The gulls are screaming at the coming squall
I tie the lines and hear the harbor call
The deck is slick with everything I lost
I pay the fare whatever be the cost
Salt and diesel on my hands tonight
The ferry's groaning as she holds on tight
I gave my word I'd bring her safely in
Salt and diesel where the harbor ends
The wind has shifted and the sky turns grey
I've seen this movie on a younger day
The captain's yelling but I don't look back
I'm just a deckhand on a broken track
Salt and diesel on my hands tonight
The ferry's groaning as she holds on tight
I gave my word I'd bring her safely in
Salt and diesel where the harbor ends
My father drove a cab through rain and snow
He said the road will tell you where to go
I smell the diesel and I hear him say
Keep both hands steady boy you'll find your way
The pier is creaking like an old man's knees
The salt has settled and it's brought me peace
I lost my footing but I found my spine
The water's rough but I will hold the line
The fog is lifting and the dock appears
I've been unraveling for twenty years
But something in the harbor pulls me straight
The kind of thing a cabbie calls your fate
Salt and diesel on my hands tonight
The ferry's groaning as she holds on tight
I gave my word I'd bring her safely in
Salt and diesel where the harbor ends
The sun is breaking through the morning mist
I make my rounds and check the manifest
The wind has settled and the tide is low
I know exactly where I need to go
Salt and diesel on my hands tonight
The ferry's singing as she holds on tight
I kept my word and brought her safely in
Salt and diesel where the harbor ends
Salt and diesel where the harbor ends
Wind off the water cuts across the pier
I count the ropes and hold the wheel
