The Captain Lyrics - Various Positions - Leonard Cohen

Now the Captain called me to his bed 

He fumbled for my hand 

"Take these silver bars," he said 

"I'm giving you command." 

"Command of what, there's no one here 

There's only you and me 

All the rest are dead or in retreat 

Or with the enemy." 

"Complain, complain, that's all you've done 

Ever since we lost 

If it's not the Crucifixion 

Then it's the Holocaust." 

"May Christ have mercy on your soul 

For making such a joke 

Amid these hearts that burn like coal 

And the flesh that rose like smoke." 

"I know that you have suffered, lad, 

But suffer this awhile: 

Whatever makes a soldier sad 

Will make a killer smile." 

"I'm leaving, Captain, I must go 

There's blood upon your hand 

But tell me, Captain, if you know 

Of a decent place to stand." 

"There is no decent place to stand 

In a massacre; 

But if a woman take your hand 

Go and stand with her." 

"I left a wife in Tennessee 

And a baby in Saigon 

I risked my life, but not to hear 

Some country-western song." 

"Ah but if you cannot raise your love 

To a very high degree, 

Then you're just the man I've been thinking of 

So come and stand with me." 

"Your standing days are done," I cried, 

"You'll rally me no more. 

I don't even know what side 

We fought on, or what for." 

"I'm on the side that's always lost 

Against the side of Heaven 

I'm on the side of Snake-eyes tossed 

Against the side of Seven. 

And I've read the Bill of Human Rights 

And some of it was true 

But there wasn't any burden left 

So I'm laying it on you." 

Now the Captain he was dying 

But the Captain wasn't hurt 

The silver bars were in my hand 

I pinned them to my shirt.