Long Boat Pass
Tennis Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Darling you know I love you, I love you,
Oh, oh, o-oh, oh!
I'll stay if you, ask me to, ask me to,
Oh, oh, o-oh, oh!
We spent the night out in your long boat dream
It drains the confidence out of me,
Those little shore boats to expect,
Oh sailor, you had better be good.

Darling you know I love you, I love you.
Oh, oh, o-oh, oh!
I'll stay if you, ask me to, ask me to!
Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Standing there lookin' so sweet,
Tell me that, baby, I'm better than
Oh, oh, oh, oh,

Those steamboats makin' the only sounds
Reminding me that I'm not aground
You know that I will never forget
Those days we spend and could have
Long boat pass, long boat pass,
Let me through is all I ask.
Long boat pass, long boat pass,
Let me through is all I ask.
Please let me through we must drift off to sea
Oh, oh, oh




We must make do though the waves crash my
Oh, oh, oh, oh!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Tennis's song Long Boat Pass speak to the vulnerability and dependency the singer feels in a relationship. The repetition of "Darling you know I love you, I love you" is both a declaration of love and a plea for acceptance and security. The line "I'll stay if you ask me to" shows the singer's willingness to be controlled by their partner in exchange for love and protection.


The imagery of spending the night out in a long boat dream is both romantic and disorienting - the boat is a place of intimacy and escape, but also a source of anxiety that drains the singer's confidence. The mention of little shore boats to expect and the warning to the sailor to be good suggests the potential for danger and mistrust in the relationship.


The second verse introduces a sense of competition and insecurity as the singer asks their partner to confirm their superiority to others. The mention of steamboats making the only sounds and the reminder that the singer is not aground highlights the isolation and fragility of their situation. The repetition of "Long boat pass, let me through is all I ask" emphasizes the importance of trust and acceptance in the relationship, as the singer pleads for permission to move forward together through life's challenges.


Overall, the lyrics to Long Boat Pass depict a relationship that is both loving and fraught with uncertainty, as the singer struggles to navigate the complexities of dependence and trust.


Line by Line Meaning

Darling you know I love you, I love you,
I deeply love you and want you to know that.


Oh, oh, o-oh, oh!
Expressing love and affection in a lyrical way.


I'll stay if you, ask me to, ask me to,
I am willing to stick around and be by your side if you ask me to do so.


We spent the night out in your long boat dream
We spent the night on a boat that represents your dream.


It drains the confidence out of me,
Being on this boat makes me feel uncertain and vulnerable.


Those little shore boats to expect,
There might be other boats around that we need to be aware of.


Oh sailor, you had better be good.
We are counting on the sailor's skills to keep us safe and navigate us through this journey.


Standing there lookin' so sweet,
You look absolutely lovely right now.


Tell me that, baby, I'm better than
Please tell me that I am good enough for you.


Those steamboats makin' the only sounds
The only sounds we hear are from other boats passing by.


Reminding me that I'm not aground
The sounds of other boats remind me that we are not stranded or stuck.


You know that I will never forget
I will remember this experience forever.


Those days we spend and could have
Remembering the potential opportunities we had together.


Long boat pass, long boat pass,
We are requesting permission to pass through this area on our long boat.


Let me through is all I ask.
Please let us pass so we can continue on our journey.


Please let me through we must drift off to sea
We need to continue moving out to sea in order to fulfill our shared dreams and goals.


Oh, oh, oh
Repeating the same lyrical expression of love and affection.


We must make do though the waves crash my
We need to persevere and make the best of difficult situations, even if the waves seem to be crashing against us.


Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Repeating the same lyrical expression of love and affection.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alaina Moore-Riley, Patrick Riley

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found