The Story
“It’s Me Or The Boat” was inspired by a real-life story about love, saltwater, and one unforgettable ultimatum. At the heart of the song is a man who finds himself forced to choose between the woman he loves and the boat of his dreams. Like a lot of good coastal stories, it’s funny on the surface, but there’s a little truth underneath. The whole song began with the image of five words written on a yellow Post-it note: “It’s me or the boat.” From there, the story pretty much wrote itself.
Lyrics
They met at a bonfire on All Hallows’ Eve She was dressed up like a gypsy, he wore a t-shirt and jeans She called him her angel, he called her honey pie They vowed to be together and the flame would never die He pined for saltwater and found the boat of his dreams But her aquatic inhibition would cause a lot of friction Then one day she made a final ultimatum Stuck to the window of his run-down Rover Were five little words written on a yellow post-it note… “It’s me or the boat”, that’s what she wrote If he sets the sail high love will never survive If nautical ambition don’t line up with the mission He must give up the boat or he can kiss her goodbye He said let’s sail to Aruba, I’ll teach you to SCUBA But the line had been crossed and the damage had been done That Boston Whaler with an unsinkable hull Was now merely a symbol of a marriage gone cold He pined for saltwater and found the boat of his dreams But her aquatic inhibition would cause a lot of friction Then one day she made her final ultimatum… “It’s me or the boat”, that’s what she wrote If he sets the sail high love will never survive If nautical ambition don’t line up with the mission He must give up the boat or he can kiss her goodbye Now it’s just him and the boat, that’s all she wrote He made his decision, he kissed her goodbye Everyone knows true love always prevails Now pull up the anchor And hoist up the sails