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Take Her Deep
By Tommy Cox

Big Black Submarine - The signature song of the album celebrates
the dedication and commitment of submarine sailors to God, family,
and patriotism and service to our great country. The reference to
silver dolphins defines the singer as an enlisted man serving
"Where no other human being can be found; Below the surface
where it's dark and green; Down to the sea in a big black submarine."

Scorpion - This was the first song written by the artist about the
Submarine Service on May 29, 1968. This was when the loss of
the USS Scorpion (SSN 589) was made public. A Lapon mission
was delayed, while the Lapon was involved in the
SAR (Search and Rescue). The lyrics were developed as a prayer,
and the music was added later. This song more than any other goes
to the heart of submariners and their loved ones, and the danger of
tragedy in the Submarine Service is ever present.

Ballad of Whitey Mack - "This story is about Captain Mack
and his nuclear powered fast-attack . . ." the USS Lapon.
According to the national best seller BLIND MAN'S BLUFF
by Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew, the USS Lapon trailed
a Soviet Yankee Class SSBN (Nuclear Ballistic Missile
Submarine) during a period in 1969. This was an historic event,
as it showed the U.S. Navy was up to the task of neutralizing this
threat to national security. Captain Mack was awarded a
Distinguished Service Medal for a successful mission.
A line from this song: "When the going got rough in this game of
blind man's bluff. . ." contributed to the title of the Sontag-Drew book.

The Sacrifice - This song expresses the difficulty of being apart from
family and loved ones during a submarine deployment. Sung as a duet
with Kathy Bowie, a dialogue between husband and wife is expressed.
While the separation is a sacrifice to be endured, the call to duty is a
noble obligation to be honored.

Boomer Patrol - The Submarine Service refers to its missile firing
submarines as "Boomers." This song is a celebration of the countless
"nuclear deterrent patrols" executed by our nation's submariners.
The fact that no ICBM (Inter-continental Ballistic Missile) needed to
be fired in anger from the advent of the nuclear threat to today is
testament that deterrence does work. These patrols provided the U.S.
with a certain second strike capability which mitigated the wisdom
of a first strike. This song was used in the DISCOVERY CHANNEL
special LIFE ON A U.S. SUBMARINE - BOOMER PATROL.

Gitmo Blues - This is the first Navy song written by the author who
was stationed at Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis
of 1962. Many diesel submariners visited Gitmo over the years.
This song recalls memories of this historic event with a rock and roll beat.

Seawolf - This song is a tribute to "The second boat to log it out:
'Underway on nuclear power'" and its Commanding Officer during the
mid to late 1970's, Captain Charles MacVean. While this ship was the
oldest commissioned nuclear submarine, after the Nautilus was
decommissioned, Seawolf served her country proudly on missions
critical to national security. The dedicated sailors who held this ship
together and completed these missions were literally hand picked
for all departments.

Diesel Boats Forever - This is literally the rally song for the
submariners' DBF (Diesel Boats Forever) movement.
The advent of nuclear power was the death knell for the diesel boats;
however, the diesel era including World War II was a great slice
of naval history. Through the years it has become a badge of honor,
for only "old salts" have served aboard diesel submarines.

Long Separation - This is a second duet with Kathy Bowie and
represents the separation of loved ones and sailors who go to sea.
This song is not specific to submariners but sailors in general.

Freedom Patrol - More of family separation to carry o
out a submariner's duty to country.

Tango Charlie - This is a tongue-in-cheek song about a submarine
rider who comes aboard for special missions. A select few have
concluded correctly just who Tango Charlie may be.

Torpedo in the Water - This is a song which was written in response
to a real-life situation where a torpedo was fired in the vicinity of own
ship. This experience is also described in BLIND MAN'S BLUFF in
the chapter entitled "Ballad of Whitey Mack." After it was over it
could be treated comically, but while the "torpedo was in the water
and closing fast" it was a very intense few moments which created
a lasting memory.

Sailor's Prayer - There was a plaque in the Radio Room aboard the
USS Hammerhead which read: "Lord, my boat is so small and
Thy sea is so vast." It served to remind us just who really was in
control out there and inspired the musical prayer.
This song is dedicated to the late A.J. Long, submarine radioman
aboard Hammerhead.