I watch the tug strain hard against the rope
Old diesel coughs black smoke without much hope
The hawser sings a tight and dangerous note
It vibrates deep inside the wooden boat
Rust flakes peel off the side like dead skin coat
The pier groans low beneath the heavy load
Salt in the gears grinds the engine down
Salt in the gears wears the metal crown
She unravels slow beside the windy pier
No lamps left burning nothing left to fear
Just salt in the gears turning round and round
Just salt in the gears dragging her aground
Green water slaps the pilings cold and gray
The deckhand curses as the lines give way
A shackle snaps a whip-crack in the spray
The bow swings wide into the coming day
I count the rivets popping from the plate
Steel ribs exposed to wind and heavy fate
My tower stands dark lens covered in grime
I keep the long watch killing borrowed time
The tugboat shudders settling in the sludge
No radio signal no final judge
Barnacles feast on the hull below the line
She breathes her last breath a slow decline
Salt in the gears grinds the engine down
Salt in the gears wears the metal crown
She unravels slow beside the windy pier
No lamps left burning nothing left to fear
Just salt in the gears turning round and round
Just salt in the gears dragging her aground
Wind tears the paint off the wheelhouse door
No one comes running from the shore no more
Just the cry of a gull a sharp clean sound
Silence settles heavy on the ground
Morning breaks pale on the empty quay
The tug sits low finally calm and free
No more the fight against the current pull
The water fills the spaces calm and full
I wipe the soot from off the lantern glass
Watch the bubbles rise watch the moments pass
Salt in the gears grinds the engine down
Salt in the gears wears the metal crown
She unraveled slow beside the windy pier
No lamps left burning nothing left to fear
Just salt in the gears turning round and round
Just salt in the gears dragging her aground
Salt in the gears the final sound
Wind takes the smoke lays it on the ground
