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The Thresher — Phil Ochs

In Portsmouth town
On the eastern shore
Where many a fine ship was born

The Thresher was built
And the Thresher was launched
And the crew of the Thresher was sworn

She was shaped like a tear
She was built like a shark
She was made to run fast and free

And the builders shook their hands
And the builders shared their wine
Thought that they had mastered the sea

Yes, she’ll always run silent
And she’ll always run deep
Though the ocean has no pity
Though the waves will never weep
They’ll never weep

And they marveled at her speed
And they marveled at her depth
And they marveled at her deadly design

And they sailed to every land
And they sailed to every port
Just to see what faults they could find

Then they put her on the land
For nine months to stand
And they worked on her from stem to stern

But they could never see
It was their coffin to be
For the sea was waiting for their return

Yes, she’ll always run silent
And she’ll always run deep
Though the ocean has no pity
Though the waves will never weep
They’ll never weep

On a cold Wednesday morn
They put her out to sea
When the waves they were nine feet high

And they dove beneath the waves
And they dove to their graves
And they never said a last goodbye

And it’s deeper and deeper
And deeper they dove
Just to see what their ship could stand

But the hull gave a moan
And the hull gave a groan
And they plunged to the deepest darkest sand

Now she lies in the depths
Of the darkened ocean floor
Covered by the waters cold and still

Oh, can’t you see the wrong?
She was a death ship all along
Died before she had a chance to kill

And she’ll never run silent
And she’ll never run deep
For the ocean had no pity
And the waves they never weep
They never weep