I'm Waiting for Ships That Never Come In

(Jack Yellen - Abe Olsen)



(Sang)

I'm waiting for ships that never come in.

I wonder where they can be?



(Spoken)

Life is only a game of poker

And happiness is the partner

They deal you five cards in the cradle

And you play wether your like it or not.



Some get a pat hand to start with

And the game doesn't seem on the square

When you look at your hand and discover

You were born without even a pair.



But there's no use in kicking or squawking

Just pick up your cards and begin

To figure and plan and puzzle

While fate looks on with a grin.



Some take a chance at bluffing

And stake everything they've got

On a little dinky little poor flush

And sometimes that wins a plot.



Others will break up openers

To draw for a middle straight

They know what a chance they're takin'

And they learned their mistake, too late.



Some can't play crooked

Against all good advice

But they seldom get away with it

And in the end they've paid the price.



The most of us play straight poker

But I'll tell you boys it's hard

When you're there with both ends open

And you can't draw the winning card



Now, I've always been a loser

It seems that I never can win

And I'm just a dreamer who's waiting

For ships that never come in.



(Sang)

I wonder, where they can be?..