Sail On
Commodores The Lyrics


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Sail on down the line
'Bout a half a mile or so
And I don't really wanna know a
Where you're goin'

Maybe once or twice you see
Time after time I tried a to
To hold on to what we got
But now you're goin'

And I don't mind about the things you're gonna say, Lord
I gave all my money and my time
I know it's a shame
But I'm givin' you back your name, yeah, yeah

Yes I'll be on my way
I won't be back to stay
I guess I'll move along
I'm lookin' for a good time

Sail on down the line
Ain't it funny how the time can go on a
Friends say they told me so
But it doesn't matter

It was plain to see that a
Small town boy like me
Just a wasn't your cup of tea
I was wishful thinkin'

I gave you my heart and I tried to make you happy
And you gave me nothin' in return
You know, it ain't so hard to say
"Would you please just go away," Yeah, yeah

I've thrown away the blues
I'm tired of bein' used
I want everyone to know
I'm lookin' for a good time, good time

Oh, sail on, honey
Good times never felt so good
Sail on, honey
Good times never felt so good




Sail on sugar
Good times never felt so good

Overall Meaning

The song "Sail On" by Commodores is an emotional ballad about the end of a relationship. The lyrics talk about the singer's realization that their partner is leaving and their attempts to hold on to them but ultimately deciding to let them go. The opening lines, "Sail on down the line/Bout a half a mile or so/And I don't really wanna know a/Where you're goin'" imply that the singer is aware that their partner is leaving, but they do not know the destination. This suggests that the singer is already resigned to the fact and ready to let go.


The next verse begins with "Maybe once or twice you see/Time after time I tried a to/To hold on to what we got/But now you're goin'." The singer has tried to hold on to the relationship, but it seems like it was never going to work out. They have given their all but still failed. The line "And I don't mind about the things you're gonna say, Lord/I gave all my money and my time/I know it's a shame/But I'm givin' you back your name, yeah, yeah" shows that the singer is at peace with the decision to let go and hopeful for a better future.


The chorus is repetitive, with the words "Sail on" being the central theme. It is a reminder to the singer to move forward and not to look back. The second verse "Ain't it funny how the time can go on/Friends say they told me so/But it doesn't matter" shows that the singer had ignored the advice of their friends, but now they are ready to accept their mistakes. The verse "I was wishful thinkin'/I gave you my heart and I tried to make you happy/And you gave me nothin' in return/You know, it ain't so hard to say/'Would you please just go away,' Yeah, yeah" is a poignant representation of being misled in love.


In summary, "Sail On" is a beautiful and moving song that showcases the struggle of letting go of a relationship. The lyrics speak about the pain of an ending, the attempts to hold on, and the realization that moving on is the best option.




Line by Line Meaning

Sail on down the line
Just keep moving forward, don't look back


'Bout a half a mile or so
Not too far, not too close - just the right distance


And I don't really wanna know a
I don't need to know where you're going


Where you're goin'
It doesn't matter where you're going, just go


Maybe once or twice you see
I made an effort more than once to try and make things work


Time after time I tried a to
Repeatedly, I made an effort to keep things together


To hold on to what we got
I tried to keep our relationship alive


But now you're goin'
Despite my efforts, you've decided to leave


And I don't mind about the things you're gonna say, Lord
I'm not concerned with the reasons you give for leaving


I gave all my money and my time
I devoted everything I had to you


I know it's a shame
It's unfortunate that things didn't work out


But I'm givin' you back your name, yeah, yeah
I'm letting you go, giving you the freedom to be yourself again


Yes I'll be on my way
I'm leaving, too


I won't be back to stay
I'm not coming back for a long time


I guess I'll move along
I'll find a new place to call home


I'm lookin' for a good time
I'm searching for happiness and fulfillment


Ain't it funny how the time can go on a
Time flies, even in tough situations


Friends say they told me so
People warned me that we weren't a good match


But it doesn't matter
Their warnings are irrelevant now


It was plain to see that a
It was obvious that


Small town boy like me
Someone from a modest background like me


Just a wasn't your cup of tea
I wasn't your ideal partner


I was wishful thinkin'
I was hoping for something that wasn't realistic


I gave you my heart and I tried to make you happy
I deeply cared for you and wanted to see you happy


And you gave me nothin' in return
You didn't reciprocate my love or effort


You know, it ain't so hard to say
It's not difficult to tell me to leave


"Would you please just go away," Yeah, yeah
You could have just asked me to leave instead of dragging things out


I've thrown away the blues
I've let go of my sadness and regrets


I'm tired of bein' used
I'm fed up with feeling used and unappreciated


I want everyone to know
I want people to see that


I'm lookin' for a good time, good time
I'm ready to move on and find happiness again


Oh, sail on, honey
Keep moving forward, honey


Good times never felt so good
I'm optimistic about the future and excited for what's to come


Sail on sugar
Keep going, sugar


Good times never felt so good
I believe that good times are still ahead




Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER YOUNG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@rjam1974

Sad thing Β listening to this. Β We were truly spoiled back then. Β You had Stevie Wonder, Marvin, Lionel, Al Green, Β Bobby Womack that wrote their own lyrics and they also had outstanding talent playing music. Β  Those days and that period is forever gone. Β 

@johndaidone8031

I’m 63 great days

@lindahill5360

I agree. Today's sounds don't agree with the soul. But songs like this one are making a major come back.

@Rick-if5zb

As long as we remember these songs and people they're never really gone. Just pull up some YouTube and reminisce.

@davidbaker8607

Sail back Lionel. We miss you

@gretchenboyd69

Quite a nasty song, but sounds so nice

120 More Replies...

@mackenzieleopeng4272

No autotune....just sheer talent.

@marvinm.messier1120

Agreed. And this stuff is 100% sublime.

@julie.1081

We were blessed with so many brilliant musicians who really understood music & all that that implies.

@paramjitsingh-iv1ef

Debatable. β€πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰β€

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