The band was formed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1972 by Tim Finn, Phil Judd, Mike Chunn, Miles Golding, and Mike Howard, who originally called themselves "Split Ends." They soon changed the spelling to honor their NZ homeland. For much of their career, the band was known for wild costumes and make-up designed by Crombie. For the first phase of their existence, the band played a kind of progressive rock infused with music-hall humor; later they slipped into a quirky new wave style that generated hits worldwide.
Numerous personnel changes have been a defining factor for the Enz. Notable additions include keyboardist Eddie Rayner and percussionist Noel Crombie in 1974, and in 1977 Tim's brother Neil Finn (who would later form Crowded House). The group effectively disbanded in 1984, but in subsequent years have reunited several times for well-received tours including in 1993 for its twentieth anniversary tour and once more for a tour in 2006.
Last.FM occasionally lists scrobbles belonging to a 60s garage band called The Split Ends (from Tampa, FL) if the listener omits the article "The" in their music tags.
Six Months In A Leaky Boat
Split Enz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanted to sail around the world
That's the life for me, living on the sea
Spirit of a sailor, circumnavigates the globe
The lust of a pioneer, will acknowledge no frontier
I remember you by, thunderclap in the sky
Lightning flash, tempers flare,
'round the horn if you dare
Lucky just to keep afloat
Aotearoa, rugged individual
Glisten like a pearl, at the bottom of the world
The tyranny of distance, didn't stop the cavalier
So why should it stop me, I'll conquer and stay free
Ah c'mon all you lads, let's forget and forgive
There's a world to explore, tales to tell back on shore
I just spent six months in a leaky boat
Six months in a leaky boat
Ship-wrecked love can be cruel
Don't be fooled by her kind
There's a wind in my sails
Will protect and prevail
I just spent six months in a leaky boat
Nothing to it leaky boat.
The first verse of Split Enz's "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" introduces the singer as a young boy who dreams of sailing around the world. He has the spirit of a sailor - determined, adventurous, and unafraid of any frontiers. The lyrics "I remember you by, thunderclap in the sky, lightning flash, tempers flare, 'round the horn if you dare" suggest that he is reflecting on a harrowing experience during his journey that may have involved a powerful thunderstorm. The line "Lucky just to keep afloat" emphasizes the reckless nature of the journey and his good fortune to have survived it.
The second verse mentions Aotearoa, which is the Maori name for New Zealand. The singer describes New Zealand as a rugged and isolated place that glistens like a pearl at the bottom of the world. The lyrics "The tyranny of distance didn't stop the cavalier, so why should it stop me, I'll conquer and stay free" suggest that the singer is determined to explore the world despite the geographical distance and isolation that comes with being from New Zealand. The final lines of the verse "Ah c'mon all you lads, let's forget and forgive, there's a world to explore, tales to tell back on shore" invite others to join him on the journey and to forgive any past differences in order to fully embrace the exploration of the world.
The chorus repeats the line "I just spent six months in a leaky boat" several times, representing the singer's persistence in the face of difficult circumstances. The final line "nothing to it leaky boat" serves as a sort of resignation to the challenges of the voyage and reinforces the idea that the singer sees the difficulties as necessary to overcome in order to achieve his goal.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a young boy
As a child, I dreamed of sailing the world
I wanted to sail around the world
My ambition was to circumnavigate the globe
That's the life for me, living on the sea
Living on the ocean is my desired lifestyle
Spirit of a sailor, circumnavigates the globe
I have the determined attitude of a sailor who will sail around the world
The lust of a pioneer, will acknowledge no frontier
My desire for adventure and exploration is limitless
I remember you by, thunderclap in the sky
I associate you with the sound of thunder in the sky
Lightning flash, tempers flare,
I recall unpleasant events when lightning would strike and tempers would rise
'round the horn if you dare
Sailing around the southern tip of South America is a daunting challenge
I just spent six months in a leaky boat
I recently survived six months aboard a poorly constructed vessel
Lucky just to keep afloat
It was fortunate that the boat did not sink
Aotearoa, rugged individual
Referring to New Zealand as a resilient and self-sufficient nation
Glisten like a pearl, at the bottom of the world
New Zealand is a shining gem located at the southern end of the world
The tyranny of distance, didn't stop the cavalier
Despite the long distances involved, adventurous people still undertake journeys to New Zealand
So why should it stop me, I'll conquer and stay free
I will not be deterred by distance, and will overcome any obstacles in order to achieve freedom
Ah c'mon all you lads, let's forget and forgive
Let's put aside any disagreements and enjoy the adventure together
There's a world to explore, tales to tell back on shore
There are many exciting places to visit, and we will have interesting stories to share when we return home
Ship-wrecked love can be cruel
Love in difficult circumstances can be painful
Don't be fooled by her kind
Do not trust someone who may appear friendly or helpful
There's a wind in my sails
I am driven by an inner motivation to succeed
Will protect and prevail
I will defend myself and emerge victorious
I just spent six months in a leaky boat
I am proud to have survived such a challenging experience
Nothing to it leaky boat.
Surviving a leaky boat is no small feat.
Lyrics © PFIVE Entertainment Mexico, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Tim Finn, Nigel Philip Griggs, Anthony Rayner, Geoffrey Crombie, Neil Finn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stevejager8088
When I was a young boy
I wanted to sail around the world
That's the life for me
Living on the sea
Spirit of a sailor
Circumnavigates the globe
The lust of a pioneer
Will acknowledge no frontier
I remember you by, thunderclap in the sky
Lightning flash, tempers flare
'Round the horn if you dare
I just spent six months in a leaky boat
Lucky just to keep afloat
Aotearoa
Rugged individual
Glisten like a pearl
At the bottom of the world
The tyranny of distance
Didn't stop the cavalier
So why should it stop me
I'll conquer and stay free
Ah, c'mon all you lads
Let's forget and forgive
There's a world to explore
Tales to tell back on shore
I just spent six months in a leaky boat
Six months in a leaky boat
Ship-wrecked love can be cruel
Don't be fooled by her kind
There's a wind in my sails
Will protect and prevail
I just spent six months in a leaky boat
Nothing to it leaky boat
@jaroflies3700
When Neil joins in on vocals on the second verse, just feels like the icing on the cake. Great song, great band.
@gmansi
Their voices really sound very good together.
@michaelkiag7176
Doesn t matter how old this song it, it's brilliant, always turns my mood positive in dark times when I hear this masterpiece
@gmansi
@bradthurkle7217
God it’s so hard to believe that Tim Finn turned 70 this year. Where did the decades go man. This song it’s brilliant.
@decafjava8565
Wait what????
@paulsanders860
@decafjava Yeah
@pixl8me
Live, love, lament.. 😅
@bradthurkle7217
@decafjava yep!!! 70 man. Dudes old az now lol mind you I’m 52 in a couple of weeks. But not 70 lol 😂
@benijager1372
What? he should be executed for critizing Maggie with this sh1tty song!