Six Months in a Leaky Boat
"Six Months in a Leaky Boat" is a song by New Zealand art rock group Split Enz. It was released in May 1982 as the second single from the group's eighth studio album, Time and Tide. The title is a reference to the time it took pioneers to sail to New Zealand (hence the reference to Aotearoa and The Tyranny of Distance – a history by Geoffrey Blainey), and a metaphor that refers to lead singer Tim Finn's nervous breakdown.
| "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Split Enz | ||||
| from the album Time and Tide | ||||
| B-side | "Fire Drill" | |||
| Released | May 1982 | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock | |||
| Length | 4:21 3:48 (edited version) 3:14 (US edited version) | |||
| Label | Mushroom Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Tim Finn, Split Enz | |||
| Producer(s) | Hugh Padgham, Split Enz | |||
| Split Enz singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" on YouTube | ||||
The song became a top-10 hit in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, going on to be voted the fifth-best New Zealand song ever in the 2001 Australasian Performing Right Association list. Its chart performance was less successful in the United Kingdom, owing to its release during the Falklands War. Despite being recorded prior to the outbreak of the conflict, some in Britain considered the song to be veiled criticism of the war with Argentina. The song was consequently removed from many radio play lists in the United Kingdom, including the BBC, since it was considered that references to leaky boats were inappropriate during the naval action in the war.
At the 1982 Countdown Music Awards the song was nominated for Best Australian Single.