"I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)" is a 1970 song written by American musician Mark Farner and recorded by Grand Funk Railroad as the closing track to their album Closer to Home. Ten minutes in duration, it is the band's longest studio recording. One of the group's best-known songs, it is composed as two distinct but closely related movements. Its title has been rendered in various ways across many different Grand Funk albums, including "I'm Your Captain", "I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home", "Closer to Home/I'm Your Captain", "Closer to Home (I'm Your Captain)", and "Closer to Home".
The song conveys the pleas of a captain on a troubled sea voyage and facing a mutiny from his crew. Its use of an orchestra during the long repeated refrains of the closing movement served to differentiate it from much of Grand Funk's work. Several interpretations of the song have been given; most revolve around the Vietnam War, and "I'm Your Captain" is popular among veterans of that conflict.
A truncated version of the song was a modest hit single when first released, but the full album track achieved greater airplay on progressive rock radio stations of the time. It has since become a classic rock staple and has appeared on several audience-selected lists as one of the best rock songs of all time.
Grand Funk Railroad - I'm Your Captain (Live 1971) This video was shown at Shea Stadium the entire last year before Shea closed. This July 9th 1971 concert still holds the ticket sales record, breaking the record set by The Beatles.
Lyrics
Everybody, listen to me
And return me my ship
I'm your captain, I'm your captain
Though I'm feeling mighty sick
I've been lost now, days uncounted
And it's months since I've seen home
Can you hear me, can you hear me
Or am I all alone
If you return me to my home port
I will kiss you, Mother Earth
Take me back now, take me back now
To the port of my birth
Am I in my cabin dreaming
Or are you really scheming
To take my ship away from me?
You'd better think about it
I just can't live without it
So, please don't take my ship from me, yeah, yeah, yeah
I can feel the hand of a stranger
And it's tightening around my throat
Heaven help me, Heaven help me
Take this stranger from my boat
I'm your captain, I'm your captain
Though I'm feeling mighty sick
Everybody, listen to me
And return me my ship
I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home, oh
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home
I'm getting closer to my home