The Wreck of the Arthur Lee Releases Gigs Lyrics Comments

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Author
Robyn Hitchcock
According to our records, Robyn has played this song 161 times, most recently at The Golden Hinde on October 22, 2025. He first performed it at Deep Ellum Live on July 03, 1992, 33 years and 3 months earlier.

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Arthur Lee was the leader of the Los-Angeles-based band Love (hence the lyric "Believe in love"), who led a troubled life. After playing the song at a gig at the Iron Horse, Robyn talked a bit about how Lee found out about the song and was angry about it at first (presumably because the title seems less than complimentary). Ultimately he understood it was meant as a tribute.

Lyrics

The wreck of the Arthur Lee
Will never return again

The captain and all his men
Went up and jumped overboard
"Jesus is Lord" they cried

Believe in love!
Believe in love
And I'll believe in you

The missing Avenger planes
Will never return to base
-- don't you wait up for them

How often have you boys said
"I ain't gonna bump no more"?
"We ain't gonna bump no more"

Believe in love!  Believe in love!
And I'll believe if you'll believe in me
I got home
There was nobody there
Just the phone
Let it ring in the air
But it's home

The wreck of the Arthur Lee
Will never return again
Never return again