Link copied
All the lyrics, meaning and story for the nostalgic title-track to Kenny Chesney's 2026 album, ‘Silver Sands Marina’.
- Song Silver Sands Marina
- Lyrics“Silver Sands Marina, bicycles were leaned up
Autumn on the trees, skinny margarita
Hanging in your hand, something strong in mine
You were looking at the view, I was looking at your eyes
-
The sand was kinda wet 'cause it rained all afternoon... - Artist(s)
- Album Silver Sands Marina
- Released June 24, 2026
- Label HEY NOW Records
- Songwriter(s) Johnny Clawson, Kyle Sturrock
- Producer(s) Kenny Chesney, Buddy Cannon
The Background
Arriving in June 24th as the second single from Chesney's 2026 studio album of the same name, ‘Silver Sands Marina’ finds the Knoxville native painting a vivid picture of a fleeting romance between two wandering souls in Lake Winnipesaukee.
Penned by Johnny Clawson and Kyle Sturrock, it was inspired by the real Silver Sands Marina in New Hampshire, with the tale unfurling as a brief but beautiful vignette or a faded, sentimental postcard, as the two former lovers reflect on their afternoon together.
It was reportedly a late addition to the album, but such a vital one to the overall tapestry that the ‘I Go Back’ hitmaker decided to rename the project in the song's honour. Although it's not based on a real event in Chesney's life, there's a universally accessible message in the nostalgic spirit of the song. He brings the story to life in the official music video, which was filmed at the real-life Silver Sands Marina.
The Sound
A guitar-driven ode, Chesney's honeyed vocals drift easily across the cushioning composition, with the instrumental building in intensity as our protagonist gradually decides to let the memories come flooding in. It's an undulating track, with Chesney's laid-back vocals capturing the unmistakably fond yet wistful mood.
The Meaning
‘Silver Sands Marina’ finds a narrator piecing together the rainy afternoon romance they once enjoyed while on holiday in New Hampshire. He paints a warm, rose-tinted picture of a bar on the lakefront, as he crosses paths with someone who makes his “world stand still”. As the boats float happily in the harbour, they fall for one another, with our protagonist promising that he'll never forget that night.
The next morning, the woman he's just met has to leave for an early flight back home to West Virginia. They get their movie-moment farewell kiss, with the narrator deciding to throw a keepsake Silver Sands Marina mug into his suitcase as a memento. It's evident from the way in which he recalls the encounter that this was no one-night-stand, rather, it was a fleeting collision of two kindred souls.
What has Kenny Chesney said about ‘Silver Sands Marina’?
When reflecting on the meaning behind ‘Silver Sands Marina’, Chesney explains, “When you hear the song, it’s so perfectly drawn, you almost can’t believe it’s real. But, of course, it is a real place - located on Lake Winnipesaukee - where generations of families and friends have tied up their boats, checked in, enjoyed the water and being together. You can feel all the happiness and fun people have had there the moment you step on the property”.
In another statement, Chesney muses, ““It is such a well-written song,” Chesney says. “You can smell the fall in the air, the lake and that solitude. Everyone’s so busy rushing, you miss most of the small details – and everything that happens around them. But in ‘SilverSandsMarina,’ not only do the details hold the song in place, they remind you that the magic happens in the simplest, realest places: you just have to be open to letting it happen.”
For the full lyrics to Kenny Chesney's ‘Silver Sands Marina’, see below:
“Silver Sands Marina, bicycles were leaned up
Autumn on the trees, skinny margarita
Hanging in your hand, something strong in mine
You were looking at the view, I was looking at your eyes
-
The sand was kinda wet 'cause it rained all afternoon
Left the sky painted red and orange and blue
Only knew you half a day, but I was basically a goner
Just the two of us and the boats out on the water
-
And you kissed me slow
I swear it made the world stand still
You said, "Don't forget this moment"
Oh, I never did, never will
It's like a postcard photograph hanging in the back of my mind
I still think about it time to time to time to time
-
Silver Sands Marina, you woke up in my arms
The twenty-dollar blinds couldn't keep the motel dark
Home was West Virginia, you had an early flight
Your ride was pulling up, I tried to say goodbye
-
But you kissed me slow
I swear it made the world stand still
You said, "Don't forget about me"
Oh, I never did, never will
It's like a postcard photograph hanging in the back of my mind
I still think about it time to time to time to time
-
Time to time to time
Time to time to time
I still think about it
-
Silver Sands Marina, it says it on the mug
That I threw in my suitcase when I was packing up
It don't remind me of the lake or the pink paint on the wall
Just you and them twenty-four hours last fall
-
When you kissed me slow
I swear it made the world stand still
You said, "Don't forget this moment"
As if I ever could, ever would, never did, never will
It's a postcard photograph hanging in the back of my mind
I still think about it time to time to time to time
-
Time to time to time
Time to time to time
I still think about it time to time to time”
