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Sail Away Lyrics

Artist: Randy Newman
Album: Sail Away

In America you'll get food to eat
Won't have to run through the jungle
And scuff up your feet
You'll just sing about Jesus and drink wine all day
It's great to be an American

Ain't no lions or tigers ain't no mamba snake
Just the sweet watermelon and the buckwheat cake
Ev'rybody is as happy as a man can be
Climb aboard little wog sail away with me

CHORUS
Sail away sail away
We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay
Sail away-sail away
We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay

In America every man is free
To take care of his home and his family
You'll be as happy as a monkey in a monkey tree
You're all gonna be an American

CHORUS

Comments/Interpretations

by mr norrell on 7/8/2008 11:21pm
The last line of the third verse should read "You're all gonna be in America."

by pj larson on 7/22/2008 12:27pm
its about slaves

by george on 12/2/2008 9:45pm
If you want to get "picky" there are not tigers in Africa.

He should have used "lions or cheetahs"...

Since the song is nearly 40 years old - I'm sure he's been told this.

by bobh on 11/25/2010 8:54pm
its about slave owners

by dave on 12/10/2010 11:36am
In reference to the "tiger" fallacy, it's just another of Newman's brilliant lyrical trick, underscoring the ignorance of the narrator and revealing his true evil intentions.

by harry on 3/21/2011 4:27pm
@mr norrell, no, the lyrics as given are correct, confirmed by the Randy Newman Anthology songbook.

by Edvado on 6/11/2011 5:38pm
Of course, it's not about slaves, but more accurately the men sent to capture them, and the lies they told these little "wogs" to trap them into a life of slavery.

by Doug on 6/26/2011 1:43am
Um, I don't think the Slaves were being trapped by promises of wealth, they were just being trapped and sold , often by many of their own rival tribesmen , to enhance their wealth.

Newman is off the wall with this nonsense of con men slavers recriuting them with grand visions of a prosperous America. That's nutty.

by ostrich on 10/14/2011 4:17pm
...then again, it's a song--not a work of historical non-fiction.

by Dude on 10/18/2011 12:11pm
Why do I get a feeling it turned in to a british forum ?