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The Beach Boys — Sail On Sailor
Album: Holland
Avg rating:
7.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2513









Released: 1973
Length: 3:11
Plays (last 30 days): 3
I sailed an ocean, unsettled ocean
Through restful waters and deep commotion
Often frightened, unenlightened
Sail on, sail on sailor

I wrest the waters, fight Neptune's waters
Sail through the sorrows of life's marauders
Unrepenting, often empty
Sail on, sail on sailor

Caught like a sewer rat alone but I sail
Bought like a crust of bread, but oh do I wail

Seldom stumble, never crumble
Try to tumble, life's a rumble
Feel the stinging I've been given
Never ending, unrelenting
Heartbreak searing, always fearing
Never caring, persevering
Sail on, sail on, sailor

I work the seaways, the gale-swept seaways
Past shipwrecked daughters of wicked waters
Uninspired, drenched and tired
Wail on, wail on, sailor

Always needing, even bleeding
Never feeding all my feelings
Damn the thunder, must I blunder
There's no wonder all I'm under
Stop the crying and the lying
And the sighing and my dying

Sail on, sail on sailor
Sail on, sail on sailor
Sail on, sail on sailor
Sail on, sail on sailor
Sail on, sail on sailor
Sail on, sail on sailor
Sail on, sail on sailor
Comments (300)add comment
 Pjesnik wrote:

Why was I thinking this is Steely Dan?


Hey, not a bad guess! I didn't know this was the Beach Boys until I looked at this page, and I've heard this song for decades. It's definitely a different sound for them. 
 worldbeatboy wrote:

Oh what a song.  So Funky Pretty. Recorded on a barge studio in Amsterdam.  Can almost smell the smoke coming from the port holes.  And that simple drum lope.  I've played my own drums along with this song a thousand times.  Take a look at the cover of the album.  Turned the Beach Boys completely upside down.....  So simple.  So much groove. 


Thanks.  I don't recall noticing that detail, even tho I owned the album.

Great tune.
Fan fucking tastic stuff.
Why was I thinking this is Steely Dan?
This song is fantastic and sends me crazy every time I hear it.
in this sleepy streaming age, I love it when a song makes you stop and look up what it is. Makes us long for the days we'd run to the record store to find where that sound/music was coming from 💨💥✨
 Phlegmaticman wrote:

Such a great, underheard album.




Yes!  GREAT TUNE!!
Such a great, underheard album.
Looks like I'm one of many that thought this was some other artist. All these years it sounded to me like a Boz Scaggs tune.
Haven't heard this in many years! Great tune! Sail on sailor is my mantra for the week (as in, keep going baby)
It is their most obscure songs that are the most genius
Brian Wilson Rocks!
Wilson for City Commissioner!
(sorry...caught up in the pre-mid-term...)
Yep, I'm another one that didn't know this was the Beach Boys. I always thought it was Stevie Wonder.  Great song, btw.
The wife and I saw them live in Santa Monica when they were touring for this album. The show was amazing. Brian is "The Man".  Watch the movie with Paul Dano/John Cusak. 
Brian Wilson is a genius
Supergreat!! Even better in FLAC w/ great studio phones, amp & DAC! Thank You RP!  
 nagsheadlocal wrote:

And it was also one of their slowest-selling, their image being tied to the sun-and-surf songs of the mid-60s. Frankly, they were just no longer fashionable. I was thinking of that when I went to see one of their shows in support of this album. They were playing to a half-full house at a second-tier university - but man what a show. Those guys were great musicians.


I could have walked a couple of blocks to see them at Boston College around the time of this album but didn't. Had I known...
EXCELLENT!!!
 theirongiant wrote:
 This song was ahead of its time. Reminds me of Chicago.
 

It would have to have a sudden jazzy increase in tempo at a break in the middle, followed by 30 seconds of an instrumental horn section. That would be Chicago for sure.
 DaMoGan wrote:

I rated this a '4' initially.  Not sure why — it brings up some happy childhood memories, and I really had no idea it was The Beach Boys until I'd heard it on RP! Moved up to a more respectable 7.



Keep going...
Los Lobos doing a faithful cover:
Ah, forgot that you can't embed youtubes in song comments. Here you go.
 KudaRey wrote:

Ironically, one of The Beach Boys best songs and it sounds the least like them. 



You're right! I hadn't thought about that way. But I think that's one mark of a good singer or a band, if they don't always have to sound exactly the same. 
Ironically, one of The Beach Boys best songs and it sounds the least like them. 
Likeable! Had no idea this was the BB!!!
 skiboy53 wrote:

I've been hearing this song on RP for a while now and just realized it's the Beach Boys. Couldn't believe it's the same surf band I listened to in the '60s. Still learning something new every day.



Same! I just had a shocked moment myself!
 nagsheadlocal wrote:

And it was also one of their slowest-selling, their image being tied to the sun-and-surf songs of the mid-60s. Frankly, they were just no longer fashionable. I was thinking of that when I went to see one of their shows in support of this album. They were playing to a half-full house at a second-tier university - but man what a show. Those guys were great musicians.
 

Similar experience, though the audience was full of drunk frat and sorority brothers and sisters yelling out for surf music. It was sad all the way around.
I've been hearing this song on RP for a while now and just realized it's the Beach Boys. Couldn't believe it's the same surf band I listened to in the '60s. Still learning something new every day.
Probably my favourite Beach Boys song. It gets a 9 from me 
Huh. I thought this was by Traffic.
I play this tune every time I sail out of Annapolis harbor. In spite of the lyrics I find it totally inspiring. Co-written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks.

I had the very good fortune of hearing it performed live during Brian Wilson's tour a few years ago sung by the original lead vocalist Blondie Chaplin who was touring with him.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondie_Chaplin
I worked their concert at University of Virginia back about when this came out. They were trying hard to leave their 'surf' days behind, but this was UVA which was (is) a heavy frat oriented college and everyone only wanted to hear the old stuff. Lots of frustration on the stage and in the audience. Despite that we did hear some good music from both eras that evening.
My usual knee-jerk reaction is to give anything by The Beach Boys an automatic 1, this is different, it does not sound like usual Beach Boys crap, I’ll give this one a 5
Try Surfs Up.
I admit it's catchy in that horrifyingly bad mid seventies kinda way.  But I'm pretty sure it's only on here to surprise people who sang it.  There are 50 better songs by The Beach Boys.  At least.
I've always liked this song but never knew  who sang it. Ha. Thanks RP.
only BB song I like.  If they only sang on-key!
www.islatrip.com
Not really a Beach Boys fan, but this little number really gives me the feels for some reason. Probably a "Rosebud" effect from my youth.
*Sigh*
16. Long hair parted down the middle, bell bottoms and mattress on the floor.
When a date was a dude with a carpeted van, a joint and a working eight-track.
Fish were still in lakes, woods still surrounded the city limits and you could see the stars.
And we had the pill. 
 dublanica wrote:
wow; here's one I haven't heard for 40 years or so!  one of their better, mature sounds
 
Funny... this is my least liked Beach Boys song.
 ThePoose wrote:
You evidently never heard them do I can hear music. Listen on, listener.

 
flyboy50 wrote:
The only decent tune they ever did.

 


 
Right you are Poose!
There's many more songs they did that aren't "Surf" music .
One just needs to listen to this album and "Surf's Up" to hear some real gems.

Hey. I agreed with ThePoose!
See people... all you need to do is give Poose a chance!
Love this song. I saw Brian Wilson do this about a year ago, and they featured Blondie Chapman on guitar and vocals on this song, just like on the original. He was quite the character, jumping around like a nut, and looking like he might be sailing three sheets to the wind, sailor!
Bumped from 8 to 9!
Love this song big time
Great song.  Didn't even know it was The BB.  
Among all their great and famous songs, this is an overlooked gem.
 coloradojohn wrote:
Cool stoney tune by them! So different and much liked; among their best I think. What a great year in music, '73! Elton's Yellow Brick Road, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, Steely Dan's Countdown to Ecstasy, Lennon's Mind Games, McCartney's Band on the Run
 
One of the songs I was happy to learn about when I got the BB Box Set way back when....a lot of great stuff NOT related to surfing and cars....this one's an 8 and getting close to a 9....Long Live RP!!
another old-timer who never knew this was the Beach Boys... 
This song was ahead of its time. Reminds me of Chicago.
wow; here's one I haven't heard for 40 years or so!  one of their better, mature sounds
 KurtfromLaQuinta wrote:

You need to get out more.
 
i didn't know either.  maybe i need to get out more too!  :J i guess i just wrote off the BB after some of Love's, er, regrettable comments.   having writ that, tho, this isn't bad.
The Beach Boys..............for people who don't like The Beach Boys. Of course, I choose not to associate with those people 
 scrubbrush wrote:


Hilarious. I'm old-school classic rock guy, but i never knew this was Beach Boys either. I always thought it was some schmaltzy 70's band like The Little River Band or something
 
You need to get out more.
My favorite Beach Boys Music (with the exception of Pet Sounds) is from the Brothers Albums. Tuneful, great harmonies and often ingenious.
Saw Brian and Al doing Pet Sounds live in New Orleans a few years ago. Blondie Chaplin was there - at times walking around the stage and standing in front of both Brian & Al while they were singing.

I was very unimpressed with someone who couldn't control himself and show some respect.
 pinto wrote:
For what it's worth, back when this album was released Rolling Stone rated this as one of the five best albums of the year.  

 
And it was also one of their slowest-selling, their image being tied to the sun-and-surf songs of the mid-60s. Frankly, they were just no longer fashionable. I was thinking of that when I went to see one of their shows in support of this album. They were playing to a half-full house at a second-tier university - but man what a show. Those guys were great musicians.
Ya know...RP could play a few songs from the Pet Sounds album. That was their best album and quite progressive. It has song trippy songs. I guess LSD from Southern Cal will do that.  
A few years ago I went with a friend to see Los Lobos on their 40th Anniversary Tour, and they had several special guests including Blondie Chaplin and Taj Mahal.  As soon as I heard Blondie was going to be there I thought, wouldn't it be awesome if they played Sail On Sailor?  Sure enough, they did.  Man, that was a good show.
 lily34 wrote:
i still had no idea this was the beach boys.

 
Me either.  Always fond of this tune, but not all Beach Boys though.
For what it's worth, back when this album was released Rolling Stone rated this as one of the five best albums of the year.  
I'm late to the "I didn't know this was the Beach Boys" party. I thought this was Joe Jackson.
From the very underrated album Holland.   https://www.allmusic.com/album/holland-mw0000690537

Some great songs on that album, Big Sur Saga and The Trader in-particular.  
This is nice. Pet Sounds too. However, it is their love songs to Hot Rods I've always loved the best.
Gimme 409 and Shut Down! 
 danmaiullo wrote:

These two songs are not even in the same league. Sail On is exponentially better than The Wreck.

 
I'm not sure if one song could be "exponentially" better than another (or "exponentially" anything really), but whatever.
All this time, I never realized this was a Beach Boys song.  It sounds so different to me than stuff like Barbara Ann or California Girls.  More 70s...
 danmaiullo wrote:

These two songs are not even in the same league. Sail On is exponentially better than The Wreck.

 

Never said they were; just liked the segue. 
Cool stoney tune by them! So different and much liked; among their best I think. What a great year in music, '73! Elton's Yellow Brick Road, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, Steely Dan's Countdown to Ecstasy, Lennon's Mind Games, McCartney's Band on the Run
Oh what a song.  So Funky Pretty. Recorded on a barge studio in Amsterdam.  Can almost smell the smoke coming from the port holes.  And that simple drum lope.  I've played my own drums along with this song a thousand times.  Take a look at the cover of the album.  Turned the Beach Boys completely upside down.....  So simple.  So much groove. 
I see the link from the Gordon Lightfoot Wreck to this song, but the transition is so jarring that it cannot work. Is it acceptable to simply acknowledge that, despite the apparent love affair between many/most Americans with the Beach Boys, one does not really like them? I recognize that it's just me, so I will sign off.
Great track, but from Holland, not Carl and the Passions.
From my favorite Beach Boys albums - the Brother Records era which produced so many wonderful, yet unknown BB songs that sound so different than the earlier well know recordings (which I also like).
Favorite BB song.  Recommend you watch the movie Love and Mercy about Brian Wilson.   
i love this.

if robert palmer was next, i'd love that. sailin shoes.
Wow, a Beach Boys song that doesn't sound like the Beach Boys. Interesting. Thanks for playing this...
 Grammarcop wrote:
"Excuse me, Captain. What kind of tea would you like this morning?"

"Ceylon, Ceylon, sailor." 

 

that's funny
 danmaiullo wrote:

These two songs are not even in the same league. Sail On is exponentially better than The Wreck.

 

agreed!
 steeler wrote:
Nice segue from The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

 
These two songs are not even in the same league. Sail On is exponentially better than The Wreck.


I rated this a '4' initially.  Not sure why — it brings up some happy childhood memories, and I really had no idea it was The Beach Boys until I'd heard it on RP! Moved up to a more respectable 7.
My favorite Beach Boys song.  Thanks Brian.
Normally I don't like them.. but this is kind of nice.
Nice segue from The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
 On_The_Beach wrote:

You'll walk the plank for that cheesy joke!  ; )

 
I deserve it.
 Grammarcop wrote:
"Excuse me, Captain. What kind of tea would you like this morning?"

"Ceylon, Ceylon, sailor."
 
You'll walk the plank for that cheesy joke!  ; )
My favorite Blondie song.

Before I heard this I never new Sri Lanka had a navy.
"Excuse me, Captain. What kind of tea would you like this morning?"

"Ceylon, Ceylon, sailor." 
whoa. How did anyone NOT know this absolute classic isn't the Beach Boys. Like, "the Beatles did 'Let It Be'?" RP listeners come from all directions, I guess.
 Piranga wrote:
The best Beach Boys song that few know about.
 
Well put. Hands down the best Beach Boys tune for me. . . its funny how certain songs can hit the spot so perfectly and then keep hitting it decade after decade after decade (counts on fingers) after decade.
A bit commercial for the BBs but like it, who'd have thunk this was the BBs?
One of the three BB tunes I can stomach...
 unclehud wrote:
Beach Boys?!  Learned my 'something new' for today.  Humbling really, since a skipper played this as departure music for every single sailboat race one season.  Got sick of it after 5 or 6 races, then started digging it when I really listened to its purity of melody and lyric.

 

Hilarious. I'm old-school classic rock guy, but i never knew this was Beach Boys either. I always thought it was some schmaltzy 70's band like The Little River Band or something
Beach Boys?!  Learned my 'something new' for today.  Humbling really, since a skipper played this as departure music for every single sailboat race one season.  Got sick of it after 5 or 6 races, then started digging it when I really listened to its purity of melody and lyric.
You evidently never heard them do I can hear music. Listen on, listener.

 
flyboy50 wrote:
The only decent tune they ever did.

 


Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, what a combination.  
The Beach Boys? Wow! 
Sure would love to hear "Surf's Up".
You can hear interviews on YouTube in which Blondie et al affirm this.

 
ajlept wrote:
What makes this song "sound" so different from traditional Beach Boys' recordings is the lead vocals. Nowhere can I find it in print that Blondie Chaplin sang vocals, but here, Bill says so. I've just gotta believe him...lol. I've always loved this song (I was a teenager when it hit the charts). I'll be heading to the beach in a week and this will be in my playlist. Maybe not a 10 all the time, but while looking at the ocean, it will be an 11. Nigel Tufnel, you're my hero!


 


 Piranga wrote:
The best Beach Boys song that few know about.

 
Who knew? I thought this was Traffic.
The best Beach Boys song that few know about.
 flyboy50 wrote:
The only decent tune they ever did.
 

Please to listen to the whole Pet Sounds album.
 bev wrote:
Whoa, count me amongst the others who never knew this was the Beach Boys. Geez. I've heard this song who knows how many times over a lifetime and am just NOW finding this out? Love love love RP...educating me constantly!
 

Forget the lead, how can you not know this is the Beach Boys listening to the harmonies??
Kinda funny watching Blondie Chaplin singing backup and cavorting with Keith and the Stones knowing he sang lead on this wonderful tune.
 mrtuba9 wrote:

Me either...wow!
 
Me either! Thought it was Steely Dan.
The only decent tune they ever did.
 lily34 wrote:
i still had no idea this was the beach boys.
 
Me either...wow!
Most Excellent indeed!!
Magic....they got me thru those long cold winters in Wyo!
i still had no idea this was the beach boys.
Go Blondie!!!! Go Boys
 ScottFromWyoming wrote:
 

Only cause it's the Beach Boys does it get a 7. It would get bland on the 10th hearing. 
 tphord wrote:
I bought this album in 73' and still have it, still play it and still love it.
The album also came with a small 45 sized EP called "Mount Vernon and Fairway"
which is a curious piece of work. Never was quite sure what to make of that...
 
"Holland" is a great album.
I think this song is one of the weakest one on it.
"Funky Pretty" and "California" are far superior songs.
"Mt. Vernon and Fairway"  is way out there though. (#lol)
 socalhol wrote:

Ahhhh, no — opposite for me — gimme the surfing songs please (Good Vibrations).  I always thought this song was performed by Chicago (whom I dislike...).

 

This song could possibly be compared to Chicago's "Wishing You Were Here", on which the Beach Boys sing background vocals.

Love both of those songs.


This is indeed Blondie Chaplin. He took the vocal after Carl couldn't nail it… More about how the song came to be here…

https://playitandbedamned.blogspot.com/2008/01/unsung-hero-blondie-chaplin.html
 
Whoa, count me amongst the others who never knew this was the Beach Boys. Geez. I've heard this song who knows how many times over a lifetime and am just NOW finding this out? Love love love RP...educating me constantly!
I'm waiting for just one Monkee's song in memory of Davy Jones...
This can be seen as allegorical. The metaphor isn't original but the structure is unique. A great song because it touches themes that are universal.
Sunshine, rainbow, island in the sun, sail on... Mmmm whats the theme Bill?
 ajlept wrote:
What makes this song "sound" so different from traditional Beach Boys' recordings is the lead vocals. Nowhere can I find it in print that Blondie Chaplin sang vocals, but here, Bill says so. I've just gotta believe him...lol. I've always loved this song (I was a teenager when it hit the charts). I'll be heading to the beach in a week and this will be in my playlist. Maybe not a 10 all the time, but while looking at the ocean, it will be an 11. Nigel Tufnel, you're my hero!

 
Well, it's not print per se, but this Wiki account pretty much substantiates what is generally acknowledged, i.e., Blondie's vocal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sail_On,_Sailor

I saw one of Rick Danko's many post-Band bands long ago. Chaplin played guitar, and sang their rendition of "Sail On Sailor." Sure sounded like the same voice as that on the Beach Boys' recording. Guess that's not print either. Sigh.


First BIG snow of the season here in Ft. Collins.  Enjoying these "summertime" tunes right now.  Thanks B&R.