Songs About Boats Ships & Sailing

The smell of the ocean breeze reflecting off the waves, the wind feathering through your hair, the sails flapping in the wind – All reminiscent of a great way to spend a laid-back day cooling down and mellowing out – Be it on a sailboat or a houseboat. Sound like a plan? How ’bout some tunes to complement the feeling.

Maybe your plans are a little more formal and you’re heading out on a week or longer cruise to the islands or up to Alaska or Canada. Or for the real adventurer, even to the Caribbean or Mediterranean for an elite getaway.

In any event, music always helps make for a smoother journey. Here you will find songs from all eras and genres that mention boats, ships, cruises, sails, sailing, yachting, etc. in the title or prominently throughout the lyrics. This should help you build a pretty decent playlist for your mp3 or burn for your cd to take with you. And hey, if all else fails, at least you can put on tropical theme at your next pool party or get together on the beach, and let the music take you on a “mental journey” away from it all.

Enjoy! – Bon Voyage! 🙂

1. Banana Boat (Day-O) – Harry Belafonte
2. Big Boat – Peter Paul & Mary
3. Boat Drinks – Jimmy Buffett
4. Boats Against The Current – Eric Carmen
5. Boats To Build – Guy Clark
6. Boats To Build – Alan Jackson
7. Beyond The Sea – Bobby Darin
8. Brandy – The Looking Glass
9. Calypso – John Denver
10. Closer To Home/I’m You’re Captain – Grand Funk Railroad
11. Come On Down To My Boat – Every Mother’s Son
12. Come Sail Away – Styx
13. Crystal Ship – The Doors
14. Dock of The Bay – Otis Redding
15. Downeaster Alexa – Billy Joel
16. Drive (For Daddy Gene) – Alan Jackson
17. Dreamboat Annie – Heart
18. Ghosts of Cape Horn – Gordon Lightfoot
19. Gilligan’s Island Theme – TV Theme
20. Harbor Lights – Sammy Kaye & His Orchestra
21. Harbor Lights – Bing Crosby
22. Harbor Lights – The Platters
23. If I Had A Boat – Lyle Lovett
24. I’m On A Boat – Lonely Island
25. Key Largo – Bertie Higgins
26. The Last Farewell – Roger Whittaker
27. Longer Boats – Cat Stevens
28. Lost Sailor – Grateful Dead
29. Love Boat – TV Theme
30. Michael (Row Your Boat Ashore) – Highwaymen
31. Night Boat To Cairo – Madness
32. On A Slow Boat To China – Kay Kyser & His Orchestra
33. On The Good Ship Lollipop – Shirley Temple
34. One Particular Harbor – Jimmy Buffett
35. Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) – Enya
36. Pirate Looks At Forty – Jimmy Buffett
37. PT 109 – Jimmy Dean
38. The River – Garth Brooks
39. Rock The Boat – Hues Corporation
40. Red Sails In The Sunset – Guy Lombardo & His Orchestra
41. Red Sails In The Sunset – Bing Crosby
42. Red Sails In The Sunset – The Platters
43. Redneck Yacht Club – Craig Morgan
44. Ride Captain Ride – Blues Image
45. Row Row Row Your Boat – (traditional folk song)
46. Sail Along Silvery Moon – Bing Crosby
47. Sail Along Silvery Moon – Billy Vaughn & His Orchestra
48. Sail Away – Randy Newman
49. Sail Away – Oak Ridge Boys
50. Sail Boat In The Sky – Guy Lombardo & His Orchestra



51. Sail On – The Commodores
52. Sail On – Tom Grant
53. Sail On Sailor – Beach Boys
54. Sailboat In The Moonlight – Guy Lombardo & His Orchestra
55. Sailboat In The Moonlight – Billie Holiday
56. Sailin’ Around – John Prine
57. Sailin’ Away On The Henry Clay – American Quartet
58. Sailin’ Shoes – Little Feat
59. Sailing – Rod Stewart
60. Sailing – Christopher Cross
61. Sailing Away – Chris DeBurgh
62. Sailing Down The Chesapeake Bay – Henry Burr & Albert Campbell
63. Sailing On The Robert E. Lee – Ray Noble
64. Sailing On The Seven Seas – Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark (OMD)
65. Sailing To Paradise – Pablo Cruise
66. Sailor (Your Home Is The Sea) – Lolita
67. Sailor Man – Johnnie & Jack
68. Sea Cruise – Frankie Ford
69. Ship In The Bottle – Stonewall Jackson
70. Ship of Fools – The Doors
71. Ship of Fools – Robert Plant
72. Ship of Fools – Erasure
73. Ship of Fools (Save Me From Tomorrow) – World Party
74. Ship To Shore – Chris DeBurgh
75. Ship Without A Sail – Ella Fitzgerald
76. Shipbuilding – Elvis Costello
77. Ships – Barry Manilow
78. Ships That Don’t Come In – Joe Diffie
79. Sink The Bismarck – Johnny Horton
80. Sinking of The Reuben James – Woodie Guthrie
81. Sinking of The Reuben James – Kingston Trio
82. Six Months In A Leaky Boat – Split Enz
83. Shrimp Boats – Jo Stafford
84. Sloop John B – Beach Boys
85. Sloop John B – Kingston Trio
86. Smooth Sailin’ – TG Sheppard
87. Son of A Son of A Sailor – Jimmy Buffett
88. Southern Cross – Crosby Stills & Nash
89. Trains & Boats & Planes – Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas
90. Two Pina Coladas – Garth Brooks
91. When My Dreamboat Comes Home – Fats Domino
92. When My Ship Comes In – Clint Black
93. When The Ship Comes In – Bob Dylan
94. When The Ship Hit The Sand – Little Jimmie Dickens
95. Wooden Ships – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
96. Wooden Ships – Jefferson Airplane
97. Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald – Gordon Lightfoot
98. Yellow Submarine – The Beatles

Here are a few more song posts with related travel themes on this site:

Islands In The Sun – Songs With A Tropical Theme

Songs About Airplanes & Flying

Songs About Trains – All Aboard!

Songs About Sun & Sunshine