Video Classics: 'I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home' - Grand Funk Railroad

To honor WNEW's legendary Firecracker 500, every day we are highlighting the music that populated the 1991 and 1996 lists, with classic videos, live performances and little-known facts about the songs and how they came to be...

It's a little-known factoid that Grand Funk Railroad are the one's that smashed the Beatles' ticket sales record for Shea Stadium, one that still stands. Here's a clip of I'm Your Captain from that legendary concert.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the song (and it's many, many names):

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. Accordingly, 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.

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, with most revolving around the Vietnam War; it is popular among veterans of that conflict. The song was a modest hit single when first released, but achieved greater airplay on progressive rock radio stations. It has since gone on to become a classic rock staple and has appeared on several audience-selected lists as one of the best rock songs of all time.

The song was popular enough to reach #22 on the charts when released as a single. It comes in at spot #338 on the 1991 Firecracker 500 and #158 on the 1996 list.

Have memories of this song or the Firecracker 500? Add your thoughts to the comments below or take a look at Video Classics past...