Don't Pay the Ferryman
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| “Don't Pay the Ferryman” | ||
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Cover for the album The Getaway
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| Single by Chris de Burgh from the album The Getaway |
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| Released | 1982 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 3:48 | |
| Label | A&M Records | |
| Producer | Rupert Hine | |
"Don't Pay the Ferryman" is a single by Chris de Burgh from the album The Getaway. It was produced in 1982. In 1983, the single reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.
The song tells the story of a man who boards a ferryboat and sets off. A storm approaches and the ferryman demands payment from the patron. The song's narrator warns the passenger not to pay the ferryman until the boat arrives at its destination on the other side.
The repetitive lyrics are believed to have a connection with mythology. The song describes the ferryman as "the hooded old man at the rudder," and seems to connect to the classic image of the Grim Reaper, a hooded being (usually a skeleton) who leads lost souls to "the other side," also a lyric in the song. The ferryman demanding his payment is also similar to the Greek ferryman of the dead, Charon. He demanded an obolus (coin) to ferry dead souls across the River Acheron. Those who did not pay were doomed to remain as ghosts, remaining of the plane of the mare, the restless dead. Therefore in former cultures coins were laid below the tongues of dead persons.
In the bridge of the song, lines from Shakespeare's The Tempest can be heard, spoken very low by British actor Anthony Stewart Head.
Many fans of the British science fiction show Doctor Who believe that the actor who portrayed the "hooded old man at the rudder," in the video for the song is none other than Tom Baker, the fourth actor to play the famous doctor. Though he and Chris de Burgh deny this, the rumour persists.
This song was referenced in a Trailer Park Boys episode from season five: "You're not the one who waits to go to a Chris DeBurgh concert for three and a half years so I can go in and miss the encore of Don't Pay the Ferryman because I'm on the phone in the foyer, talking about stolen shopping carts!" - Gary, mall security attendant, to Bubbles
The song also received a memorable reference on Mystery Science Theater 3000, in the Season 6 episode "High School Big Shot". Tom Servo continually sings portions of the song when a ferry appears on screen until Mike picks him up and throws him across the theater in frustration. Tom Servo also sings the song while a particularly cheesy 80s rock anthem plays during the closing credits of the season 8 episode Space Mutiny. Mike does not seem as upset when Servo sings it this time.
In 2003, a novel of the same name and loosely based on the song was released (as the first book of the 'Carthage Chronicles' series), written by Marcus Mastin (sometimes known as Marcus J. Mastin). The story takes place in upstate New York and chronicles the Ferryman's journey as he moves up the northern coast, searching for new souls to plunder. The novel has the same tone as a Hardy Boys adventure, yet darker in nature, as two buddies join together to halt the Ferryman's evil plans.
In 2006 the movie "The Ferryman" starring John Rhys-Davies utlized the original version of this song for the credits. Also in 2006 the band Domain covered "Don't pay the Ferryman" on their album Stardawn.
Interpreting this song, some may think: "Go on! Don't surrender!"
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