The Real Meaning Behind Old Dominion's 'I Was On A Boat That Day'

With the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, we're in need of comforting music now more than ever. And fortunately, there has been a slew of feel-good country bops to hit radio waves ever since mid-2020. From Zac Brown Band's "Same Boat" to Florida Georgia Line and Chase Rice's "Drinkin' Beer. Talkin' God. Amen," these songs reflect what many of us have been up to in quarantine — and what we've realized is most important in life (unity, family, friends). And listeners are clearly vibing with the lyrics they're hearing, because Bloomberg reported that the country music genre has been enjoying a resurgence as of June 2020.

Also falling into this category of upbeat country songs is Old Dominion's "I Was On A Boat That Day," which dropped in May. While the tune isn't as hopeful as the message behind Luke Combs' "Six Feet Apart," for example, it meshes with other lighthearted songs that remind listeners to kick back, relax, and still manage to have a little fun in life, even in the midst of hardship. However, "I Was On A Boat That Day" almost didn't happen. Lead singer Matt Ramsey told 101.3 KFDI that it had been in the works for a good six years or so but only recently came to life. "I don't know how many times we decided not to write this song," he said. But when in a songwriting session in North Carolina, "We realized it wasn't a joke title but a really fun title." Let's take a closer look at the song's origins.

There's no shortage of heartbreak anthems in country music, but Old Dominion's "I Was On A Boat That Day" takes a funny approach as opposed to heavier one. The hit tells the story of a man fresh off a breakup, who decides to cope by hopping on a boat and watching his worries float away. "He's not really heartbroken in this particular moment," guitarist Brad Tursi said, per Song Facts. "He's on a boat and he's having fun and 'I'll deal with the rest tomorrow.'" Lyrics like, "The river was rolling / I was getting my float on / She was telling me so long / I was already so long gone" underscore the song's lighthearted vibes — especially because they were inspired by a humorous moment IRL. According to Billboard, the team of songwriters were laughing during a writing session in which one person went to the bathroom, and the others joked that he was "getting his float on."

The fun-loving lyrics transcend to the music video too, which shows Old Dominion band members having a blast on set. Singer Matt Ramsey confirmed as much to Country Now, saying, "It was just a way to write a fun song we had no real emotional attachment to. It was just something fun for us to have a good time about ... 'Let's just make each other smile.' And that's what we did."

Old Dominion had fun in other ways, too, in the process of creating "I Was On A Boat That Day." The track features acoustic guitars, plus an accordion — a break from the band's typical musical style, which leans into rock instruments and poppy overtones. But according to the band members, being different isn't necessarily a bad thing. "We have tried to stretch the limits of what it means to be an Old Dominion song, and the more we do things a little differently, the more it kind of spreads what we can do and still sound like us," guitarist Trevor Rosen told Billboard, and Brad Tursi agreed. "This one, we knew it wasn't right on brand, but I don't think we were expecting a lot of people saying, 'It doesn't really sound like it's something you guys do,'" he added.

The final product was inspired by tequila and "a fun kind of crazy mood," Ramsey told WNCY, but at the end of the day, it bears a similar message to other country songs in the post-vaccine COVID era. "I think this character in our story is much like the world that we live in," Rosen told ABC News Radio (via WNCY). "He's trying to get past a tough time. So what better way to do that than to get on a boat and get away from it all?" Maybe, we all just need to take a cue from Old Dominion and find a boat.