I'm sure there's at least 50 popular songs that include this phrase (or something similar), and I'm pretty sure I hate every one of them... or at least I dislike that particular part of the song more than any other part, such as "Night By Night" by Steely Dan...
The only exception I can recall at the moment would be this one... I actually kinda love this song..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df-486gNEgM
― billstevejim, Sunday, 11 July 2010 02:40 (fourteen years ago)
Some really bad country song
― billstevejim, Sunday, 11 July 2010 03:02 (fourteen years ago)
'"when my ship comes in" + song lyrics' = About 354,000 results.
― Green Manalishi (Viceroy), Sunday, 11 July 2010 03:03 (fourteen years ago)
It's annoying for the reason that makes a bad cliche a bad cliche - it's a completely detached and dead metaphor. No one who sings these songs can actually relate their experiences to waiting for a ship to come in.
― surfer blood for oil (Hurting 2), Sunday, 11 July 2010 03:58 (fourteen years ago)
The first song that came to my mind was Jill Sobule's "When My Ship Comes In." The whole song works within the metaphor, starting with the phrase "There's a dim light on the pier," and going on from there. (It also includes an amusing, though probably obvious, Coleridge joke reference.)
I don't know if this skirts the "detached and dead metaphor" problem that Hurting 2 mentioned, or if it jumps into that problem with both feet, but at least it's not a throwaway reference like Steely Dan's was--it's the whole song.
― Dodo Lurker (Slim and Slam), Sunday, 11 July 2010 04:03 (fourteen years ago)
pussy galore - "ship comin' in"
― good news if you wear cargo shorts (contenderizer), Sunday, 11 July 2010 07:51 (fourteen years ago)
otoh,
xtc - wait till your boat goes down
― good news if you wear cargo shorts (contenderizer), Sunday, 11 July 2010 07:52 (fourteen years ago)
Style Council did Me Ship Came In
― Dr X O'Skeleton, Sunday, 11 July 2010 09:21 (fourteen years ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqLDLWPJm_M
― stirmonster, Sunday, 11 July 2010 09:41 (fourteen years ago)
Mazzy Star - blue light
"That sails by my windowThere's a ship that sails on by"
(where the ship is a coffin in a crematory)
― meisenfek, Sunday, 11 July 2010 09:57 (fourteen years ago)