Saying there's nothing to it
And then lettin' it go by the boards

from Fiona Apple – O' Sailor Lyrics on Rap Genius

they promised her that there will be no trouble at all.

‘go by the boards’ means: 1) to let something be ruined or lost, 2)to have something planned and then not following through

this is a double reference to her career (1st definition) and album being put on the shelf (2nd definition)

To help improve the meaning of these lyrics, visit "O' Sailor" by Fiona Apple Lyrics and leave a comment on the lyrics box