Row Row Row
Ann-Margret & Al Hirt Lyrics
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And all the girlies he would take for a float.
He had girlies on the shore,
Sweet little peaches by the score-
But master Johnny was a wis'un, you know,
His steady girl was Flo
And every Sunday afternoon
She'd jump in his boat
And then he'd row, row, row
Way up the river he would row, row, row
A hug he'd give her
Then he'd kiss her now and then
She would tell him when,
They'd fool around and fool around
And then they'd kiss again.
And then he'd row, row, row
A little further he would go, oh, oh, oh,
Then he'd drop both his oars
Take a few more encores,
And then he'd row, row, row.
And then he'd row, row, row
Way up the river he would row, row, row
A hug he'd give her
Then he'd kiss her now and then
She would tell him when,
They'd fool around and fool around
And then they'd kiss again.
And then he'd row, row, row
A little further he would go, oh, oh, oh,
Then we'll drop both our oars
Take a round of applause,
And then we'll go, go, go.
"Row Row Row" is a playful and suggestive song that tells the story of young Johnny Jones and his escapades with the ladies on his boat. The lyrics paint a picture of Johnny as a smooth operator, the kind of guy who has no trouble attracting girls and taking them for a spin on his boat. However, despite his many conquests, Johnny is most interested in his steady girl, Flo. Every Sunday afternoon, she joins him on his boat and they go for a ride up the river. The song is full of double entendres, with lines like "they'd fool around and fool around / and then they'd kiss again" suggesting that Johnny and Flo's trips up the river are more than just innocent boat rides. The repeated refrain of "row, row, row" adds to the playful and flirtatious tone of the song, and it's easy to imagine young couples dancing and laughing along to it.
The song was originally written in 1912 by James V. Monaco, with lyrics by William Jerome. It was written as a part of a musical revue called "The Hen-Pecks", which was performed in theaters across the United States. Over the years, it has been recorded by many different artists, including Judy Garland, Doris Day, and Bobby Darin. The version by Ann-Margret and Al Hirt, recorded in 1966, is one of the most well-known and popular renditions of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Young Johnny Jones he had a cute little boat
Johnny Jones was a young man who owned a small and attractive boat
And all the girlies he would take for a float.
Johnny would frequently take girls for rides on his boat
He had girlies on the shore,
There were girls waiting for him on the shore
Sweet little peaches by the score-
There were many young, sweet girls waiting for Johnny
But master Johnny was a wis'un, you know,
Johnny was wise in his actions
His steady girl was Flo
Johnny had a steady girlfriend named Flo
And every Sunday afternoon
Every Sunday afternoon without fail
She'd jump in his boat
Flo would quickly and enthusiastically join Johnny in his boat
And they would spoon
They would embrace one another
And then he'd row, row, row
Johnny would begin to row the boat
Way up the river he would row, row, row
They would row the boat far up the river
A hug he'd give her
Johnny would give Flo a romantic hug
Then he'd kiss her now and then
Johnny would occasionally kiss Flo during the boating trip
She would tell him when,
Flo would let Johnny know when she was ready for another kiss
They'd fool around and fool around
They would play around and engage in romantic activities
And then they'd kiss again.
Followed by more romantic kissing
A little further he would go, oh, oh, oh,
Johnny would row the boat a bit further
Then we'll drop both our oars
They would stop rowing altogether
Take a round of applause,
They would receive appreciation from onlookers
And then we'll go, go, go.
Then they would resume their boating escapades again.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: WILLIAM JEROME, JAMES MONACO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind