Rescue Mission Lyrics

by Kris Kristofferson, Bob Neuwirth, Roger McGuinn, Seymour Cassell 

The captain touched his swagger stick    
Up to his golden eye                     
And boogied through the vestibule        
While bidding us goodbye                 
The enemy surrounds us                   
And our spirits almost gone              
The Devil take the cavalry               
That sold us for a song                  
                                         
There's Chi-Chi's on the starboard, lads 
And Chi-Chi's in the stern                
And hashish in the hookah pipes           
And bonny grass to burn                   
Our mission is a secret                   
But we're fool enough to try              
We'll sail the bloody ocean, boys         
Or drink the bastard dry                  
                                          
"If I'd've been a carpenter," the swarthy 
sergeant said                             
"I'd never seen this ugly thing           
That hangs above my head                  
The hell with all your heros              
And the wounds they hope to show          
I'm just a simple soldier, son            
With one more year to go"                 
                                          
The Albatross was tiring                  
And the cook was in a stew                
The filthy little cabin boy               
Was whizzing in my shoe                   
The Captain's wife was aging              
And the first mate heard her scream       
When Tommy slipped tabasco in the       
Captain's vaseline                      
                                        
"Our time will soon be gone," he said   
"It's all we've left to lose            
We've shot our ammunition               
And we're all but out of booze          
So here's to Irma Donegal               
Here's to Nellie Blye                   
And here's to my old friend," he said   
And kissed his ass goodbye              
                                        
"Give off! give off! You sorry lot.     
 Give off!," the Captain cried          
"we've lost our bloody anchor           
And we're driftin' with the tide        
The swollen surf is pounding            
Like a thousand cannons roar            
And I shake the hand of any man         
Who guides us into shore."              
                                        
"We're saved! We're saved!"             
The soldiers said                       
"We're saved!," the sailors cried   
And soldiers climbed aboard         
While sailors left from either side
Some swabbies hit the minefield and 
The rifles got the rest             
And somewhere there's a schooner    
Sinkin' slowly in the west