Jefferson Airplane: Wooden Ships

Today’s cover tune by Jefferson Airplane was released six months after the original by Crosby, Stills, and Nash on their self-titled album. “Wooden Ships” began as an instrumental written by David Crosby on his boat off the Florida coast in May 1968, within a month Stephen Stills added most of the lyrics with others to follow by Paul Kantner of Airplane.

Most people view this song (I had as well) as post-nuclear, post-apocalyptic narrative about two enemies meeting in the aftermath. While the lyrical content is adaptable to this message, that was not the intended storyline for this song.

Stephen Stills indicated that the song is really written about the holocaust and the ending of World War II. There is much symbolism in this song that many people have attempted to decode; however, until Stills, Kantner, and Crosby give us more information concerning the specific imagery of the lyrical content, it is best not to speculate.

The initial release of “Wooden Ships” appeared on the “Crosby, Stills, & Nash” album that was released in May 1969. Kantner’s contribution was omitted for contractual reasons and later was added on subsequent reissues of the album. The Jefferson Airplane version hit the stores in November 1969 and showed an entirely different interpretation of the tune – both of which I like. Some lyrical differences appear on the Airplane’s version as well.

Jefferson Airplane Lyrics

Kantner: If you smile at me you know I will understand
Cause that is something everybody everywhere does, In the same language

Slick: I can see by your coat my friend that you're from the other side
There's just one thing I got to know, Can you tell me please who won

Balin: You must try some of my purple berries,
I been eating them for six or seven weeks now, haven't got sick once

Probably keep us both alive

Wooden ships on the water very free and easy
Easy you know the way it's supposed to be
Silver people on the shoreline leave us be
Very free and easy

Kantner: Sail away where the mornin’ sun goes high

Kantner & Slick: Sail away where the wind blows sweet and young birds fly

Take a sister by her hand
Lead her far from this barren land

Horror grips us as we watch you die
All we can do is echo your anguished cry and
Stare as all you human feelings die

We are leaving, you don't need us

Go and take a sister by her hand
Lead her far from this foreign land
Somewhere where we might laugh again

We are leaving, you don't need us

Sailing ships on the water very free and easy
Easy you know the way it's supposed to be
Silver people on the shoreline leave us be
Very free, and gone

NO C'MON
GO RIDE THE MUSIC
C'MON RIDE IT CHILD

Crosby, Stills, & Nash Version

CSN Lyrics

Stills: If you smile at me, I will understand
'Cause that is something everybody everywhere does in the same language.

Crosby: I can see by your coat, my friend, you're from the other side,
There's just one thing I got to know, Can you tell me please, who won?

Stills: Say, can I have some of your purple berries?

Crosby: Yes, I've been eating them for six or seven weeks now, haven't got sick once.

Stills: Probably keep us both alive.

Wooden ships on the water, very free and easy,
Easy, you know the way it's supposed to be,
Silver people on the shoreline, let us be,
Talkin' 'bout very free and easy...

Horror grips us as we watch you die,
All we can do is echo your anguished cries,
Stare as all human feelings die,
We are leaving - you don't need us.

Go, take your sister then, by the hand,
lead her away from this foreign land,
Far away, where we might laugh again,
We are leaving - you don't need us.

And it's a fair wind, blowin' warm,
Out of the south over my shoulder,
Guess I'll set a course and go.