One of my favourite poignant Barry Manilow songs is “Ships”.
The author of the great song is Ian Hunter of Mott The Hoople.
To me, the song is about the lonely passage of Life and the interaction of indifferent people along the streets and towards each other in general.
There is this strong likelihood that each of them are focused on their own issues.
Part of the lyric goes:-
“We’re two ships that pass in the night
We both smile and we say “It’s alright”
We’re still here, it’s just that we’re out of sight
Like those ships that pass in the night”.
I fondly recall tour bus drivers, during long road trips, will wave at each other or sound their friendly horns as they pass each other breaking the monotony of long drives. Or drivers, on the other side of the road, will flash their car lights to warn on-coming drivers of imminent road police catching speeding cars.
I had the honour of photographing Barry Manilow in 1983 (above image).
The bleak song is also about strained distant relationships between father and son; and perhaps between family members and friends. The undertone message of the song is – it doesn’t have to be this way.
“We walked to the sea, just my father and me
And the dogs played around on the sand
Winter cold cut the air, hangin’ still everywhere
Dressed in gray, did he say “Hold my hand”
I said, “Love’s easier when it’s far away”
We sat and watched a distant light”.
—
“There’s a boat on the line where the sea meets the sky
There’s another that rides far behind
And it seems you and I are like strangers a wide ways apart
As we drift on through time
He said, “It’s harder now we’re far away”
We only read you when you write”.
Let’s just say every time I hear this song, it puts me in a philosophical mood – thankful and grateful for my loving and supportive family as well as dependable friends.
Do give a listen to both versions of “Ships” by Barry Manilow and Ian Hunter. Same mood, different approaches.
