In the Engine Room

Dreamin' as I'm steamin' With the waves of heat Ripplin' off of my back Vapor lock clock stopped Time hangs limp for the rememberin' dream In the engine room, hey - oh! Can we do it? "Hell, surely" winks fireman hurley As he slips from his shelf "Hey, you earned your rate, machinist mate You're the left-hand man of the boilerman" In the engine room, hey - oh! In the engine room, hey - oh! A voice from the tube says the boat's gotta move Can we do it? "We can do it!" Where the only wind blowin' Is from the limbs that we're throwin' In the rhythm that we're hymnin' Syncopatin' In the engine room, hey - oh! In the engine room, hey - oh! And if we get the heave-ho Keep her steady as she goes And come on down into the engine room, hey - oh! Eyes dialed on the meters Fingers handling the levers Seems we're man-machine men But what seems like just ain't right In fact we're conducting our own symphony Improvising In the engine room, hey - oh! In the engine room, hey - oh! And when it feels smooth in the engine room You know she's running true In the engine room, hey - oh! And to the troops in the trench Let me let you use my wrench And come on down into the engine room, hey - oh! Deny us, you can hide us Pretend we're not there, we don't care tough 'Cuz if the feel feels real Then we'll take it on the chin But we're taking no guff! No way, not In the engine room, hey - oh! In the engine room, hey - oh! And if I get the heave-ho Keep her steady as she goes Keep her steady as she goes Steady as she goes