"Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" is a

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...

written by

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

and published in 1950. The song was introduced in the Broadway musical, ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

'', which opened at the 46th Street Theatre on November 24, 1950. In the context of the show, gambler Nicely-Nicely Johnson invents a dream about being saved from hell in order to bring together the members of the prayer meeting. It was performed on stage by

Stubby Kaye Bernard Solomon Kotzin (November 11, 1918 – December 14, 1997), known as Stubby Kaye, was an American actor, comedian, vaudevillian, and singer, known for his appearances on Broadway and in film musicals. Kaye originated the roles of Nicely-Ni ...

who later reprised his role as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the 1953 London production, as well as the 1955 film version of the play. The song is generally considered to be the 11 o'clock number in ''Guys and Dolls''.

Notable Recordings

*The song was recorded by

Harpers Bizarre Harpers Bizarre was an American sunshine pop band of the 1960s, best known for their Broadway/sunshine pop sound and their cover of Simon & Garfunkel's " The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)." Career Harpers Bizarre was formed out of t ...

for their third album, ''

The Secret Life of Harpers Bizarre ''The Secret Life of Harpers Bizarre'' is an album by Harpers Bizarre, released in September 1968. Two bonus tracks were added to the 2001 Sundazed CD reissue of this title. They had previously been the two sides of a single: "Both Sides Now" ...

''. *A cover of the song by Don Henley was featured in the soundtrack of the 1992 film, ''

Leap of Faith A leap of faith, in its most commonly used meaning, is the act of believing in or accepting something outside the boundaries of reason. Overview The phrase is commonly attributed to Søren Kierkegaard; however, he never used the term, as he ...

'', and hit number 13 on '' Billboards

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

chart in 1993. *

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

released a cover on his 2020 album, '' American Standard''. *

Jennifer Nettles Jennifer Odessa Nettles (born September 12, 1974) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and record producer. Nettles is the lead vocalist of the duo Sugarland alongside Kristian Bush, and prior to this she fronted the Atlanta-based band ...

covered the song on her 2021 album, ''

Always Like New ''Always Like New'' is the fourth solo studio album by American singer Jennifer Nettles. It was released on June 25, 2021, and is her first release under Concord Records. Taking inspiration from Broadway, the album consists of cover songs from Broa ...

''.

In Popular Culture

;Television "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" was performed in the pilot episode of the show ''

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

'' in 2009, and then redone in the season 3 finale, "Goodbye," although it was never released as a single or on any album. Mac performs part of "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" a Church cruise in Season 11, Episode 9 of ''

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton that premiered on August 4, 2005 on FX and later FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Char ...

'' "The Gang Goes to Hell (Part One)." ;Films The song was sung in the movie, ''The Finest Hours''. ;Books The 1979 novel "

And the Devil Will Drag You Under ''And the Devil Will Drag You Under'' (1979) is a comic fantasy by American writer Jack Chalker involving an alcoholic demon and two humans he summons to collect the pieces of a mystic artifact that the demon requires to save Earth from an aste ...

" by

Jack Chalker Jack Laurence Chalker (December 17, 1944 – February 11, 2005) was an American science fiction author. Chalker was also a Baltimore City Schools history teacher in Maryland for 12 years, retiring during 1978 to write full-time. He also was a ...

takes its title from a line in "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat."

References

{{Authority control

Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" is a song written by Frank Loesser and published in 1950. The song was introduced in the Broadway musical, '' Guys and Dolls'', which opened at the 46th Street Theatre on November 24, 1950. In the context of the ...

Songs from Guys and Dolls 1950 songs 1992 singles Don Henley songs