[Verse 1] Well I bought me a ticket on a boat so fine, White gloves, gold trim, champagne, and wine They said she was unsinkable, a castle on the foam But that hull had been patched like a broke-down home [Verse 2] They called her the maiden, first of her kind But she looked a little weary, like she’d sailed through time The paint was fresh, but the bolts felt old And the rivets rattled secrets that ain’t been told [Chorus] 'Cause that was the wrong ship, right time, dressed up in pearls Sailin’ smooth for a funeral swirl While the banker packed cigars and stayed ashore Said, “Boys, I’ll catch the next one,” then he locked the door [Verse 3] There were suits in the ballroom, lookin’ nervous and pale Talkin’ gold-backed money and the Federal scale Sippin’ bourbon, talkin’ loud ‘bout what banks should do But they sunk like coins when the ocean came through [cheeky syncopated solo] [Bridge] Now the sister ship was limpin’ from a scrape at sea And the paperwork got blurry right conveniently One ship stayed docked, one went down fast But the premium payout? Well that sure did last [Chorus] It was the wrong ship, right time — a fine little fraud Signed in saltwater, and notarized by God With a wink from a titan and a canceled seat And a blueprint burned where the ends did meet [cheeky syncopated solo] [Verse 4] Now the band kept playin’ while the lights went black And the men with the questions never made it back Was it bad luck, cold fate, or a deeper plan? Hard to ask the iceberg — he ain’t talkin’, man [Final Chorus] It was the wrong ship, right time, floatin’ with style With a hole in her belly and a stockpile of guile So next time someone sells you “too big to fail” — Ask ‘em who cashed in And who went pale.
