“Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” is a song written by Frank Loesser and published in 1950. The song was introduced in the Broadway musical, Guys and Dolls, which opened at the 46th Street Theatre on November 24, 1950. In the context of the show, ‘Sit down, you’re rocking the boat’ is a deep in act new song. And it’s the song where everything is coming to a head. It’s the song where, it’s supposed to show that the gamblers have been reformed so Sky Masterson can get the girl and also to save the mission from being closed for not enough sinners coming in being reformed. So there’s a lot at stake in this song and I think that is an important thing to note. Even though it’s a bit of a frivolous song, there’s something at stake.
“Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ The Boat” is the kind of show-stopping number that audiences eagerly await. Often occurring towards the end of the second act, these numbers are commonly referred to as “11 o’clock numbers,” since, in a lengthy Broadway show, such numbers would be performed at around 11 pm. 11 o’clock numbers are traditionally moments of revelation for the main character, where everything they’ve been struggling with throughout the show becomes clear. Gambler Nicely-Nicely Johnson invents a dream about being saved from hell in order to bring together the members of the prayer meeting. It was performed on stage by Stubby Kaye who later reprised his role as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the 1953 London production, as well as the 1955 film version of the play.
What makes “Sit Down, You’re Rocking’ The Boat” unusual in that none of the four leads sing the song. Instead, the number goes to Nicely Nicely, a minor character, and seems to have nothing to do with any of the leads’ arcs. The song takes place during the meeting in the Mission Sky has arranged, after winning the gamblers souls in a bet. When confronted by a suspicious police officer, the gamblers are forced to publicly testify. Nicely Nicely’s testimony takes the form of an explosive ensemble number, “Sit Down, You’re Rocking’ The Boat.” The song certainly plays a role in terms of plot, as it helps convince the police officer that the gamblers are there for a genuine Mission meeting, which in terms helps Sky save the Mission. But it’s not the moment of revelation for a principle character an 11 o’clock number generally is.
The song was recorded by Harpers Bizarre for their third album, The Secret Life of Harpers Bizarre. A cover of the song by Don Henley was featured in the soundtrack of the 1992 film, Leap of Faith, and hit number 13 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart in 1993. James Taylor released a cover on his 2020 album, American Standard. Jennifer Nettles covered the song on her 2021 album, Always Like New.
“Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” was performed in the pilot episode of the show Glee in 2009, and then redone in the season 3 finale, “Goodbye,” although it was never released as a single or on any album. It is sung by Artie Abrams with New Directions singing backup, each of whom can audibly be heard in the background. Mac performs part of “Sit Down, You’re Rocking’ the Boat” a Church cruise in Season 11, Episode 9 of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia “The Gang Goes to Hell (Part One).” The song was sung in the movie, The Finest Hours. The 1979 novel And the Devil Will Drag You Under by Jack Chalker takes its title from a line in “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat.”
