# Lyrics of Ride Captain Ride by the Blues Image
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-of-ride-captain-ride-by-the-blues-image/83587
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 24, 2001, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-of-ride-captain-ride-by-the-blues-image/83587 "2001-09-24T23:55:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@adam420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adam420)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2001, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-of-ride-captain-ride-by-the-blues-image/83587/1 "2001-09-24T23:55:56Z")
What historical event (if any) inspired the lyrics to the Blues Image’s classic hit “Ride Captain Ride”…
The lyrics are seemingly refer to some pretty specific event:
> [@](#):
>
> 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.”
>
> …
> As a storm was blowin’
> Out on the peaceful sea,
> Seventy-three men sailed off
> To history.
The full lyrics can be found here : [http://gunther.simplenet.com/v/data/ridecapt.htm](http://gunther.simplenet.com/v/data/ridecapt.htm)
I searched on google and the forums and I didn’t find anything that refered to exactly 73 men sailing out of San Francisco. What the hell were they talking about?
thanks
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### Author:  [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2001, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-of-ride-captain-ride-by-the-blues-image/83587/2 "2001-09-25T03:13:16Z")
Good question. Believe it or not, apparently it’s about a particular Scientology (L. Ron Hubbard) cruise.
[http://www.lermanet.com/exit/](http://www.lermanet.com/exit/)
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### Author:  [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2001, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-of-ride-captain-ride-by-the-blues-image/83587/3 "2001-09-25T03:39:59Z")
A US ‘electronic surveillance’ ship captured by North Korea. The crew was held by them commie rats for quite a while.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2001, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-of-ride-captain-ride-by-the-blues-image/83587/4 "2001-09-25T23:46:36Z")
In the 1970’s, a UHF TV station in Milwalkee, Wisconsin rebroadcast the old 1940’s Republic serial _Tha Adventures of Captain America_.
For some strange reason, they used this song to advertise it.
Ah, memories.
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### Author:  [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2001, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-of-ride-captain-ride-by-the-blues-image/83587/5 "2001-09-26T00:09:17Z")
I think **Mr. Duality** has it … the song is about the capture of the US “research vessel” (spy ship = _mystery ship_) captured by North Korea back in 1968.
Altho’, according to a google-found [site](http://www.usspueblo.org/) , it was 83 men (not 73 as in song),
they radio’d for help,\* “and no one came at all.”\*
Perhaps \* ‘Cause they were too busy watchin’
Those old raindrops fall.
As a storm was blowin’
Out on the peaceful sea,\* - Pacific Ocean
I think there was a storm where the flat-top that was to provide air cover was sailing.
I also remember that in a N.Korea photo of the crew (or officers) to prove they were still alive, the men used sign language to spell out something. Apparently the NK were unaware of this until Time Magazine helpfully pointed it out. Led to worse treatment for the captives.
Hadn’t heard the Scientology angle before, any lyric ties?
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2001, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyrics-of-ride-captain-ride-by-the-blues-image/83587/6 "2001-09-26T13:24:41Z")
I remember hearing that it was a reference to the Pueblo incident, also, some 20 years ago. However, I don’t know that it is really true. It could just have been coincidental, and the band members said, “Yeah, that’s it!”
BTW, snopes has some info on the supposed “sign language.”