Six Months in a Leaky Boat explained

Six Months in a Leaky Boat
Cover:Six Months In A Leaky Boat.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Split Enz
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
Producer:Hugh Padgham, Split Enz
Prev Title:Dirty Creature
Prev Year:1982
Next Title:Never Ceases to Amaze Me
Next Year:1982

"Six Months in a Leaky Boat" is a song by New Zealand art rock group Split Enz. It was released in May 1982 as the second single from the group's eighth studio album, Time and Tide.

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.[1] 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.[1] The song was consequently removed from many radio playlists in the United Kingdom, including the BBC,[2] since it was considered that references to leaky boats were inappropriate during the naval action in the war.[3]

At the 1982 Countdown Music Awards, the song was nominated for Best Australian Single.[4] [5]

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

  1. "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" (edited version) – 3:53
  2. "Fire Drill" – 3:53

US/European 7" single

  1. "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" – 3:05
  2. "Make Sense of It" – 3:30

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1982)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 2
Canadian Singles Chart[7] 7
scope="row"
UK Singles Chart[8] 83
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles[9] 104
US Cash Box Top 100[10] 81

Year-end charts

Covers

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.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Split Enz . New Zealand History . New Zealand Government . 14 July 2021.
  2. News: Banning songs not a rare occurrence for the BBC . 14 July 2021 . NZME Publishing Limited . 2007.
  3. Rees, Dafydd and Crampton, Luke. The Q Encyclopedia of Rock Stars, Dorling Kindersley 1999, p. 938
  4. Web site: Australian Music Awards . Ron Jeff . 16 December 2010 . 30 June 2012 . https://archive.today/20120630220831/http://users.ncable.net.au/~ronjeff/top40/oz_king.htm . dead .
  5. Web site: Final episode of Countdown. 1970scountdown. 23 October 2020.
  6. Book: Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book. St Ives, NSW. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 288. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.
  7. Web site: RPM Canadian Charts. 23 July 2011.
  8. Web site: UK Singles Chart. . 13 January 2019.
  9. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn. Bubbling Under Singles & Albums. 1998. Record Research. Menomonee Falls, Wis., U.S.A.. 9780898201284. 190. 1998.
  10. Web site: Cash Box Top 100, 19 June 1982. tropicalglen.com. 10 December 2022.
  11. Web site: National Top 100 Singles for 1982 . . . 445 . 3 January 1983 . 22 January 2023 .
  12. Book: Kent, David . Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . Australian Chart Book . 1993 . 0-646-11917-6 . illustrated . St Ives, NSW . 434 . David Kent (historian).