“Drop the Pilot” by Joan Armatrading
by Amanda London· Published · Updated
The titular metaphor is one which Joan Armatrading developed herself. And what it means, based on her own explanation, is she telling the addressee not to go out with a certain person and go out with her instead.
');var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; })();In other words, she is encouraging the recipient of the lyrics to dump his current love and to date her instead. And she uses other colorful wording to point to this selfsame fundamental idea.
Apparently there has been some confusion concerning this song in terms of its pronoun usage. Well actually, there aren’t any pronouns used in relation to the addressee. But still, some people have interpreted it as Armatrading addressing a potential lesbian lover.
However, she has clarified that whereas the lyrics are apparently intentionally gender neutral, it is not to imply that she is a female trying to pick up another lady. Rather it’s more like she also wanted the song to be applicable, even if it were being relayed by a male.
Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading was born in the Caribbean but for the most part grew up in the United Kingdom. She developed a natural interest in creating music during her early teens, and her mom did what she could to support her in that regard. And Joan went on to become professionally active, in a local capacity, at the age of 16.
');var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; })();Armatrading’s introduction to an international audience came shortly thereafter, when she was in her early twenties, via her debut album, Whatever’s for Us. However, it wasn’t until her third album, the self-titled Joan Armatrading came out in 1976, that she scored a hit with “Love and Affection”, her first single to appear on the UK Singles Chart. The track peaked at number 10 on said listing. And the album itself reached 12th place on the UK Albums Chart.
“Drop the Pilot”
Between 1972 and 2018 Joan would go on to release 19 studio albums. “Drop the Pilot” is from the eighth of those efforts, 1983’s The Key, which received a couple of Grammy nominations.
And the song itself was a big part of the album’s critical success. For instance “Drop the Pilot”, which was officially released on 28 February 1983 by A&M Records, serves as the only time Joan actually made it onto the Billboard Hot 100.
It also represents the sole occurrence of the songstress topping South Africa’s Springbok chart. Additionally the tune performed impressively on the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at number 11.
Writing Credits
Joan wrote this song, intentionally setting out to pen a pop hit. And it was produced by Val Garay, who achieved his most-notable successes working alongside Kim Carnes during the early 1980s.
