Released: December 15, 2014
Featuring: The Last Ship Ensemble Michael Esper
Songwriter: Sting
Producer: Rob Mathes
[GIDEON FLETCHER]
I looked out across the river today—
Saw a city in the fog and an old church tower
Where the seagulls play
Saw the sad shire horses walking home in the sodium light
And a pale sun shrinks from the empty streets
And the day falls into night
All this time the river flowed endlessly to the sea
[CAPTAIN, spoken]
Wallsend
[GIDEON FLETCHER, spoken]
Yeah, Wallsend, more like the world’s end
(sung)
Our teachers told us, the Romans built this place
They built a wall and a temple
At an edge of the empire garrison town
They lived and they died, and they prayed to their gods
But the stone gods did not make a sound
And their empire crumbled, ‘til all that was left
Were these stones the workmen found
All this time the river flowed endlessly to the sea
If I had my way, I’d take a boat from the river
And I’d bury the old man, bury him at sea
Nothing’s ever changed 'round here
Not in ten thousand years, I fear
Same bend in the river where the tide slows down
And the seagulls circle this dirty old town
So I ask myself why the hell would I stay?
Just churches and pubs where ye drink or ye pray
And the sky’s still the same old battleship grey
If only the pubs stayed open all day
All this time the river flowed
In the falling light of a northern sun
Well I had my way, I took a boat from the river
'Cause men go crazy in congregations
They only get better one by one
[GIDEON FLETCHER & ENSEMBLE]
One by one (all this time, yeah ee-yeah)
All this time, yeah ee-yeah
One by one by one (all this time, yeah ee-yeah)
All this time, yeah ee-yeah
One by one (all this time, yeah ee-yeah)
I looked out across the river today...
I looked out across the river today—
Saw a city in the fog and an old church tower
Where the seagulls play
Saw the sad shire horses walking home in the sodium light
And a pale sun shrinks from the empty streets
And the day falls into night
All this time the river flowed endlessly to the sea
[CAPTAIN, spoken]
Wallsend
[GIDEON FLETCHER, spoken]
Yeah, Wallsend, more like the world’s end
(sung)
Our teachers told us, the Romans built this place
They built a wall and a temple
At an edge of the empire garrison town
They lived and they died, and they prayed to their gods
But the stone gods did not make a sound
And their empire crumbled, ‘til all that was left
Were these stones the workmen found
All this time the river flowed endlessly to the sea
If I had my way, I’d take a boat from the river
And I’d bury the old man, bury him at sea
Nothing’s ever changed 'round here
Not in ten thousand years, I fear
Same bend in the river where the tide slows down
And the seagulls circle this dirty old town
So I ask myself why the hell would I stay?
Just churches and pubs where ye drink or ye pray
And the sky’s still the same old battleship grey
If only the pubs stayed open all day
All this time the river flowed
In the falling light of a northern sun
Well I had my way, I took a boat from the river
'Cause men go crazy in congregations
They only get better one by one
[GIDEON FLETCHER & ENSEMBLE]
One by one (all this time, yeah ee-yeah)
All this time, yeah ee-yeah
One by one by one (all this time, yeah ee-yeah)
All this time, yeah ee-yeah
One by one (all this time, yeah ee-yeah)
I looked out across the river today...
more tracks from the album
The Last Ship (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
- August Winds
- We’ve Got Now’t Else
- The Last Ship (Part One)
- When We Dance (Broadway Cast Version)
- So to Speak (Broadway Cast Version)
- It’s Not the Same Moon (Broadway Version)
- Underground River
- The Last Ship (Finale)
- Dead Man’s Boots (Broadway Version)
- Sail Away
- Ghost Story (Broadway Version)
- The Night the Pugilist Learned How to Dance
- What Say You Meg (Single Version)
- If You Ever See Me Talking to a Sailor
- What Say You Meg?
- Island of Souls (Broadway Version)
- All This Time (Broadway Version)
- Shipyard
- Show Some Respect (Broadway Version)
- Mrs. Dees’ Rant
From the album
Sting popular songs
- Shape of My Heart
- Englishman in New York
- Desert Rose
- Fields of Gold
- Fragile
- Russians
- It’s Probably Me
- If I Ever Lose My Faith in You
- Brand New Day
- Seven Days
- Mad About You
- A Thousand Years
- Soul Cake
- I Can’t Stop Thinking About You
- If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
- All This Time
- When We Dance
- If It’s Love
- The Last Ship
- Fortress Around Your Heart
- Children’s Crusade
- Moon Over Bourbon Street
- Synchronicity I
- Giacomo’s Blues