Nantucket Sleighride

Album: Nantucket Sleighride (1971)
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  • Goodbye, little Robin-Marie
    Don't try following me
    Don't cry, little Robin-Marie
    'Cause you know I'm coming home soon

    My ships' leaving on a three-year tour
    The next tide will take us from shore
    Windlaced, gather in sail and spray
    On a search for the mighty sperm whale

    Fly your willow branches
    Wrap your body round my soul
    Lay down your reeds and drums on my soft sheets
    There are years behind us reaching
    To the place where hearts are beating
    And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet

    Starbuck's sharpening his harpoon
    The black man's playing his tune
    An old salt's sleeping his watch away
    He'll be drunk again before noon

    Three years sailing on bended knee
    We found no whales in the sea
    Don't cry, little Robin-Marie
    'Cause we'll be in sight of land soon Writer/s: FELIX PAPPALARDI, GAIL COLLINS
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 4

  • Bob from Evanston, IlThis is not ironic:

    "Ironically, Felix was shot dead by Gail on April 17, 1983. She received a lenient sentence for criminally negligent homicide, and was a free woman two years later."
  • Steve from St LouisThe song was written by Felix Pappalardi and his girlfriend Gail Collins (who painted herself on the album cover). “Robin-Marie” was a woman Pappalardi was cheating on Collins with. Collins passive-aggressively wrote her into the song, subsequently married Pappalardi, and then shot and killed him.
  • Ken from Philadelphia, PaLeslie West was (and is) one of the great guitarists of the rock era. A Rolling Stone magazine article from 2010 tells a story of Jimi Hendrix openly wondering if West (who was recording with Mountain in an adjacent studio) was a better guitarist than he was. Sure that might have been due in part to Hendrix's own insecurity but it was most definitely a commentary on the work West was doing.
  • Cliff from Oakdale, NySaw Leslie West 2 years ago at the Boltan YMCA Theater in Bayshore NY he was wonderful. Played this tune. Talked to him after the show and he could hardly walk. He lost his leg to diabetes recently. I wish him nothing but the best. He is a great performer.
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