Sail away

Sail Away

Randy Newman

 

“Sail Away” is representative of Newman’s trademark unconventional and clever approach to songwriting: it takes the form of a “come on” or a “pitch” from an American slave trader to potential slaves. The slaver attempts to convince his listeners to climb aboard his ship and “sail away” with him to America, which he portrays as a land of happiness and plenty.

 

The lyrics contain several subtle references to the extreme ideological dichotomy going on in America at the time of the slave trade. For example, the slaver sings “In America, every man is free,” emphasizing the American ideal of liberty. However, after a caesura he quickly concludes that sentence with “to take care of his home and his family,” implying that every man in fact isn’t “free” in every sense of the word.

 

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

Everybody is as happy as a man can be

Climb aboard little wog sail away with me

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=chaP4MCXp4w

 

 

7 Days of shooting

Week #38

Low saturation

Unusual point of view

 

ODT: Dutch angle

Done