Listening to Lyrics

I recently heard a podcast interview with Bob Erin. It covered a great deal of his career including his work on Pink Floyd's album The Wall. He talked about the song Comfortably Numb and the process from beginning to end. It's one of the few collaborations on a double album dominated by Roger Waters' writing. This song has long been one of my favorites and also one where I initially mis-heard the lyrics. It was in the early 80s and for some reason (even given the title) I was hearing the line as "I have become comfortably known". I know...kind of dumb, but that was the story of my existence as an undergrad. At least I wasn't listening to Air Supply or REO. So, Ezrin is talking about how the song started its life as a remnant from a Gilmour solo album. David didn't really have much developed on the lyric side and so Roger Waters was tasked with writing lyrics. Here's where it became interesting...the lyric as printed and sung is:

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship
Smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.

I have heard many versions of the song including the original and the lines A distant ship-smoke on the horizon are generally run together. It makes less sense that way, but it sings better. Ezrin recited the lyric as he remembered it-separating ship and smoke and make them two lines. Again, it doesn't really sing as easily but it's more correct. There is one version of the song where the lines are delivered this way. It's on the Live from Berlin show with Van Morrison singing David Gilmour's line. Morrison delivers the lyric with the separation. It's one of my favorite versions of the song. It's a bit strange to see him up there with his old Woodstock buddies from The Band, but it's still a great performance. I know...this is minutia, but this song means a great deal to me and is a puzzle that I have been trying to solve for many years. I'm closer. Thanks for indulging me.