I'm surprised this hasn't been posted yet, maybe it's been done to death?
This is the song though that got me from being an admirer of Katie to a hopeless addict....even though it's not one of my favourites.
I posted a YouTube video (controversially?) of a Katie duet with French TV talent show winner Claire-Marie. I think she's got a beautiful voice (ah, the accent..)

I

f you were a cowboy I would trail you,
If you were a piece of wood I’d nail you to the floor.
If you were a sailboat I would sail you to the shore.
If you were a river I would swim you,
If you were a house I would live in you all my days.
If you were a preacher I’d begin to change my ways.

Sometimes I believe in fate,
But the chances we create,
Always seem to ring more true.
You took a chance on loving me,
I took a chance on loving you.

If I was in jail I know you’d spring me,
If I was a telephone you’d ring me all day long.
If I was in pain I know you’d sing me soothing songs.

Sometimes I believe in fate,
But the chances we create,
Always seem to ring more true.
You took a chance on loving me,
I took a chance on loving you.

If I was hungry you would feed me,
If I was in darkness you would lead me to the light.
If I was a book I know you’d read me every night.

If you were a cowboy I would trail you,
If you were a piece of wood I’d nail you to the floor.
If you were sailboat I would sail you to the shore.

If you were sailboat I would sail you to the shore.

If you were sailboat I would sail you to the shore.

I remember that I waited for Katie almost all the tv show long, and I was really disapointed by the performance of Claire Marie. Moreover, I never watch this poor tv show, and when it came out, fortunately Katie made me forget the long wasted hours It was great to see her in live at the TV.
About If You Were A Sailboat, I think it's a lovely song. Simple, but lovely. And as Katie sings it, that's enough to make me like it

I think everyone was surprised when this was released as the first single due to its lyrics. But in the end it was good move: simply lyrics and melody that is well sung and becomes quickly embed in your head. The fact that its spawned like 10 groups on facebook alone concerning the lyrics in its first month of release shows how catchy the track is.
Not one of my favourites, but a good song nonetheless!!!!

Good job Mike!!!

I was also surpriced, when it was announced to be the first single from Pictures.

But the song is absolutely great. It is very catchy indeed. The melodie is great. The lyrics are great and Katie does an amazing job singing it. It is a song just for well being.

I had to laugh about that alternative version with the different lyrics.

"If you were a football, I'd kick you" - post on Meluniverse. Good times.

Initially, I thought it was a love song, but it's supposedly a song about holding onto someone you love so much that you can't let them go and you'd do anything to hold on, including stalking apparently. That's all a bit psycho.

Do I like this song? Yes. The melodies are the strongest component and best from Pictures. It really captures a special feeling. It's unique enough that they thought to release it as a single and expected it to do well, or comparable to NMB which also had that unique sound.

I remember hearing the song for the very first time. I thought this is it Katies new single???

But then I turned it in an endless loop of my mp3player on my pc and more and more the song grow on me I don't know how often I heard it this time, last summer.

I think it is no typical Melua song but it is an catchy song and many people noticed it is Katie Recently a friend who don't know much songs of Katie told me: "Yes, I know both songs of Katie this one with the bicycles and this one with the cowboy in the beginning!"

i really don't like this song, i still think that these lyrics are totally boring and melody of katie's voice is as graceful as a crawling tank... the only thing that i like in this song, is the music

That seems a bit harsh; Katie's voice as graceful as a crawling tank? I think that might qualify as the worst insult to Katie on the whole forum

A great song. her voice suits well in this song

i wrote that melody of her voice in this song is as graceful as a crawling tank, not her voice

i like her voice, but those lyrics force the melody of singing to be a nightmare... there are some strange moments when katie slows down just to fit the 'frankenstein-lyrics' with this cool tune

You only LIKE her voice ?? That's also harsh !

This is the song that finally made me a Katie fan, after I had seen her perform it at the German TV show "TV Total". The lyrics are certainly a bit questionable, but still it's the best song on the album.

The music alone is quite simple and composed of a standard chord sequence and melody though. Just the fact that it has been written in db minor, makes it a bit sophisticated for those who play it on the piano.

It's the whole that makes up the song. It's a very romantic song about love and maybe also about some strange aspects of it, someone spoke of "stalking". I don't know, might be. In any case there is created a certain suspense by those kind of naiv-ambigious lyrics transported by the sweet melody and the slightly dancing rhythm.

I'm sure anyone who has been on one of the this year concerts will confirm that's a very touching moment when Katie performs If You Were A Sailboat after the first eight songs (directly after Blues In The Night).

who said that? after your post i realized that my sig wasn't displayed, but now it's ok, so you shouldn't have doubts any more...


nirvana played, in many of their songs, just power-chords, but their music was still great, so i don't see any problem with music based on simple melody...

Of course you love it too It was just to be sure And indeed no doubts anymore

Don't get me started on the lyrics. There's a bit of Mike Batt tongue-in-cheek in them which non-Katie fans might not grasp, but I think they are the memorable thing about the song.

I do like the lyrics. Typical Mike Batt lyrics. It is a very romantic love song. Even my wife loves that song!!

But what makes the song special is the melodie and how Katie sings it. That is really brilliant.

I don't think it's supposed to be romantic.

For me it is!!

My opinion:

Thins song is wonderful
I love it.

O.K. that is a wonderful compromise. It is just a wonderful song. You are right, Patrick

I'm not a great fan of that song. In fact i never heard any other on the radio from 'Pictures' so it makes it a top-song from this album in Poland. I think it isn't. It's not so magical like other Katies songs. After all i really enjoy lyrics, it's nice playing with words and a great compilation of many comparisations, my best is 'if you were a piece of wood I'd nail you to the floor'.

Not sure whether you're saying you like the lyrics or not. 'If you were a piece of wood I'd nail you to the floor' is a fantastic, sinister and misunderstood line.

Yes i do, it's not my favourite song but i really like its lyrics.