British pop group founded in 1973, featuring Phil Pickett, Georg Kajanus, H… Read Full Bio ↴British pop group founded in 1973, featuring Phil Pickett, Georg Kajanus, Henry Marsh and Grant Serpell. The band was still performing in 2007, albeit with personnel changes.

The group's musical line-up incorporates such diverse instruments as mandolins, glockenspiels, accordion, military bass-drum, and the legendary Nickelodeon, an extraordinary instrument designed and built for the purpose of delivering Sailor's definitive sound.

Their first album, released in 1974, included the hit "Traffic Jam". The album achieved Gold status in Holland. But it was the second album "Trouble" that established Sailor throughout the world. "A Glass of Champagne" was a massive hit throughout the world in 1975, followed by "Girls Girls Girls" in 1976.

The original line-up changed regularly from the end of the 1970s. In 1980 Phil and Henry released a new album together with Gavin David and Virginia David. In 1989 a new album was released after a ten year silence, featuring two singles "The Secretary" and "La Cumbia", so after a long gap they went back on tour again. In 1995 Georg Kajanus departed the band to pursue a solo career, leading to the introduction of Peter Lincoln, a respected guitarist and singer. Original member Henry Marsh left the band in late 1999, to be replaced by Anthony England. He was replaced in turn by Rob Alderton in 2001.

In 2004 Sailor were voted the 45th most successful pop band of the last 40 years in Germany.

In July 2005 Rob Alderton departed, but a few weeks later, original member Henry Marsh returned to his place at the Nickelodeon. In 2006 Peter Lincoln decided to leave after ten years to join The Sweet. Afterwards, Henry's son Oliver Marsh joined the band as their new singer to continue the journey...

Coconut
Sailor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Kajanus

Every day, down by the water, a girl leaves her bamboo hut
Climbing up a ladder to a palm tree for a coconut
Oh--coconut
Oh--coconut
So I went a little bit closer, looking up the tree
And I asked if she would be willing to pick one for me

Oh--coconut
Oh--coconut
Well, she said that I was a bad boy
And don't give me bother
And that she was only allowed to
Pick for her father
Oh--coconut
Oh--coconut
But next day, I was a lot wiser, I went up the tree
And after she had climbed up the ladder,
I kicked it down you see!
Oh--coconut
Oh--coconut

Oh--coconut
Oh--coconut

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sailor's song Coconut paint a picture of a man who is infatuated with a girl he sees every day by the water. She climbs a ladder to a palm tree and picks coconuts, and the man attempts to get closer to her by requesting she pick one for him. However, the girl rebuffs him and tells him she is only allowed to pick coconuts for her father. Undeterred, the man decides to take matters into his own hands the next day and kicks the ladder down after the girl climbs up the tree. The song ends with the repetition of the word "coconut."

Line by Line Meaning

Every day, down by the water, a girl leaves her bamboo hut
A girl who lives by the water leaves her bamboo hut every day

Climbing up a ladder to a palm tree for a coconut
She climbs a ladder to a palm tree to get a coconut

Oh--coconut
Repeating 'coconut' as a hook

So I went a little bit closer, looking up the tree
The artist approached and looked up the tree

And I asked if she would be willing to pick one for me
The artist asked the girl to get him a coconut

Well, she said that I was a bad boy
The girl scolded the singer

And don't give me bother
She doesn't want to be bothered

And that she was only allowed to Pick for her father
She could only pick coconuts for her father

But next day, I was a lot wiser, I went up the tree
The artist became wiser and decided to get the coconut himself

And after she had climbed up the ladder, I kicked it down you see!
The girl climbed the ladder, and then the artist kicked it down to get the coconut

Oh--coconut
Repeating 'coconut' as a hook