Sailing the Seas Depends on the Helmsman

"Sailing the Seas Depends on the Helmsman" (Chinese: 大海航行靠舵手; pinyin: Dàhǎi hángxíng kào duòshǒu), sometimes known as "The Helmsman Sets the Ocean Course",^[1][2] is the English-language title of a popular Chinese Communist Party (CCP) revolutionary song which was written by Wang Shuangyin in 1964. This song was commonly sung by the public, especially Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) in praise of Mao Zedong Thought and the CCP.^[3][4] Like many revolutionary songs, the single verse of Sailing the Seas Depends on the Helmsman was most often sung repeatedly.

See also

• List of socialist songs
• Socialist music from China:
  • "March of the Volunteers"
  • "Socialism is Good"
  • "Ode to the Motherland"
  • "The East Is Red"
  • "Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China"

References

1. "大海航行靠舵手 (The Helmsman Sets the Ocean Course)". YouTube.
2. "The Helmsman sets the Ocean Course (Tenor Solo)". YouTube.
3. Guy-Ryan, Jessie (2016-04-03). "The Hottest Music in China is About President Xi Jinping". Atlas Obscura. Archived from the original on 2025-06-19. Retrieved 2025-11-04. Revolutionary songs such as "Sailing the Seas Depends on the Helmsman" and "Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China", were a hallmark of Mao's leadership, reaching their peak popularity during the Cultural Revolution when a number of revolutionary propaganda songs were combined into a full-fledged "song and dance epic," The East is Red.
4. "A Continuous Revolution". Heidelberg University. Archived from the original on 2025-07-17. Retrieved 2025-11-04.