«Ships That Don’t Come In» is a song recorded by American country music singer Joe Diffie that reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart in 1992. It was released in April 1992 as the second single from his Epic Records album Regular Joe. The song was written by Paul Nelson and Dave Gibson the latter of whom was also recording for Epic as a member of the Gibson/Miller Band at the time.

The song debuted at number 68 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart dated April 18, 1992. It charted for 20 weeks on that chart, reaching its peak of number 5 on the chart dated July 11, 1992.

From the album Regular Joe
B-side «Startin’ Over Blues»
Released April 14, 1992
Genre Country
Length 3:39
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) Paul Nelson, Dave Gibson

Joe Diffie – Ships That Don’t Come In Lyrics

I could tell he’d had a tough life
By the way he sat and stared
And me, I’d come to push and shove
So I pulled up a chair.

We talked of roads untraveled
We talked of love untrue
Of strings that come unraveled
We were kings and kindred fools
And just when I’d hit bottom
That old man raised his glass
And said at least we had our chances
There’s those who never have.

So here’s to all the soldiers
Who have ever died in vain
The insane locked up in themselves
The homeless down on Main
To those who stand on empty shores
And spit against the wind
And those who wait forever
For ships that don’t come in.

He said it’s only life’s illusions
That bring us to this bar
To pick up these old crutches
And compare each other’s scars
‘Cuz the things we’re calling heartache
Hell, they’re hardly worth our time
We bitch about a dollar
When there’s those without a dime.

And as he ordered one last round
He said I guess we can’t complain
God made life a gamble
And we’re still in the game.

So here’s to all the soldiers
Who have ever died in vain
The insane locked up in themselves
The homeless down on Main
To those who stand on empty shores
And spit against the wind
And those who wait forever
For ships that don’t come in.