Written for Song Lyric Sunday –
“There She Blows!”
It’s time once again for Song Lyric Sunday. Jim’s theme this week is “There She Blows”. Our challenge is to write about a song dealing with fishing, a mariner, sailing, seafaring, or ships. I’ve chosen two epic rock songs, both of which I saw performed live …. one at the Fillmore East in NYC on New Year’s Eve, 1970, and the other at Radio City Music Hall in NYC in January, 1985. That was the last rock concert I went to before seeing Billy Joel during his MSG residency.
Hold on to your rudders, kids; it’s gonna be a rockin’ ride! Welcome Aboard!
First up this week is a legendary American rock group formed on Long Island, New York, in 1969. That group is Mountain, widely recognized as a pioneering influence on 1970s heavy metal, combining heavy blues rock with massive guitar tones and operatic vocals. The band grew out of Leslie West’s solo album titled Mountain (named after his physical size at the time), which was produced by former Cream producer Felix Pappalardi. Mountain performed an acclaimed set at Woodstock, though their performance was omitted from the original documentary film; this was only their third live gig as a working band. Their 1970 debut album, Climbing!, featured their signature smash hit “Mississippi Queen”, which became a permanent fixture on classic rock radio and is famous for its distinct cowbell opening and heavy guitar riffs. They released major albums like Nantucket Sleighride (1971) and Flowers of Evil (1972) before splitting up in 1972 due to internal tensions and drug struggles. The band reunited intermittently through the decades. Felix Pappalardi died tragically in 1983, and frontman Leslie West passed away in December 2020 at age 75.
“Nantucket Sleighride (To Owen Coffin)” is the title track from Mountain’s second studio album, released in 1971. I had the pleasure of being at their concert on December 31, 1970 when Leslie West announced the release of their new album, followed by the premier live performance of the title track, “Nantucket Sleighride”. The term “Nantucket sleighride” refers to the dangerous maritime phenomenon where a harpooned sperm whale bolts through the ocean, dragging a small whaleboat and its crew behind it at high speed. The song is dedicated to Owen Coffin, a 17-year-old crew member on the Nantucket whaling ship, The Essex. After a sperm whale rammed and sank the ship in 1820, the survivors drifted in small boats. Facing starvation, the men drew straws; Coffin lost the draw, was killed, and eaten by the remaining crew. This tragedy directly inspired Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. The song was co-written by Felix Pappalardi and his wife, Gail Collins); the opening lyrics (“Goodbye, little Robin-Marie”) reflected Collins’ emotional reaction to Pappalardi’s infidelity with a woman named Robin-Marie. Guitarist Leslie West initially hated playing the track because of its complex arrangements and unconventional chord changes, though it later became his signature show-closer. While the song never achieved mainstream radio chart success as a single, “Nantucket Sleighride” became a massive fan favorite, an essential classic rock staple, and an unexpected pop-culture phenomenon across the Atlantic. As a tragic postscript, Felix Pappalardi was later shot and killed by his wife Gail Collins in 1983.
For my video, I opted for the short version, clocking in at 5:55; the live version runs for more than 17 minutes with the longest ever being 32 minutes from Mountain’s Twin Peaks album.
This is “Nantucket Sleighride” by Mountain.
LYRICS
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
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Felix Pappalardi/Gail Collins
Nantucket Sleigh Ride, Part 1 lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Up next on my playlist is an English group known extensively for their progressive, story-driven songwriting that breaks away from standard heavy metal formulas. Iron Maiden, formed in East London in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris, is considered the pioneer group of the new wave of British heavy metal. The group was named after the legendary coffin-shaped torture device popularized the film The Man in the Iron Mask and hilariously referenced in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. The band released their self-titled debut album in 1980 with singer Paul Di’Anno; the following year, Bruce Dickinson replaced Di’Anno as lead singer. The release of The Number of the Beast in 1982 became a landmark commercial and critical success, establishing them as global heavy metal icons. Dickinson left the band in 1993 and returned in 1999, expanding the group into a six-piece lineup featuring himself, three guitarists (Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers) alongside Steve Harris and drummer Nicko McBrain.
“Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Iron Maiden is an epic heavy metal track released as the closing song of their 1984 studio album Powerslave. There’s something extraordinary about seeing Maiden live in concert; it was thrill to witness this classic at Radio City in 1985. Written by bassist Steve Harris, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” directly adapts and quotes Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous 1798 poem which tells the dark story of a sailor who shoots an albatross at sea for no clear reason, bringing a curse down upon his ship and crew. The crew dies of thirst, leaving the mariner trapped in a living death until he learns to respect all living things. Running at 13:38, it was Iron Maiden’s longest song for 30+ years before being dethroned in 2015. It features multiple distinct movements, dramatic shifts in tempo and keys, spoken-word passages, and a slow, atmospheric middle section that mimics the mariner’s descent into madness and isolation. Tired of the band being unfairly accused of devil worship following The Number of the Beast (1982), Harris chose to write a song based on the classic, morality-based literary epic about divine judgment and the sanctity of life. The track became a centerpiece of Iron Maiden’s live sets, most notably during the World Slavery Tour, where the band incorporated elaborate stage theatrics, fog, and nautical/galleon props. It was incredible to see!
Unlike Mountain’s Nantucket Sleighride, there is no short version of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”; it’s a 13+ minute epic poem to be enjoyed in its entirety. The tempo is fast and the on-screen lyrics can at times go by quickly. If you prefer to read along as you listen, here’s a LINK to the lyrics.
This is “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Iron Maiden
Big thanks to Jim Adams for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday this week and every week. Be sure to follow his link and check out his site.
Thanks for stopping by and listening to some great music. I hope you enjoyed the theme for this week as well as the information and music I featured.
That’s all she wrote, kids. See you on the flip side. 😎
NAR©2026
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