“Get On The Boat” by Prince

“Get On The Boat” is the twelfth and final track on Prince’s 31st studio album, 3121, released on March 21, 2006, on NPG Records. This dynamic track blazes with funk and urgency. It features a wicked horn arrangement, a ferocious beat, and a cold-ass bass line. Prince infuses his vocals with tons of soulful fury and conviction. Támar Davis's strong backing vocals are a great complement to Prince’s gritty lead vocal. And funk titan Maceo Parker ignites a rapturous fire with a powerful sax solo. Prince sweetens the groove with his smooth Latin-tinged piano work, and Ray Monteiro unleashes some nasty funk with a killer trumpet solo. Also, the song boasts a marvelous bridge and some stellar percussion work from Sheila E. 

“Get On The Boat” has a biblical theme of finding spiritual salvation as the Apocalypse nears. It references Noah’s Ark–featured in the Book of Genesis–a colossal vessel of deliverance from an impending cataclysmic global flood. The song urges people of all races, nations, and creeds to come together and board the salvation boat to receive deliverance and redemption in the face of end-of-times tribulation and build a better humanity.

Prince has always had spiritual elements in his music, but they became much more pronounced after he converted to the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith in 2001. He was always searching for a spiritual balance in his art. And this track is a fine example of this quest. It has a clear religious message, but delivered in Prince’s inimitable bold, funky fashion, which prevents it from sounding preachy. 

“Get On The Boat” was written and produced by Prince. He played guitar and keyboards on the track. The other players included Joshua Dunham (bass), Cora Coleman-Dunham (drums), and Sheila E. (percussion). The horn section was comprised of Maceo Parker (saxophone), Greg Boyer (trombone), Ray Monteiro (trumpet), and Candy Dulfer (saxophone). Singer Támar Davis provided backing vocals.

 

3121 has the distinction of being the only Prince album to debut atop the Billboard 200, selling 183,000 copies in its first week. It went on to sell over a million copies worldwide. It was certified gold by the RIAA with sales of more than 500,000 units in the U.S. The collection received five Grammy nominations, including Best R&B Album. “Get On The Boat” was not released as a single. 

Prince  performing "Get On The Boat" on GMA Summer Concert Series on June 16, 2006

"Get On The Boat" is available at Amazon