Dreamboat Annie by Heart

Album: Dreamboat Annie (1975)

Charted: 42

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The title track to Heart's debut album, "Dreamboat Annie" was written by the group leaders, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. Three different versions of the song appear on the album, forming a loose concept about a young girl (Annie) whose world is rich with possibility. When we meet her, she's on the seaside in the morning sun, caressed by the wind. Later, she's on a city sidewalk, lost in the crowd. The ending is ambiguous, with Annie "heading out to somewhere."
The three versions on the album are "Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child)" (track #2, 1:10), "Dreamboat Annie" (track #5, 2:02), and "Dreamboat Annie (Reprise)" (track #10 3:50). Each starts with these lines:

Heading out this morning, into the sun
Riding on the diamond waves, little darlin' one
Warm wind caress her, her lover it seems
Oh Annie, dreamboat Annie, little ship of dreams
Oh Annie, dreamboat Annie, little ship of dreams

The second version and reprise add the lyrics about Annie coming to the city.
In addition to the three versions on the album, a single version, released stand-alone from the album, was also issued. This version first appeared as the B-side to "Crazy On You," then was released as an A-side after Heart gained some renown.
The Dreamboat Annie album was the one which stirred up controversy with Heart's label Mushroom Records. After seeing the sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson on the cover of the album, Mushroom Records ran a full-page ad in Rolling Stone with the caption "it was only their first time," in a sexist and tasteless attempt to characterize the sisters as lesbian lovers.
This is one of three songs Heart played when they entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.

Comments: 9

Stu from KentuckyEasily one of the loveliest songs ever recorded. Only downside is the 2 minute version is too short.
Robert from Sw ColoradoI wonder if the Wilson sisters were some how inspired by the Pink Floyd's 1968 Roger Water's "Julia Dream" ? David Gilmour first song sung, sings "Julia dream, dreamboat queen
Queen of all my dreams". Heart would go on to release 'Little Queen' in 1977.
Cleo from ChicagoI am CAPTIVATED by the bells and banjo in Dreamboat Annie! Genius! Whose idea was that!?!?!
Allen N from Roanoke, VaI love them the first time that I heard them play. (1972) Dream Boat Annie .
I was a young man who loved music and when I heard their music that was all it took to make me a fan for life.
Adam Woodall from VancouverThere was a wreck of a tugboat named "Annie" that landed a ground in English Bay (Vancouver) in 1900. At 5:04 in this youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25_KKdHVHFI
Grey Pilgrim from AzAnne in 1986: “heading out to Subway, won’t be back for a while. Annie, banana boat Annie...”
Vince from CanadaI heard this story a long time ago from a girl who used to live out West and knew the Wilson sisters....

Apparently Anne Wilson was high on something (probably LSD) one afternoon, and was watching TV. The "Steamboat Willie" Mickey Mouse cartoon came on and she'd never seen it before (this was before VHS, DVDs, etc.) and was quite enamoured with it. She later had a drug-heightened dream where she was floating around on a cloud ship, seeing the world from a surrealistic cartoon-like and negative perspective, and when she woke, wrote down the concept of "Dreamboat Annie".

If the story is true, it's essentially a drug-fueled dream sequence about Anne's loneliness and isolation brought on by (and partially named for) a Disney cartoon.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 12th 1976 "Dreamboat Annie" by Heart entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on January 30th, 1970 it peaked at #42 and spent 10 weeks on the Top 100...
Was one of three tracks from their 'Dreamboat Annie' album to make the Top 100 (others were "Magic Man", reached #9, and "Crazy on You" peaked at #35...
The album reached #7 on Billboard's Top 100 Albums chart.
Ed from Canton, OhIs Dreamboat Annie an autobiographical song by Ann Wilson?