"I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)" is a 1970 song written by American musician Mark Farner and recorded by Grand Funk Railroad as the closing track to their album Closer to Home. Ten minutes in duration, it is the band's longest studio recording. One of the group's best-known songs, it is composed as two distinct but closely related movements. Its title has been rendered in various ways across many different Grand Funk albums, including "I'm Your Captain", "I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home", "Closer to Home/I'm Your Captain", "Closer to Home (I'm Your Captain)", and "Closer to Home".

Decades later, "I'm Your Captain" remains a staple of many classic rock radio stations. It is considered to be the standout track on the Closer to Home album, and considered by both Farner and others to be his best work as a songwriter. And with its melodic strengths and dramatic feel it is often considered one of the best rock songs of all time.

Lyrics

Everybody, listen to me

And return me my ship

I'm your captain, I'm your captain

Though I'm feeling mighty sick

I've been lost now, days uncounted

And it's months since I've seen home

Can you hear me, can you hear me

Or am I all alone

If you return me to my home port

I will kiss you, Mother Earth

Take me back now, take me back now

To the port of my birth

Am I in my cabin dreaming

Or are you really scheming

To take my ship away from me?

You'd better think about it

I just can't live without it

So, please don't take my ship from me, yeah, yeah, yeah

I can feel the hand of a stranger

And it's tightening around my throat

Heaven help me, Heaven help me

Take this stranger from my boat

I'm your captain, I'm your captain

Though I'm feeling mighty sick

Everybody, listen to me

And return me my ship

I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I'm getting closer to my home

I'm getting closer to my home

I'm getting closer to my home

I'm getting closer to my home, oh

I'm getting closer to my home

I'm getting closer to my home

I'm getting closer to my home

I'm getting closer to my home

Songwriters: Mark Farner

I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home lyrics © Pal Dog Music, Warner Chappell Music France, Story Book Music, STORY BOOK MUSIC CO, CMINOR MUSIC OBO STORYBOOK MUSIC, BMG PLATINUM SONGS OBO CRAM-RENRAFF CO, WB MUSIC CORP OBO PAL DOG MUSIC, PAL-DOG MUSIC