When The Ship Comes In
View chords used in this chart
1964- First release 'The Times They Are A-Changin'
1991-The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3
1993-The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration
Intro: G C G D G C D G
G D
Oh the time will come up
C G
When the winds will stop
Em C G
And the breeze will cease to be breathin’
G D
Like the stillness in the wind
C D
’fore the hurricane begins
D G
The hour when the ship comes in
D C
Oh the seas will split
G
And the ship will hit
D C G
And the sands on the shoreline will be shaking
D C
Then the tide will sound
G
And the wind will pound
D D G
And the morning will be breaking
G D
Oh the fishes will laugh
C G
As they swim out of the path
Em C G
And the seagulls they’ll be smiling
G D
And the rocks on the sand
C G
Will proudly stand
D G
The hour that the ship comes in
D C
And the words that are used
G
For to get the ship confused
D C G
Will not be understood as they’re spoken
D C
For the chains of the sea
G
Will have busted in the night
D D G
And will be buried at the bottom of the ocean
G D
A song will lift
C G
As the mainsail shifts
Em C G
And the boat that drifts on to the shore line
G D
And the sun will respect
C G
Every face on the deck
D G
The hour that the ship comes in
D C
Then the sands will roll
G
Out a carpet of gold
D C G
For your weary toes to be a touchin’
D C
And the ship’s wise men
G
Will remind you once again
D D G
That the whole wide world is watchin’
G D
Oh the foes will rise
C G
With the sleep still in their eyes
Em C G
And they’ll jerk from their beds and think they’re still dreamin’
G D
But they’ll pinch themselves and squeel
C G
And know that it’s for real
D G
The hour that the ship comes in
D C
Then they’ll raise their hands
G
Sayin’ we’ll meet all your demands
D C G
But we’ll shout from the bow your days are numbered
D C
And like pharaoh’s tribe
G
They’ll be drownded in the tide
D D G
And like goliath they’ll be conquered
Enjoy!
How to play When The Ship Comes In
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is A. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.