The captain's in a coma, the lieutenant's on a drunk
The owner's in his cabin with his special friend, the monk
The midget's on the bridge, dispensing platitudes and junk
Those wild and special places
Those strange and dangerous places
Those sad, sweet faces
It's a Ship of Fools

The nurse in black seamed stockings, she's already on patrol
For fake fur starlets panicked by the watering-hole
Everybody's waiting for the drama to unfold
In those cold and treasured places
Those old and degenerate places
Those posed, posed, empty faces
It's a Ship of Fools

Run, rabbit, run, you're the only one that can do it
Turn, baby, turn, there's a ring of fire
And you've got to go through it
Fun, baby, fun, when the sands have run to the limit
Turn, baby, turn, there's a ring of fire and you're in it

Looking for logic and adventure
Down the dark end of the street
Open city, open season, open lips that gleam so sweet
Offer kisses like piranhas
To the soft flesh of your feet
And any man's poison is every man's meat
In those mad and special places
Those sad and desperate places
Those sad, sweet soul embraces
It's a Ship of Fools
Those strange and special places
Those wild and dangerous places
Those dead, dead, dead faces
It's a Ship of Fools; no rules

Copyright: CTM Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Writer(s): Phil Johnstone, Robert A Plant