Ships in the Night (Mat Kearney song)
| "Ships in the Night" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Mat Kearney | ||||
| from the album Young Love | ||||
| Released | November 2011 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 4:15 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Mat Kearney singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Ships in the Night" on YouTube | ||||
"Ships in the Night" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mat Kearney and the third single from his fourth studio album Young Love (2011). It was written by Kearney himself, Robert Marvin, Joshua Crosby and Jason Lehning and produced by Kearney and Lehning.
Background
In an interview with SheKnows.com, Mat Kearney explained his inspiration behind the song:
Everything [on Young Love] was real. I had to have bled every lyric about my family or about my new marriage. "Ships in the Night" was a current song on the radio and that one — it took me a long time to write. All of the sudden, I got in this fight with my wife on the way to the airport or something and we weren't talking, and then I called her and we were like making up, and I remember pulling out my laptop and like taking notes on our conversation, like "What did you say again?" It just turned into a really cool, special song about two people trying to connect, and it's probably one of my favorite songs on the record.[1]
Composition
The song depicts the narrator in a troubled relationship that has been impacted by his traumatic childhood.[1] It has been described as incorporating "Jason Mraz's hip-hop fusion".[2]
Charts
| Chart (2011–2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 87 |
| US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[4] | 25 |
| US Hot Christian Songs (Billboard)[5] | 10 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ a b Robinson, Kat (October 19, 2012). "Mat Kearney says Young Love reveals painful life lessons". SheKnows.com. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ Johnson, Jared (2011-08-02). "Young Love". Allmusic. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
- ^ "Mat Kearney Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Mat Kearney Chart History: Adult Pop Airplay". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Mat Kearney Chart History: Christian Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "American single certifications – Mat Kearney – Ships in the Night". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 17, 2025.