Every Mother's Son – "Come On Down to My Boat" (1967)

Fish all day, sleep all night

Father never lets her out of his sight

Every Mother’s Son knocked it out of the park with “Come On Down to My Boat,” which climbed all the way to #6 on the Billboard “Hot 100” in July 1967.  

The success of that single – which is being inducted today into the 2 OR 3 LINES “GOLDEN DECADE” HIT SINGLES HALL OF FAME – earned them a guest shot on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the second-best television show of its era.  (What was the best show of that era?  The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., of course.  David McCallum was pretty hot, but he wasn’t as hot as Stephanie Powers.)

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Based on a careful analysis of the lyrics of “Come On Down to My Boat,” 2 or 3 lines has concluded that it’s a very odd song indeed.

Here’s the first verse, which is straightforward enough:

She sits on the dock a-fishin’ in the water

I don’t know her name, she’s the fisherman’s daughter

But things get weird in the second verse:

She smiled so nice like she wants to come with me

But she’s tied to the dock, and she can’t get free

Are we to conclude that her father has tied the fair maiden to the dock?  Apparently so.  (I was once the father of young daughters, and it’s not surprising that her father “never lets her out of his sight.”  But keeping her tied up to the dock?  That seems a bit extreme, mate.)

Every Mother’s Son

The singer of the song could call the po-po and report the father’s cruel and unusual behavior, but decides instead that he will take matters into his own hands when the time is right:

Soon I’m gonna have to get my knife

And cut that rope

Then we can go fishin’ in my little red boat

I have my doubts that fishing is really what’s on the singer’s mind – but maybe I’ve misjudged the fellow.

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Here’s a fun fact about Every Mother’s Son: the group’s keyboard player, Bruce Jay Milner, was in the process of becoming a dentist when “Come On Down to My Boat” was recorded.  

If you live in the Woodstock, New York area and are in need of a dentist, Dr. Bruce is still working.  He calls his practice “Transcend Dental.”  (Get it?)

Dr. Bruce Milner of Transcend Dental

From the Transcend Dental website:

It doesn’t matter whether you listen to classical, rock, folk or jazz.  Bruce listens to it all and sings a Buddhist chant or two on the side.  In the office a gentle flow of music makes its way to ears of every patient.

Being a musician has given Bruce the empathy to make an affordable path for creative people to have dental work performed.  Bruce loves his work and the people he treats.

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Click here to listen to “Come On Down to My Boat,” which was co-written and produced by the late Wes Ferrell – who also co-wrote “Hang On, Snoopy,” which became the official rock song of the state of Ohio in 1985 as a result of the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 16, which reads in part as follows:

WHEREAS, “Hang On Sloopy” is of particular relevance to members of the baby boom generation, who were once dismissed as a bunch of long-haired, crazy kids, but who now are old enough and vote in sufficient numbers to be taken quite seriously . . .

and

WHEREAS, Adoption of this resolution will not take too long, cost the State anything, or affect the quality of life in this State to any appreciable degree, and if we in the legislature just go ahead and pass the darn thing, we can get on with more important stuff. 

Click here to buy “Come On Down to My Boat” from Amazon.