Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967

Walt Grace
Desperately aiding his whole place
Dreamed to discover a new space
And buried himself alive

Inside his basement
Tongue on the side of his face meant
He's working away on his placement
And what it would take to survive

'Cause when you're done with this world

You know the next is up to you

And his wife told his kids he was crazy

And his friends said he'd fail if he'd try

But with the will to work hard

And a library card

He took a homemade, fan-blade

One-man submarine ride

That morning
The sea was mad and I mean it
Waves as big as he'd seen it
Deep in his dreams at home

From dry land
He rolled it over to wet sand
Closed the hatch up with one hand
And peddled off alone

'Cause when you're done with this world

You know the next is up to you

And for once in his life it was quiet

As he learned how to turn in the tide

And the sky was a-flare

When he came up for air

In his homemade, fan-blade

One-man submarine ride

One evening
When weeks had passed since he's leavin'
The call she planned on receivin'
Finally made it home

She accepted
The news she never expected
The operator connected
The call from Tokyo

'Cause when you're done with this world

You know the next is up to you

Now his friends bring him up when they're drinkin'

At the bar with his name on the side

And they smile when they can
As they speak of the man
Who took a homemade, fan-blade
One-man submarine ride