I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)

"I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)"
Single by Grand Funk Railroad
from the album Closer to Home
B-side	"Aimless Lady"
Released	July 1970
Recorded	March 1970
Genre	Rock, symphonic rock
Length	10:09 (album) 5:31 (single)
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Mark Farner
Producer(s)	Terry Knight
Grand Funk Railroad singles chronology
"Nothing Is the Same" (1970) "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)" (1970) "Mean Mistreater" (1970)

"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".^[1]

The song conveys the pleas of a captain on a troubled sea voyage and facing a mutiny from his crew. Its use of an orchestra during the long repeated refrains of the closing movement served to differentiate it from much of Grand Funk's work. Several interpretations of the song have been given; most revolve around the Vietnam War, and "I'm Your Captain" is popular among veterans of that conflict.

A truncated version of the song was a modest hit single when first released, but the full album track achieved greater airplay on progressive rock radio stations of the time. It has since become a classic rock staple and has appeared on several audience-selected lists as one of the best rock songs of all time.