This song is mentioned in Paul McCartney’s fascinating book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present. This book offers fantastic insight into Paul McCartney’s creative life.
Despite Repeated Warnings lyrics
Paul McCartney
Despite repeated warnings
Our danger's up ahead
The captain won't be listening
To what's been said
It feels that there's a good chance
That we have been misled
And so the captain's planning
To steam ahead
What can we do?
What can we do?
What can we do to stop
This foolish plan going through
What can we do?
What can we do?
This band is 'bout to lose his ship and his crew
Despite repeated warnings
From those who are to know
Well, he's got his own agenda
And so he'll go
(What can we do?)
Those who shout the loudest
(What can we do?)
Will not always be the smartest
(What can we do?)
But they have their proudest moments
Right before they fall
(What can we do?)
Red sky in morning
(What can we do?)
Doesn't ever seem to faze him
(What can we do?)
But a sailor's warning signal
Should concern us all
How can we stop him?
Grab the keys and lock him up
If we can do it, we can save the day
He engineered us with his wife and daughter Janet
But he misses them so
Although he's working with the best crew on the planet
(The best crew!)
We'll never want him to go
He had a premonition
He said that something's wrong
And by his own admission
He knew it all along
The captain's crazy but he doesn't let them know it
He'll take us with him if we don't do something soon to slow it
How can we stop him?
Grab the keys and lock him up
If we can do it, we can save the day
No brakes, the engineer cries
The captain's gonna leave us when the temperatures rise
The needle's going up, the engine's gonna blow
And we are gonna be left down down below
Down below
Yes we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Yes we can do it
Yes we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Yes we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Yes we can do it
Yeah, we can do it now
Oh yeah
If life would work out the way he planned it
Then that'd be so fine for the wife and Janet
Sometimes you might have to battle through it
And that's the way he learned
How he got to do it
Yes we can do, woah, woah
Yes, we can do it, woah, woah
Yes we can do it, woah, woah
Yes, we can do it, woah, woah
Despite repeated warnings
Our danger's up ahead
Well the captain wasn't listening
To what was said
(Those who shout the loudest)
So we went to the captain
(Will not always be the smartest)
And told him to turn around
(But they have their proudest moment)
But he laughs in our faces
(Right before they fall)
Says we are mistaken
(Red sky in the morning)
So we gather around him
(Doesn't seem to faze him)
Now the thoughts that we have bound him
(But a sailor's warning signal)
Are that we should have listened
(Should concern us all)
To the will of the people
It's the will of the people
It's the will of the people