Talk:Drop the Pilot

What's she on about?
I'd love to know what this song is about - do the lyrics make sense to anyone? --Dweller (talk) 16:23, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

The full lyrics of the song can be found on this website:

http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858640960/

This website is followed by various explanations of the meanings of the lyrics, ranging from some one who considers that the song is about the singer trying to court some one to the explanation that the song is about exploitation of Africa's riches. A different website says that the original use of the term "Drop the Pilot" comes from a "Punch" magazine of the nineteenth century, is using the term "pilot" in sense of the captain of a boat (not an aeroplane) and was actually used about Otto von Bismarck. ACEOREVIVED (talk) 19:54, 2 May 2012 (UTC)

The website I was thinking of was:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/54/messages/157.html

This claims that the original meaning came from a cartoon in Punch, by John Tenniel, about Kaiser Wilhelm II sacking Otto von Bismarck in 1890, and used the phrase "pilot" in the sailing, not flying, sense. ACEOREVIVED (talk) 20:15, 2 May 2012 (UTC)


 * Just my two cents: The singer is trying to persuade her boyfriend to stop constantly trying to control everything and kick other old habits beside that as well, so he can finally let go, relax, and just be for a change. --37.81.29.55 (talk) 07:09, 27 September 2013 (UTC)

See Dropping the Pilot for more information. --Kolya (talk) 22:58, 14 June 2018 (UTC)

How far did the song reach in the charts?
Are you sure it got to Number 11? I have a feeling it got a little higher than that in the UK_Singles_Chart, but I could be wrong. ACEOREVIVED (talk) 19:21, 2 May 2012 (UTC)

OK it does say that the song reached Number 11 on the official website of the UK Singles Chart, which is available on:

http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/joan%20armatrading/

This also says that the song spent a total of ten weeks in the U.K. Singles Chart. ACEOREVIVED (talk) 08:49, 3 May 2012 (UTC)

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