Pontoon put-put with the tape on 10
Dixie cup pink wine in the Labor Day sunshine.
I'm sliding the sunfish up through the wakes
Coming up too quick, making mistakes.

Quiet climb the chrome ladder in the front
While they're all yawning, under the awning.
Astro turf green hot to the touch;
Sneak open the cooler, they've got too much.

Past Taipei, through the Taiwan straits
We sailed on in, me and my mates.
It was my first time running my own ship
But my buddies didn't care they didn't give me no lip,

So many times we've been side by side:
But I never carried a load with so much pride.
You see I'm from Grand Rapids and up my way
We grow the best blueberries in the U.S. of A.

And when we pull into old H.K.
The little markets'll have something special next day.
At dawn I had a scotch and made them switch off the porn
'Cause there's nothing that's dirty about the ocean in the morn.

The radar said nothing and nothing crossed my mind
When they came starboard side up from behind.
Down below deck sip the south island sec
Think when last put in port, I was sorting the sort:

And then a girl caught my eye as she was waving goodbye.
Tell me my dear, I said warm and sincere, who do you know on the ship
And then she curled up her lip:
I don't know no one there yet but just wait see what you get.

Pop the top and drink your drop we'll never go home.
Curse and cry and why oh why we'll never go home.
We'll never go home.
The radar said nothing and nothing crossed my mind

When they came starboard side up from behind.
I never saw them coming even though it was light;
They beat two of my men simply out of spite.
And then they came back to the helm, kicked me over and said

Do what we say or we'll kill you and your men.
I looked back at those pirates with their beady little eyes;
I gathered my courage and I could see their surprise
When I said Go ahead you could cut my throat

But you ain't never getting the cargo of my blueberry boat.
It's sad and it's cold at the bottom of the sea
But at least I got my blueberries with me.


Lyrics submitted by tirhascragoo

Blueberry Boat Lyrics as written by Matthew Friedberger

Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Blueberry Boat song meanings
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23 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment
    I always want to know all of the words to Fiery Furnaces songs. Probably because they make sense, but are so awesome anyway. :) THat being said, I don't really know what this song is about :P
    anna118kon December 20, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    i bet this song has some symbolism and therefore deeper meaning, but i like to think of this song just as a story being told. a ballad kinda. its just oh so cheery sunshine-ish. i love it so much.
    go_pete_goon January 10, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    this song is so self-explanitory! I love it so much!! Lenore is the captain...they encounter pirates...they kill Lenore! It's such a nice story and the music is perfect
    SMUSER17000263on January 15, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Any theories on the role of the girl who's "waving goodbye" and utters the ominous "just wait see what you get?"
    yowza_beanon February 05, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    When I hear this song I always expect him to say she was "waiting to die". I kinda like it that way.
    SMUSER17000263on February 11, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    At very first where it says "Quiet climb the chrome ladder in the front While they’re all yawning, under the awning." It's from the point of view of the pirates. It's talking about how the captain is new at sailing and "H.K." stands for Hong Kong (asia ref w/ taipei and taiwan) which is dangerous water even nowadays (pirates still out there)....... It's really simple. The girl is just warning her of her doom.
    ikefoxon January 24, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    i think the girl waving is an example of how the captain keeps his shipmates minds out of the gutter. he turns off their porn and makes women stay off the boat. check out mapquest and you can find a map of their journey. its sick nasty this song is great, im gonna start listening to more fierry furnaces cause they rock
    robopatroloon February 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    does anyone think the blueberrys represent something or are they just blueberrys
    robopatroloon February 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I like the idea that she's so proud of her role as captain and of her homegrown blueberries that she goes down with them, even though blueberries obviously aren't as valuable as gold or many, many other things. I'm surprised there aren't more comments in general for the Furnaces. So many of their songs tell great little stories like this.
    Spacecowon February 25, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    i've so far thought of the girl waving goodbye as a prostitute, advertising herself for the next time the sailors are in port and sneering at the captain's naievete in thinking she's an innocent sister or girlfriend. if the captain is meant, as i guess, as a female, there's another layer of mockery there.
    you_underwateron March 27, 2006   Link

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