Released: September 7, 2018
Songwriter: Paul McCartney
Producer: Greg Kurstin
Part I
[Verse 1]
Despite repeated warnings
Of dangers up ahead
The captain won't be listening
To what's being said
[Verse 2]
He feels that there's a good chance
That we have been misled
And so the captain's planning
To steam ahead
[Bridge 1]
What can we do? What can we do?
What can we do to stop this foolish plan going through?
What can we do? What can we do? (Yeah, yeah!)
This man is bound to lose his ship and his crew
[Verse 3]
Despite repeated warnings
From those who ought to know
Well, he's got his own agenda
And so he'll go
[Bridge 2]
(What can we do?)
Those who shout the loudest (What can we do?)
May not always be the smartest (What can we do?)
But they have their proudest moments
Right before they fall
(What can we do?)
Red sky in the morning (What can we do?)
Doesn't ever seem to faze him (What can we do?)
But a sailor's warning signal
Should concern us all, whoa-oh
Part II
[Chorus]
How can we stop him?
Grab the keys and lock him up
If we can do it
We can save the day
[Verse 1]
The engineer lives with his wife and daughter, Janet
But he misses them so
Although he's working with the best crew on the planet
(We're the best crew on the planet!)
They never want him to go
He had a premonition
He senses something's wrong
And by his own admission
He knew it all along
The captain's crazy
But he doesn't let them know it
He'll take us with him
If we don't do something soon to slow it
[Chorus]
How can we stop him?
Grab the keys and lock him up
If we can do it
We can save the day
[Bridge]
Below decks, the engineer cries
The captain's gonna leave us when the temperatures rise
The needle's going up, the engine's gonna blow
And we are gonna be left down below
Down below
Part III
[Instrumental Intro]
[Chorus]
Yes, we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Yes, we can do it
[Instrumental Interlude]
[Chorus]
Yes, we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Yes, we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Yes, we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Oh yeah
[Verse]
If life would work out the way you plan it
That'd be so fine for the wife and Janet
Sometimes you might have to battle through it
And that's the way you learn how you've got to do it
[Bridge]
Yes, we can do it, whoa-oh
Yes, we can do it, whoa-oh-whoa
Yes, we can do it, whoa-oh-whoa
Yes, we can do it, whoa-oh-whoa
Part I reprise
[Verse 1]
Despite repeated warnings
Of dangers up ahead
Well, the captain wasn't listening
To what was said
[Outro]
(What can we do?)
(For those who shout the loudest)
So we went to the captain
(What can we do?)
(May not always be the smartest)
And we told him to turn around
(What can we do?)
(But they have their proudest moments)
But he laughs in our faces
(Right before they fall)
Says that we are mistaken
(What can we do?)
(Red sky in the morning)
So we gather around him
(What can we do?)
(Doesn't ever seem to faze him)
Now the ropes that have bound him
(What can we do?)
(But a sailor's warning signal)
Prove that he should have listened
(Should concern us all)
To the will of the people
It's the will of the people
It's the will of the people
[Verse 1]
Despite repeated warnings
Of dangers up ahead
The captain won't be listening
To what's being said
[Verse 2]
He feels that there's a good chance
That we have been misled
And so the captain's planning
To steam ahead
[Bridge 1]
What can we do? What can we do?
What can we do to stop this foolish plan going through?
What can we do? What can we do? (Yeah, yeah!)
This man is bound to lose his ship and his crew
[Verse 3]
Despite repeated warnings
From those who ought to know
Well, he's got his own agenda
And so he'll go
[Bridge 2]
(What can we do?)
Those who shout the loudest (What can we do?)
May not always be the smartest (What can we do?)
But they have their proudest moments
Right before they fall
(What can we do?)
Red sky in the morning (What can we do?)
Doesn't ever seem to faze him (What can we do?)
But a sailor's warning signal
Should concern us all, whoa-oh
Part II
[Chorus]
How can we stop him?
Grab the keys and lock him up
If we can do it
We can save the day
[Verse 1]
The engineer lives with his wife and daughter, Janet
But he misses them so
Although he's working with the best crew on the planet
(We're the best crew on the planet!)
They never want him to go
He had a premonition
He senses something's wrong
And by his own admission
He knew it all along
The captain's crazy
But he doesn't let them know it
He'll take us with him
If we don't do something soon to slow it
[Chorus]
How can we stop him?
Grab the keys and lock him up
If we can do it
We can save the day
[Bridge]
Below decks, the engineer cries
The captain's gonna leave us when the temperatures rise
The needle's going up, the engine's gonna blow
And we are gonna be left down below
Down below
Part III
[Instrumental Intro]
[Chorus]
Yes, we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Yes, we can do it
[Instrumental Interlude]
[Chorus]
Yes, we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Yes, we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Yes, we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Oh yeah
[Verse]
If life would work out the way you plan it
That'd be so fine for the wife and Janet
Sometimes you might have to battle through it
And that's the way you learn how you've got to do it
[Bridge]
Yes, we can do it, whoa-oh
Yes, we can do it, whoa-oh-whoa
Yes, we can do it, whoa-oh-whoa
Yes, we can do it, whoa-oh-whoa
Part I reprise
[Verse 1]
Despite repeated warnings
Of dangers up ahead
Well, the captain wasn't listening
To what was said
[Outro]
(What can we do?)
(For those who shout the loudest)
So we went to the captain
(What can we do?)
(May not always be the smartest)
And we told him to turn around
(What can we do?)
(But they have their proudest moments)
But he laughs in our faces
(Right before they fall)
Says that we are mistaken
(What can we do?)
(Red sky in the morning)
So we gather around him
(What can we do?)
(Doesn't ever seem to faze him)
Now the ropes that have bound him
(What can we do?)
(But a sailor's warning signal)
Prove that he should have listened
(Should concern us all)
To the will of the people
It's the will of the people
It's the will of the people
more tracks from the album
Egypt Station
- I Don’t Know
- Back in Brazil
- Do It Now
- Caesar Rock
- Hunt You Down/Naked/C-Link
- Get Started
- Nothing for Free
- Get Enough
- Sixty Second Street
- Dominoes
- Hand in Hand
- Confidante
- Come On to Me
- Station II
- Happy with You
- People Want Peace
- Despite Repeated Warnings
- Fuh You
- Opening Station
- Who Cares
- Frank Sinatra’s Party
From the albums
- Egypt Station (2018)
- Egypt Station - Explorer’s Edition (2019)
Paul McCartney popular songs
- Say Say Say
- Wonderful Christmastime
- Fuh You
- Too Many People
- Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey
- Come On to Me
- New
- I Don’t Know
- Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End (Live / 1989)
- Junk
- Maybe I’m Amazed
- Monkberry Moon Delight
- Here Today
- Another Day
- My Valentine
- Ebony and Ivory
- The Kiss of Venus
- Dear Boy
- Heart of the Country
- Temporary Secretary
- Happy with You
- Ram On
- 3 Legs
- Who Cares