Music prompt mind, Six months in a leaky boat.
Cruising down the freeway—feeling that fleeting “free” way vibe—I had Split Enz’s “Six Months in a Leaky Boat” blasting through my speakers. The wind was whipping, the lyrics were hitting, but as usual, my brain played its favorite game: swapping out half-heard words for whatever nonsense felt right. Did I catch every line? Hell no. But the ones I mangled sparked something raw and real. This piece? It’s what spilled out from that drive—maybe not a perfect cover of the song, but my own messy, honest riff on it.
Life’s a Leaky Boat, and We’re All Soaked
You ever feel like you’re stuck in a rickety boat that’s springing leaks faster than you can curse? Yeah, me too. Split Enz nailed it with their song “Six Months in a Leaky Boat”—a jaunty little ditty that’s basically a middle finger to life’s relentless chaos. It’s all there: the dreams of sailing free, the storms that laugh at your plans, and the soggy realization that your boat’s falling apart while you’re still in it. So, let’s talk about that, shall we? Life, leaks, and the absurd ways we deal with it all.
Picture this: we’re all crammed in the same creaky vessel, water sloshing at our ankles. Some folks are bailing like their lives depend on it—spoons, buckets, sheer panic. Others? They’re just vibing, sipping a warm beer, muttering, “Man, the ocean’s got some sparkle today.” Then there’s me, classic dumbass move, spotting the hole in the hull—water gushing in, soaking my sneakers—and thinking, I got this. I dive in, jam my finger in the gap like I’m some kinda hero. Splinters? Sure. Help? Ha, nope. Nobody gives a rat’s ass. So there I am, finger stuck, boat still sinking, looking around like, Really?
Eventually, I just yanked my hand free. Screw it. Let the damn thing sink. And—plot twist—nobody cared. Not a single soul batted an eye. The boat’s still leaking, my shirt’s drenched, and I’m shivering like a wet dog. I hate being cold, so I bail anyway, all while screaming into the void, “What the hell did I do to deserve this?!” It’s like the song says: “I just spent six months in a leaky boat, lucky just to keep afloat.” Six months? Try a lifetime, Split Enz.
The raw truth? It’s all coming apart—seams splitting, dreams unraveling like a cheap sweater. We’re all in this same busted boat, and sure, there are other boats out there. Shinier ones, maybe. But don’t kid yourself—they’re leaking too. They just haven’t noticed the water creeping up yet. Me? I’m not gonna be the jerk to point it out. Let ‘em enjoy their dry socks while they last.
The song’s got this cheeky defiance, though, that I can’t help but love. “There’s a wind in my sails, will protect and prevail.” It’s like, yeah, the boat’s a mess, love’s a shipwreck, and the world’s a cruel bastard sometimes, but screw it—keep sailing. I mean, what else you gonna do? Cry about it? Okay, maybe a little. But then you grab a bucket, or you don’t, and you keep going. That’s the real, slightly unhinged beauty of it. We’re all out here, bailing or vibing or just staring at the hole, and somehow, we’re still afloat.
So, here’s to the leaky boat life—where the water’s cold, the hull’s cracked, and we’re all just trying not to sink. Like the song says, “Nothing to it, leaky boat.” Ain’t that the truth?
LYRICS:
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
BB Grey--musings 
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