Six Months in a Leaky Boat
Encyclopedia
"Six Months in a Leaky Boat" is a single from New Zealand
art rock
group Split Enz
's album Time and Tide. It was written by Tim Finn
and released as a single in 1982.
The song is a reference to the time it took pioneers to sail to Australia and New Zealand (hence the reference to "the tyranny of distance" - a history by Geoffrey Blainey
), and a metaphor that refers to lead singer Tim Finn
's nervous breakdown
.
The song was "discouraged from airplay" in Britain
during the Falklands crisis
by the BBC
for reasons of morale - it was thought that references to leaky boats was not appropriate during the naval action in the war.
An introductory piece titled "Pioneer" appears before the song on the Australia
n and New Zealand release of History Never Repeats - The Best of Split Enz
. This track is not present on the American release.
performers practicing traditional Maori acts called poi.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
group Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
's album Time and Tide. It was written by Tim Finn
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
and released as a single in 1982.
The song is a reference to the time it took pioneers to sail to Australia and New Zealand (hence the reference to "the tyranny of distance" - a history by Geoffrey Blainey
Geoffrey Blainey
Geoffrey Norman Blainey AC , is a prominent Australian historian.Blainey was born in Melbourne and raised in a series of Victorian country towns before attending Wesley College and the University of Melbourne. While at university he was editor of Farrago, the newspaper of the University of...
), and a metaphor that refers to lead singer Tim Finn
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
's nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
.
The song was "discouraged from airplay" in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
during the Falklands crisis
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
for reasons of morale - it was thought that references to leaky boats was not appropriate during the naval action in the war.
Track listing
- "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" 4:21
- "Make Sense of It" 3:40
An introductory piece titled "Pioneer" appears before the song on the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n and New Zealand release of History Never Repeats - The Best of Split Enz
History Never Repeats - The Best of Split Enz
History Never Repeats - The Best Of Split Enz is a compilation of hits by New Zealand rock band Split Enz. Initially released in the US in 1987, then in NZ/Aus in 1989, the album has been through many variations and reissues over the years and probably stands as the band's best-selling...
. This track is not present on the American release.
Personnel
- Tim FinnTim FinnBrian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Neil FinnNeil FinnNeil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
- vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Noel CrombieNoel CrombieNoel Crombie is a New Zealand singer and former member of the band Split Enz. He fulfilled multiple roles including costume and hair designer, percussionist, album cover designer, and music video director...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Nigel GriggsNigel GriggsNigel Griggs is a musician who played bass guitar in Split Enz. He is the brother of Paul Griggs from the 1970s vocal group Guys 'n' Dolls...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Eddie RaynerEddie RaynerEddie Rayner , is a New Zealand musician who has played in bands such as Split Enz, Space Waltz, Crowded House, The Makers and 801....
- percussion, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
Music video
The video shows band members dressed in nautical gear as well as MaoriMāori
The Māori are the native or indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand . They arrived in New Zealand from eastern Polynesia in several waves at some time before 1300 CE. Over several centuries in isolation, the Māori developed a unique culture with their own language, a rich mythology,...
performers practicing traditional Maori acts called poi.
Chart performance
The song entered the RIANZ New Zealand singles charts at number 31 on 13 June 1982, and peaked at number 7 for two weeks. It spent a total of 16 weeks in the top 40.| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | #2 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | #7 |
| UK Singles Chart | #83 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | #7 |
Covers
- CanadianCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
broadcaster and singer Liz Rigney covered the song for her 1999 album Chameleon (as "Leaky Boat"). - The song was covered by UK rock band MarillionMarillionMarillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
as part of their "Friends" evening at the Marillion convention 2007 - "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" was covered by Australian indie rockIndie rockIndie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Little BirdyLittle BirdyLittle Birdy are an Australian indie rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia in 2002 by singer and guitarist Katy Steele, drummer Matt Chequer, guitarist and keyboardist Simon Leach, and bass guitarist Scott O'Donoghue...
, and appears on the 2005 compilation album She Will Have Her WayShe Will Have Her WayShe Will Have Her Way is a compilation album featuring female Australian and New Zealand musicians performing songs written by Neil Finn and Tim Finn , members of Split Enz and Crowded House...
. They also played the song during their set at the SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
Sound ReliefSound ReliefSound Relief was a multi-venue rock music concert held on 14 March 2009, which was announced by the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby on 24 February 2009...
concert - San Francisco indie rock quartet Winechuggers covered the song on their 2005 album Grand Rapids.
- Ted Leo and the PharmacistsTed Leo and the PharmacistsTed Leo and the Pharmacists are an American rock band formed in 1999 in Washington, D.C. and currently recording for Matador Records. They have released six full-length studio albums and have toured internationally...
covered the song as a solo performance on their album Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is DeadTell Balgeary, Balgury is DeadTell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead is an EP released in 2003 by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, although it mostly comprises Ted Leo's solo work. The title track is carried over from the band's previous album, Hearts of Oak, as is "The High Party"...
, and later recorded a full-band arrangement for their Sharkbite SessionsSharkbite SessionsDuring their late 2004 tour promoting the Shake the Sheets album, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists stopped over at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, CA. There, the band -- along with Ryan Massey of Communiqué -- recorded full-band versions of two songs featured on 2003's Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead EP...
EP. (Leo also titled one of his albums The Tyranny of DistanceThe Tyranny of DistanceThe Tyranny of Distance may refer to:* The book Tyranny of Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia's History by Geoffrey Blainey** see also Loss of Strength Gradient* The Tyranny of Distance , a music album by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists....
, a phrase which he credited to "Six Months in a Leaky Boat," though Split Enz had actually taken it from the title of a book by Australian historian Geoffrey BlaineyGeoffrey BlaineyGeoffrey Norman Blainey AC , is a prominent Australian historian.Blainey was born in Melbourne and raised in a series of Victorian country towns before attending Wesley College and the University of Melbourne. While at university he was editor of Farrago, the newspaper of the University of...
.) - Children's entertainers The WigglesThe WigglesThe Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
covered this song on their cd/video titled Wiggly, Wiggly World, with Tim Finn singing back up and appearing in the video. - Pop band Elle Rae (consisting of Allison RobertsonAllison RobertsonAllison Rae Robertson is the guitarist for rock band The Donnas.-Early life:Allison Robertson was born on August 26, 1979, in North Hollywood, California. She comes from a very musical family. Her father is musician Baxter Robertson who wrote the track "Feel The Night" on the Karate Kid Soundtrack...
from The DonnasThe DonnasThe Donnas are an American all-female rock band from Palo Alto, California. They draw inspiration from The Ramones, The Runaways, AC/DC, Bachman–Turner Overdrive and Kiss. Rolling Stone has stated that "the Donnas offer a guileless take on adolescent alienation; they traffic in kicks, not...
and her young sister Emily Robertson) covered "Six Months In a Leaky Boat".