I Was on a Boat That Day

"I Was on a Boat That Day"
Single by Old Dominion
from the album Time, Tequila & Therapy
Released	May 21, 2021 (2021-05-21)
Genre	Country
Length	2:58
Label	RCA Nashville
Songwriter(s)	Brad Tursi Shane McAnally Geoff Sprung Josh Osborne Matthew Ramsey Trevor Rosen Whit Sellers
Producer(s)	Old Dominion Shane McAnally
Old Dominion singles chronology
"Never Be Sorry" (2020) "I Was on a Boat That Day" (2021) "No Hard Feelings" (2021)
Music video
"I Was on a Boat That Day" on YouTube

"I Was on a Boat That Day" is a song recorded by American country music band Old Dominion. It was released on May 21, 2021 as the lead single from their fourth studio album Time, Tequila & Therapy. The song was written by each member of Old Dominion, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, and produced by McAnally and Old Dominion.^[1]

Composition

I Was on a Boat That Day is in the key of B major.

Content

"I Was on a Boat That Day" is a summer party anthem with "joyful ad-libs, raucous instrumentation, and [...] classically Old Dominion rhythms and rhymes".^[2]

Lead vocalist Matthew Ramsey said the idea started around six or seven years ago, he told KFDI: “We were kicking it around for a long time. We’d bring it up and shoot it down I don’t know how many times we decided not to write this song.”^[3]

In a press release, Ramsey mentioned: "When you listen to 'I Was On a Boat That Day' you are hearing us in the full joy of making music together, from the moment I counted the band off we were smiling from beginning to end. The tequila was flowing, the laughter was loud, and we knew in that moment we were creating something that would bring people as much joy as it was bringing us."^[4]

Music video

The music video, directed by Mason Allen, was uploaded on May 21, 2021. Clips show partygoers dancing and smiling, and the band members performing the song on a boat.^[5]

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "I Was on a Boat That Day"

Chart (2021)	Peak position
Australia Country Hot 50 (TMN)[6]	30
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[7]	44
Canada Country (Billboard)[8]	1
US Billboard Hot 100[9]	37
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[10]	9
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11]	8

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "I Was on a Boat That Day"

Chart (2021)	Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[12]	37
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[13]	36

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[14]	Platinum	1,000,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Fields, Taylor (May 21, 2021). "Old Dominion Return With New Summer Anthem 'I Was On A Boat That Day'". iHeartRadio. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
2. Collins, Robyn (May 21, 2021). "Old Dominion Float Into Summer With 'I Was on a Boat That Day' [Listen]". Taste of Country. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
3. Nicholson, Jessica (May 21, 2021). "LISTEN: Old Dominion Releases New Summer Jam "I Was On A Boat That Day"". CMT News. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
4. Parton, Chris (May 21, 2021). "Old Dominion Set a Course for Summer in 'I Was On a Boat That Day'". Sounds Like Nashville. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
5. Lorge, Melinda (June 4, 2021). "Old Dominion Tell The Story Behind Their New Summer Anthem, 'I Was On A Boat That Day'". Country Now. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
6. "Country Hot 50: Issue 1356". The Music Network. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
7. "Old Dominion Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
8. "Old Dominion Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
9. "Old Dominion Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
10. "Old Dominion Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
11. "Old Dominion Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
12. "Country Airplay – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
13. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
14. "American single certifications – Old Dominion – I Was on a Boat That Day". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 25, 2022.