Friday, August 26, 2011

The Kowloon Kommutin' Sampan Blues



The Kowloon Kommutin' Sampan Blues
Duff Hughes

Looked over Jordan, what's coming from afar?
     coming for to carry me home
an over-loaded train of the MTR
     coming for to carry me home

Mong Kok to Admiralty, a five station hop
     coming for to carry me home
dispatcher comes on, says "Unscheduled stop!"
     coming for to carry me home

"Octopus Card ain't no EuroRail Pass"
      coming for to carry me home
"just jump inside, but watch your a##"
      coming for to carry me home

Doors won't close, please take a step back
       coming for to carry me home
at the end of the ride, it's "Mind the gap"
        coming for to carry me home

 Under the Harbour in this rocking steel tube
         coming for to carry me home
it's standing room only, no way to move
         coming for to carry me home

Then stand in que for the "75"
         coming for to carry me home
 stare out the window until I arrive
         coming for to carry me home

Wanchai's night markets and Happy Valley's Race Track
         coming for to carry me home
til Aberdeen's tunnel welcomes me back
         coming for to carry me home

Look for the sampan that's barely afloat
          coming for to carry me home
Ah Ying coasts slowly in her ancient little boat
             coming  for to carry me  home

If windy and rainy, gauge the waves' chop
           coming for to carry me home
make the leap on the rising, not on the drop
            coming for to carry me home

Dragon Boat racers paddling past
         coming for to carry me home
started out slow, but learning to go fast!
         coming for to carry me home

Junks passing in darkness, yachts in bright light
           coming for to carry me home
they've rounded the sea wall, come home for the night
           coming for to carry me home

Cradled by the Islands, protected from the Sea
            coming for to carry me home
    the Shelter is a refuge for all in its lee
               coming for to carry me home                   

'Watermark' is there waiting, moored to her buoy
           coming for to carry me home
come along side now, give a shout "Ahoy"
            coming for to carry me home

Holding the stanchion as I stand by the prow
            coming for to carry me home
climb over the railing onto the bow
            coming for to carry me home

Train, bus and sampan from my desk to my deck
            coming for to carry me home
the journey is the adventure, I'm not tired of it yet
            coming for to carry me home

Some men dream of home in a castle with towers and moat
coming for to carry me home
for me it's this Shelter, and my teak wood boat
coming for to carry me home

No more verses for now, this is the last
           coming for to carry me home
Aboard 'Watermark' , happy, with Joanna and cats
            coming... for... to... carry... me... home...

1 comment:

XOXO, Michelle said...

That was an awesome rendition of that song.