Discover the story of the song > Ships – Ian Hunter

In the lyrics, the protagonist is walking with his father by the sea and sees the dogs playing around. The winter air is cold, but his father asks him to hold his hand. The protagonist says that love is easier when it's far away. They sit and watch the distant lights and are like two ships that pass in the night. They smile and say it's alright, even though they are still there, just out of sight. They feel like strangers as they drift apart through time. The protagonist's father says it's harder now that he's far away and they only hear from him when he writes. They are like two ships that pass in the night, still there but out of sight. This is repeated a few times to emphasize the feeling of being distant.