in the penthouse
so high above it all
the rest of us to scramble
for whatever crumbs may fall
no comfort zone nor safety net
now I think I understand
why it always is the ocean
that gets the upper hand

and all you great believers
who never learned to swim
good luck with those lifeboats
the water’s coming in
they were building a ship to sink in

oh it’s written in the histories
and sung about in song
how the shepherd calls the trumpet
and the sheep will tag along
but there’s always someone somewhere
who knows what’s going on
and does something about it

as we sail away into our
great and future dreams
hallucinating icebergs
that are never what they seem
so insignificant
beneath a silver moon
bailing out the water
with imaginary spoons

I will not be a sheep upon
such a sinking ship
I’d rather strike out through the wilderness
with a compass on my hip
with blueprints for the future
and a telescope to see
I’ll meet you when we get there
if that’s where you want to be

and all you great believers
who never learned to swim
good luck with those lifeboats
the water’s coming in
it’s up to your chin
we are building a ship to sink in