"Sail Away" is a song by Randy Newman, the title track of his 1972 album.
Lyrics and interpretation
"Sail Away" is representative of Newman's trademark unconventional and clever approach to songwriting: it takes the form of "come on" or "pitch" from an American slaver to his potential future slaves. The slaver attempts to convice his listeners to climb aboard his ship and "sail away" with him to America (specifically Charleston), 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.
Music
The song is written in the key of F major, and performed in that key on the album. The original album recording features an ostinato piano part, played by Newman (who also sings the lyrics), accompanied by a full orchestra (strings, winds and brass) for harmonic and melodic fills. It features a set of relatively simple (for Newman) chord changes in the blues-country-rock-gospel progression that Newman is so well known for.
Significance
"Sail Away" has been widely praised by critics and Newman fans as one of his finest works. It is often cited among the best tracks on one of his best albums. Like many Newman songs, the relative simplicity and "hominess" of the music contrast powerfully with the emotional fortitude of the lyrics. "Sail Away" has been covered by many artists in live performances, notably, Ray Charles, Linda Ronstadt, and Bobby Darin (On his last album before he died, on the Motown label in 1972)
