Six Months in a Leaky Boat
| "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Split Enz | ||||
| from the album Time and Tide | ||||
| B-side | "Fire Drill" | |||
| Released | May 1982 | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock | |||
| Length | 4:21 3:48 (edited version) 3:14 (US edited version) | |||
| Label | Mushroom Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Tim Finn, Split Enz | |||
| Producer(s) | Hugh Padgham, Split Enz | |||
| Split Enz singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" on YouTube | ||||
"Six Months in a Leaky Boat" is a song by New Zealand
nervous breakdown.[1][self-published source?
]
The song became a top-10 hit in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, going on to be voted the fifth-best New Zealand song ever in the 2001
Australasian Performing Right Association list.[2] Its chart performance was less successful in the United Kingdom, owing to its release during the Falklands War. Despite being recorded prior to the outbreak of the conflict, some in Britain considered the song to be veiled criticism of the war with Argentina.[2] The song was consequently removed from many radio playlists in the United Kingdom, including the BBC,[3] since it was considered that references to leaky boats were inappropriate during the naval action in the war.[4]
At the 1982 Countdown Music Awards, the song was nominated for Best Australian Single.[5][6]
Music video
The video shows band members dressed in nautical gear, and Māori artists performing traditional Māori poi dance.
Track listing
Australian/NZ 7" single
- "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" (edited version) – 3:53
- "Fire Drill" – 3:53
US/European 7" single
- "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" – 3:05
- "Make Sense of It" – 3:30
Personnel
- vocals, piano
- Neil Finn – vocals, guitar
- Noel Crombie – drums, percussion
- Nigel Griggs – bass
- Eddie Rayner – keyboards, percussion
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] | 2 |
| Canadian Singles Chart[8] | 7 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] | 7 |
| UK Singles Chart[10] | 83 |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles[11] | 104 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[12] | 81 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1982) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[13][14] | 18 |
Covers
- "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" was covered by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy, and appears on the 2005 compilation album She Will Have Her Way. They also played the song during their set at the Sydney Sound Relief concert.
- Australian children's entertainers Captain Feathersword.
Legacy
The song was voted the fifth-best New Zealand song of all time in 2001 by members of APRA.
The song was used as the funeral song for explorer, environmentalist and sailor Sir Peter Blake, sung by Tim Finn with acoustic guitar, at Blake's service.
References
- ^ Ostrander, Ken (26 April 2012). Time and Tide - Split Enz. supergroovydeliciousbite.blogspot.com
- ^ a b Ministry for Culture and Heritage. "Split Enz". New Zealand History. New Zealand Government. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "Banning songs not a rare occurrence for the BBC". NZME Publishing Limited. 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- Dorling Kindersley1999, p. 938
- ^ "Australian Music Awards". Ron Jeff. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
- ^ "Final episode of Countdown". 1970scountdown. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ARIA created their own chartsin mid-1988.
- ^ "RPM Canadian Charts". Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ^ "Split Enz – Six Months in a Leaky Boat". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ "UK Singles Chart". Official Charts. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
- ISBN 9780898201284.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100, 19 June 1982". tropicalglen.com. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report. 3 January 1983. Retrieved 22 January 2023 – via Imgur.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
