Sailing

Christopher Cross

About Sailing

"Sailing" is a 1980 soft rock song written and recorded by American artist Christopher Cross. It was released in June 1980 as the second single from his eponymous debut album (1979). The song was a success in the United States, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on August 30, 1980, where it stayed for one week. The song also won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Arrangement of the Year, and helped Cross win the Best New Artist award. VH1 named "Sailing" the most "softsational soft rock" song of all time. The song was recorded in 1979, utilizing the 3M Digital Recording System, making it one of the first digitally recorded songs to chart. In his Grammy acceptance speech, Cross acknowledged "Sailing" as his favorite song on the album and that originally it was not meant to be a single. The song was later identified as an archetype of the genre that later became known as yacht rock (Cross and similar artists referred to the style as the West Coast sound at the time). 


Year:
1998
4:16
63 
#2

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Well, it's not far down to paradise, at least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.

It's not far to never-never land, no reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy of innocence again
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.

Sailing takes me away to where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

Fantasy, it gets the best of me
When I'm sailing
All caught up in the reverie, every word is a symphony
Won't you believe me?

Sailing takes me away to where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

Well it's not far back to sanity, at least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.

Sailing takes me away to where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

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Christopher Cross

Christopher Cross (born Christopher Charles Geppert; May 3, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. His debut album earned him five Grammys. He is perhaps best known for his US Top Ten hit songs, "Sailing", "Ride Like the Wind", and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)", the last of which he recorded for the film Arthur starring Dudley Moore. "Sailing" earned three Grammy Awards in 1981, while "Arthur's Theme" won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1981 (with co-composers Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen). more »

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Written by: CARTER BURWELL

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Release
"Sailing" is a soft rock song by Christopher Cross from his debut album released in 1979.
Awards
This song won Cross three Grammy Awards in 1981 for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Arrangement of the Year.
Inspiration
The song was inspired by Cross’s childhood memories of sailing with his father.
Number One
"Sailing" was a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States in 1980.
Worldwide Success
The song was a huge success and became a major international hit, reaching the top 10 in Canada, South Africa, and the Netherlands.
Cover Versions
Numerous artists have covered "Sailing," including NSync, George Benson, Phish, and Avant.
Screen Appearances
The song has been used in many films and TV series like 'The Simpsons', 'Family Guy', 'The Office', and many more.
Rolling Stone Magazine
In 2013, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Sailing" as one of the '20 worst songs of the 1970s' - despite it being such a big hit.
Dedication
The song was dedicated to Cross's high school friend and sailing mate, Hunt 'Tigerbeard' Cartwright.
Music Video
Although it’s difficult to pin down exact timelines, it’s widely believed that the music video for "Sailing" was one of the first ever aired on MTV.
First Album Success
Christopher Cross’s self-titled debut album, which features "Sailing," helped him win the Best New Artist Grammy in 1981. It remains one of the most successful debut albums in Grammy history.

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    Sailing

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1980

    Billboard #1


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