Reader here! A few days ago, Grayson and I were chatting about something odd that happened on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, sailing down on a transatlantic voyage from Barcelona, Spain, to Miami, Florida.
On November 7th, the ship hit rough seas, and began to list. due to what the cruise line described as an unexpected wind gust.”
One person was treated for some minor injuries on Spain’s Canary Islands,but beyond that, everyone was okay.
But there was one thing that stood out about this particular incident, especially is you’re someone who’s into gallows humour.
Several passengers aboard the ship noted a particular song that happened to be playing while the ship was swaying to and fro…
That’s right. Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” The love theme from “TITANIC!” Not what you want to be hearing while you’re trying to stay upright and avoid losing your lunch while a big ol’ ship is bouncing around on the waves!
I’ve taken exactly one cruise in my life, back in late 2011, through the eastern Caribbean. There was some pretty big wave action the first night, but nothing that made my fear for my life. After that, the rest of the voyage was smooth sailing.
But the recent incident on the Royal Caribbean ship got me thinking… When it comes to a trip on the ocean, is there an “anti-playlist?” Songs you just don’t want to hear when you’re sailing the seven seas?
I came up with a few. The funny thing is, I LIKE these songs, but these are NOT tunes I want to hear if things are getting a little dicey in the middle of the ocean.
Number One, the song that inspired this list, and was playing on the recent incident occurred. Definitely not what you want to hear at this particular time!
Number Two, is one you’ll recognize, if you’re a fan of 1970’s disaster flicks. “The Poseidon Adventure” was one of the biggest disaster movies of the era, and Maureen McGovern sang the song that played on the doomed ship, that capsized on New Year’s Eve.
Next up, a bouncy little number by The Police. If your ship’s a rockin’, the last song you want to hear features Sting singing “Sending out an SOS…” over and over again!
The last couple songs I came up with are a couple of great Canadian tunes, including one of my favourite songs from one of my absolute favourite Tragically Hip tunes, inspired, according to the late, great Gord Downie, by the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck, during World War II. The imagery in this one is harrowing…
And, finally, a legendary song by another of Canada’s greatest songsmiths, Gordon Lightfoot, about a tanker lost in Lake Michigan in November 1975. I couldn’t do a list like this, without “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
I also put the question to our AI assistant, and though it came up with some that I did, it noted four others that didn’t immediately spring to my mind.
“Rock You Like a Hurricane” by the Scorpions – We’re all about those easygoing vibes and smooth seas. Save this one for karaoke night on land!
“Sinking Ships” by the Bee Gees – Great band, but maybe not the best choice for our floating paradise. Let’s stick to staying afloat!
“Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid – We adore Disney, but above water is where we want to be right now!
“Come Sail Away” by Styx – A classic, but when we’re already on board, we’re all about enjoying the moment!
What do you think? All I know, is that if I’m enjoying a nice journey on the water, and I hear one of these songs, the DJ might find themselves going overboard!
