The Best Rock Songs about Sailing

[mashenden]

I was sitting at a local watering hole (think Irish Pub) last night and the band played Southern Cross, by Crosby, Stills and Nash. I always liked the song (albeit they had definitely lost their humble roots by that time as is evident by the "80 feet of waterline" line in the song - Really? 80'... couldn't have gone with, oh I dunno, 27 feet??).

So anyhow, this local band (Sons of Zebedee) did the song justice. It was nicely done. Once they moved on to other songs I got to thinking that this would be another good topic for us to pass the winter season. It doesn't look like it has been done in a while and not with a Rock focus (or Country given the strong Rock influences in recent times).

Any favs come to mind?

[ariasis]

I Saw this band Scythian at the Irish Music Festival in Muskegon. Do a song called the Mermaid. Irish rock.. Blimey.

Here's the link to it on band camp.

http://scythian1.bandcamp.com/album/its-not-too-late

[Gary H]

She said, "I'm here on a shore leave,"
Though we were miles at sea.
I pointed out this detail
And forced her to agree,
Saying, "You must be the mermaid
Who took King Neptune for a ride."
And she smiled at me so sweetly
That my anger straightway died.

Procul Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale

This song inspired the name of my boat. Light Fandango.

[Oswego John]

I guess that the song that I mention won't qualify to be a rock song. It is not new, having been written in 1855. It is a spanish song whose original name was "Spanish Ballad". Now it is more popularly called "Nita, Juanita".

The theme of the song tells the story of a sailor on a square rigger saying his last goodbyes to his lover just before the ship sails for ports unknown. It wasn't uncommon for merchant ships to leave home port and not return for several years. Life was bittersweet for those involved in a life on the high seas.

Juanita was one of the first songs that I learned to play on a guitar when I was in elementary grade school. It stayed with me, I never forgot it. You can google the song easily. I like the recording made by Jim Reeves.

Enjoy
O J

[Neil Gordon]

I guess that the song that I mention won't qualify to be a rock song. It is not new, having been written in 1855. ...

Juanita was one of the first songs that I learned to play on a guitar when I was in elementary grade school.

Are you saying it was taught to you by the fellow who wrote it?

[bamabratsche]

Surprised no one has mentioned Tennis--their first album was called "Cape Dory" and was written while they sailed a CD down the east coast to the Caribbean and back. "Marathon" is probably their most popular song.

[tjr818]

Okay I'm going to have to add a few of these to my Sailing Playlist.
How about almost anything by Jimmy Buffet, Come on Down to My Boat Baby by Every Mother's Son, or Like a Ship by the Traveling Wilburys?

[Gary H]

Let's not forget the good old days of early rock and roll with Bobby Darrin singing "Beyond the Sea."

Somewhere beyond the sea
Somewhere waiting for me
My lover stands on golden sands
And watches the ships that go sailing

Somewhere beyond the sea
She's there watching for me
If I could fly like birds on high
Then straight to her arms
I'd go sailing

It's far beyond the stars
It's near beyond the moon
I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon

We'll meet beyond the shore
We'll kiss just as before
Happy we'll be beyond the sea
And never again I'll go sailing

I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon
We'll meet (I know we'll meet) beyond the shore
We'll kiss just as before
Happy we'll be beyond the sea
And never again I'll go sailing

No more sailing
So long sailing
Bye, bye sailing...

[Steve Laume]

This isn't even a sailing song but I could not get it out of my head during the entire trip from Nova Scotia back to New England, sweet New England. At least it was a pretty song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxdlEGKHSXk

The lyrics are pretty much non existent in this one but the racers all seem to use it as their theme song. They do say sail a lot so that must make it a sailing song. Pretty good sound best saved for heavy weather.

I went with this video because the lyrics didn't add much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-7DS2c93Mk

Check out Sarah Dashew for folksy stuff from someone who grew up on a boat. There is so much good music for sailing, even if it isn't about sailing, Steve.

[Stan W.]

Not a whole song, but these lines from Everybody's Talkin' often come to mind when at the tiller:

I'm bankin' off of the northeast wind.
Sailin' on a summer breeze.
And skippin' over the ocean like a stone.

In my neighborhood, a summer breeze probably would be a SW wind, but I don't change the lyrics.

[Bibster]

Stills and Nash version) is about good as it gets. A few other candidates are:

"Come Sail Away" – Styx
"Wooden Ships" – CSN
"Sailing" – Christopher Cross
"Sloop John B." – Beach Boys
"A Salty Dog" – Procul Harum
"Ride Captain Ride" –Blues Image
"Son of a Son of a Sailor Man" - Jimmy Buffett, (of course, Buffett has churned out a lot songs that could be put on this list)
"Cool Change" - Little River Band

[barfwinkle]

Little River Band - Cool Change
Gordon Lightfoot - Marie Christine
Robert Plant - Ship of Fools
Leon Russell - Back to the Island
Queen - '39

[Russell]

For some reason "Sailing to Philadelphia" always gets left off these lists, Mark Knopfler and James Taylor duet, fantastic song.

[Jim Walsh]

Red Hot Moon, Rancid
Self Esteem, The Offspring
Disarm, Smashing Pumpkins
Creep, Radiohead
Machinehead, Bush


To each his own, this puts me on a rail down broad reach.......

[Bill Goldsmith]

1) Captain Jim's Drunken Dream -James Taylor

2) Not about sailing, but a great song about a fisherman in waters many CDers are familiar with:
The Downeaster Alexa - Billy Joel