And the ship sets the sail   They've lived the tale   To carry to the shore   Straining at the oars   Or staring from the rail      And the sea bids farewell   She waves in swells   And sends them on their way   Time has been her pay   And time will have to tell      Oh, soon your   Sailing will be over   Come and take   The pleasures of the harbor      And the anchor hits the sand   The hungry hands   Have tied them to the port   The hour will be short   For leisure on the land      And the girls scent the air   They seem so fair   With paint on their face   Soft is their embrace   To lead them up the stairs      Soon your   Sailing will be over   Come and take   The pleasures of the harbor      In the room dark and dim   Touch of skin   He asks her of her name   She answers with no shame   And not a sense of sin      'Til the fingers draw the blinds   Sip of wine   The cigarette of doubt   The candle is blown out   The darkness is so kind      Oh, soon your   Sailing will be over   Come and take   The pleasures of the harbor      And the shadows frame the light   Same old sight   Thrill has blown away   Now all alone they lay   Two strangers in the night      Till his heart skips a beat   He's on his feet   To shipmates he must join   She's counting up the coins   He's swallowed by the street      Oh, soon your   Sailing will be over   Come and take   The pleasures of the harbor      In the bar hangs a cloud   The whiskey's loud   There's laughter in their eyes   The lonely in disguise   Are clinging to the crowd      And the bottle fills the glass   The haze is fast   He's trembling for the taste   Of passion gone to waste   In memories of the past      Oh, soon your   Sailing will be over   Come and take   The pleasures of the harbor      In the alley, red with rain   Cry of pain   For love was but a smile   Teasing all the while   Now dancing down the drain      'Til the boys reach the dock   They gently mock   And lift him on their backs   Lay him on his rack   And leave beneath the light      Oh, soon your   Sailing will be over   Come and take   The pleasures of the harbor      And the ship sets the sail   They've lived the tale   To carry from the shore   Straining at the oars   Or staring from the rail      And the sea bids farewell   She waves in swells   And sends them on their way   Time has been her pay   And time will have to tell      Oh, soon your   Sailing will be over   Come and take   The pleasures of the harbor