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It is impossible to have grown-up in the 1970's without hearing “Ride Captain Ride” on the radio. Released in 1970 on the album Open by one-hit wonder Blues Image – their one hit being “Ride Captain Ride” – the single version of the song was hugely successful, eventually reaching No. 4 in the U.S. It is an upbeat blues number co-written by Frank "Skip" Konte and Mike Pinera (who eventually joined the band Iron Butterfly, another one-hit wonder who's one hit, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” has been teased by Phish on occasion).

Watch Ride Captain Ride on YouTube Blues Image – "Ride Captain Ride"

Phish has covered “Ride Captain Ride” over the course of nearly their entire history. They first played it at Nectar's on 3/23/87, segueing into “Dave’s Energy Guide.” The song made its second appearance on 9/13/88 at Sam’s Tavern, a three set show that featured Fish’s first use of the vacuum, and that preceded the band’s first expansive Northeast tour. The version of “Ride Captain Ride” that most widely circulated among fans in the 1990s, however, was performed during the legendary Ian’s Farm show on 5/28/89.

Covered only ten times between 1987 and 1999, "Ride Captain Ride" has been performed comparatively many times since being bust-out at the Mullins Center at the University of Massachusetts on 10/24/10. Fans rode the "mystery ship" six additional times between Darien Lake on 6/8/11 and Worcester on 10/26/13. Be sure to be amazed at the friends you have there on your trip when (if) you next get it.

Watch Ride Captain Ride on YouTube Phish, "Ride Captain Ride" – 10/26/13, Worcester, MA. Video by LazyLightning55a.

(Konte/Pinera)
© 1970 A T M Music

Seventy-three men sailed up from the San Francisco Bay
Rolled off of their ship, and here's what they had to say
"We're callin' everyone to ride along to another shore
We can laugh our lives away and be free once more"

But no one heard them callin', no one came at all
'Cause they were too busy watchin' those old raindrops fall
As a storm was blowin' out on the peaceful sea
Seventy-three men sailed off to history

Ride, captain ride upon your mystery ship
Be amazed at the friends you have here on your trip
Ride captain ride upon your mystery ship
On your way to a world that others might have missed

(Repeat first two verses)

(Chorus)

Ride, captain ride upon your mystery ship
Be amazed at the friends you have here on your trip