I count the ropes and check the gate
The salt has sealed my hands to slate
The captain shouts above the squall
I hear my name but miss the call
The tide keeps pulling at my chest
I gave the harbor all my best
The horn blows low across the bay
I'm losing grip on what to say
A taxi waits with cracked headlight
He says the roads are bad tonight
I told him I don't need a ride
I've got no place to run and hide
The tide keeps pulling at my chest
I gave the harbor all my best
The horn blows low across the bay
I'm losing grip on what to say
My father worked this dock for years
He taught me how to swallow tears
He said the water takes its toll
But never lets you lose your soul
The gulls are screaming out of key
The fog is thick as memory
I feel the deck slide out from under me
The old man leans against the rail
He says the wind will always fail
To blow you where you need to go
You steer by what you've come to know
The tide keeps pulling at my chest
I gave the harbor all my best
The horn blows low across the bay
I'm losing grip on what to say
I'll tie the knot and lock the door
And leave my boots down on the shore
The salt will keep what I let go
The steel will teach me how to row
The tide keeps pulling at my chest
I gave the harbor all my best
The horn blows low across the bay
I'm finding words I need to say
The wind bites through the harbor light
I'm still a deckhand in the night
