It was thirty days around the horn
The captain says it's a thirty-five more
The moon looks mean and the crew ain't staying
There's gonna be some blood
Is what they're all saying

It's a shakedown cruise
And I was just another tool
There ain't no easy way out
They're gonna shake you 'til you shout

They treat you like a dog
But you're only human
You miss your home Lord,
You miss that woman
The captain laughs, he says,
"You boys want some sex?"
You can squeeze the sails,
You can lick the decks"

It was a shakedown cruise
I guess I just was born to lose
They tell you life is going cheap
I got myself in pretty deep

Starlight lost in the night
Drift away and it feels all right
Starlight alone in the night
Drift away and it feels all right
I guess it feels all right

The fever's hot,
the winds are blowin' cold
The captain's crazy eye puts the fear in your soul
I heard somebody cryin'
"Lord let this end
You know I'll never go to sea again"

It was a shakedown cruise
And now we're sendin' out the news
There ain't no victory at sea
unless it's mutiny

Now if I don't get off alive
It's just as well
I'll be waking up in heaven
'Cause I've been through hell
on this shakedown cruise

They call it a shakedown cruise
Shakedown, shakedown cruise
Shakedown, shake it up and move
Shakedown, shakin' in my shoes