From Swallows’ In the Shadow of the Seven Stars
Watertight
About Watertight
DATE: Monday, March 30, 1891
LOCATION: Aboard the SS Westernland, Atlantic Ocean
SCENE: After being questioned by investigators from the Metropolitan Police, the witness realizes he must move quickly to locate Frances’ murderer, whom he believes is traveling with an American to Colorado. Now certain that another witness must have seen him near the crime scene on the night of the murder, he leaves England for America aboard the SS Westernland.
During the ocean voyage, he questions his recollection of the crime. He clearly remembers witnessing the scene from a distance, yet he can also picture the terror in Frances’ eyes. In fact, he can’t get Frances’ face out of his mind. Whenever he looks overboard, he sees her face in the ocean waves. As the ocean voyage wears on, he begins to imagine himself as Jack the Ripper while he visualizes the dead bodies of his victims in the stars. He hears a voice in his head ordering him to keep the situation under control as he becomes more and more fixated on the idea that he’s a fugitive fleeing England only to terrorize a new continent. He knows he shouldn’t entertain these fantasies, but he can no longer help himself.
RELATED RESEARCH: Aboard the SS Westernland, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Jack, climb back in the hull
Stow the sails and oars
Battened down
Watertight
Unsinkable
Boat
Watch the pitch and roll
Turn the rudder slow
Throw the drogues
Anchor down
Unsinkable
Boat
Tell ‘em all night in
We’ll ride this out a hull
Morning comes
Chart our course
Unsinkable
Boat
Live another day
Despite the wind and rain
Change our tack
Sail on
Unsinkable
Boat
This watch is getting long
Oh, I’m seeing faces in the waves
Counting bodies in the stars
Slow moving, slow motion, slow moving tide
Still water, deep water, bone chilling dive
Jack, this header’s moving slow
Full and by we’ll go
Turn the sails
To the wind
Unsinkable
Boat
Let it go and haul
A westward lift is blowing
Pass the pipe
Down the grog
Let’s ride it on
Home
This watch is getting long
Oh, I’m seeing faces in the waves
Counting bodies in the stars
Slow moving, slow motion, slow moving tide
Still water, deep water, bone chilling dive
Time killing time killing
Sail the ocean blue
Time killing time killing
Under the new moon
Time killing time killing
Sail the ocean blue
Time killing time killing
Under the new moon
Jack, polish all the brass
Swab the decks and brig
Cut the rigs
Tie the ropes
Unsinkable
Boat
Grab the holy stone
Scrub down to the bone
Man the yards
Watertight
Unsinkable
Boat
Lock the wheelhouse door
Let’s get this vessel moored
Clean the grave
Piss and spit
Unsinkable
Boat
Climb back in the hull
Stow the sails and oars
Battened down
Watertight
Unsinkable
Boat
© 2013 Crandall
Performers:
Aaron Kerr – Bass
Brett Hansen – Electric Guitars, Vocals, Whistle
Jeff Crandall – Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Rhodes Piano
Justin DeLeon – Drums
Mike Nordby – Percussion