Go Retire Psychiatrist

I caught the Big Shoes Friday Blues Show on KCCK 88.3 FM on Friday August 7, 2026. I got a nice surprise because all of the songs Ed English recorded (He and his band were scheduled to perform on Friday) were listed on the playlist. That was the first time I can remember that ever happened on the Friday night blues show when the DJ records a show.

The other thing that puzzled me was one of the songs. It was by Walter Trout and the tune was “My Ship Came In.”

It was released on an album in 2015, roughly about a year after Walter got his liver transplant in Nebraska. He got Hepatitis C years ago and was pretty sick. So, I wonder why the song’s title “My Ship Came In” isn’t more positive. Generally, when you say your ship comes in, it means success has come your way, and it’s a time for celebration.

Getting a liver transplant saves a person’s life, although it also changes it quite a bit. I used to be a psychiatric consultant to the hospital organ transplant service. I can’t really know how difficult the evaluation and waiting period can be. But it’s got to be hard.

But I hear him say the ship sailed away and left him all alone. It sounds mournful. Am I just hearing it wrong? On the other hand, post-transplant life is a big challenge; I can’t begin to imagine it. You have to settle in for the rest of your life and accept the necessity of taking anti-rejection drugs for the rest of your life.

But the song rocks, just the same.