It's time to leave my homeland, time to journey far
Time to cross the endless sea of nebulae and stars
I'll miss my home, the gentle breeze and family nearby
But it's time to board my shuttle and bid my friends goodbye
Chorus
I am a starship captain, I'll command my ship and crew
My duty is my honor and it's what I know to do
I do not know when I'll come home but duty calls me nigh
And so among the spaceways I will fly
The crew looks up to me, they know my word is rule
They know I'm not capricious but I will not suffer fools
I've drilled them well in duty, their loyalty is clear
Where e'er I go my people know they truly have no peer
(Chorus)
My ship it is alive as we ply throughout the stars
From Proxima to Betelgeuse, from Pluto on to Mars
Her hull is steel and polymers, her sensors are the best
She's always up for action and we'll show up all the rest
(Chorus)
For months we shall travel, my crew the ship and I
And maybe you can see us as a star up in your sky
We will protect you on the ground, our duty is our call
In service to our people we may die but we stand tall.
(Chorus)
Death is a companion of a captain out in space
And many people die alone and leave behind no trace
But of all the deaths I mourn the ones that haunt me most
are the ones comprised of voices from old shipmates' angry ghosts
I am a starship captain, I'll command my ship and crew
My duty is my honor and it's what I know to do
Those who say captains shed no tears, I tell you it's a lie
For while I do command in strength in private I still cry
Jacob Sommer
July 3, 2000