The song was written and produced in Venice, California by group member Aaron Bruno, with Kenny Carkeet as audio engineer.

"Sail" is the band's most commercially successful song to date, debuting at number 89 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 2011 and spending 20 weeks there before dropping out.

[7] The song's synth-bass section was created on the ATC-1 Tone Chameleon, an external rackmount synthesizer used to recreate classic synth sounds like the Minimoog.

[8] "Sail" opens with lead singer Aaron Bruno running to a house and shutting the blinds, relieved to have escaped from the threat outside.

As the song's final chorus section begins, the house shakes, lights and lamps flicker, and gusts of wind blow.

In July 2010, Austin, Texas, DJ Toby Ryan premiered the song on KROX-FM, with a positive response from listeners.

Due to its extremely unusual longevity, it has become the only song in the history of the Hot 100 to spend a year on the chart without entering the top 20 first.

He concluded that "at a certain point, you realize 'well I did write the song', and I've become used to it to a certain degree, but more than anything I feel like sort of a messenger of some greater methods that was meant to be heard by people in general.

"[7] "Sail" was used as the soundtrack for extreme athlete Jeb Corliss' proximity wingsuit flying video, "Grinding the Crack", uploaded to YouTube in August 2011, which went viral and received over 30 million views.