Billy Vaughn was one of the most popular orchestra leaders and pop music ar… Read Full Bio ↴Billy Vaughn was one of the most popular orchestra leaders and pop music arrangers of the '50s and early '60s. In fact, he had more pop hits than any other orchestra leader during the rock & roll era. Vaughn was also the musical director for many of the hitmakers on Dot Records, including Pat Boone, the Fontane Sisters, and Gale Storm. As a pop music arranger, his most distinctive feature was his clean, nonoffensive mainstream adaptations of rock & roll and R&B hits. Vaughn was also a recording artist, and he cut a number of albums of easy listening, instrumental music that were very popular throughout the '60s.

Vaughn began his professional music career in 1952, forming the vocal quartet the Hilltoppers with Don McGuire, Jimmy Sacca, and Seymour Speigelman. From 1952 to 1957, the Hilltoppers had numerous hit singles, beginning with Vaughn's song "Trying." He left the group in 1955 to join Dot Records as a musical director.

Vaughn was responsible for most of Dot's biggest hits of the '50s as he rearranged popular rock & roll and R&B songs for white, mainstream groups. His first success was with the Fontane Sisters, who sang with his orchestra on all their singles, including their 1954 breakthrough hit "Hearts of Stone." However, Dot's biggest success was Pat Boone, who had a series of hits with Vaughn's cleaned-up arrangements of rock & roll songs.

Sloop John B
Billy Vaughn And His Orchestra Lyrics

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We come on the sloop John B
My grandfather and me
'Round Nassau town we did roam
Drinking all night, we got into a fight
I feel so breakup, I want to go home

So hoist up the John B sails
See how the mains'l's set

Send for the captain ashore
Let me go home
Let me go home (let me go home)
Let me go home (let me go home)
I feel so breakup
I want to go home

The first mate he got drunk
Broke up the people's trunk
Constable had to come and take him away
Sheriff Johnstone, please let me alone
I fell so breakup, I want to go home

So hoist up the John B sails
See how the mains'l's set
Send for the captain ashore
Let me go home
Let me go home (let me go home)
Let me go home (let me go home)
I feel so breakup
I want to go home

Let me go home (let me go home)
Let me go home (let me go home)

I feel so breakup
I want to go home

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Sloop John B" by Billy Vaughn And His Orchestra tell the story of a group of sailors aboard the titular vessel. The singer, addressing "Sheriff Johnstone," is feeling homesick and longs to leave the ship and return home. The first mate, who got drunk and caused trouble, has already been taken away by the constable. The sailors are upset by the situation, which culminates in a fight. The main character expresses his agony and the desire to return to land and his life there.

The song highlights the emotional stress and pain of being away from loved ones for long periods, which was a common theme amongst seafarers. The contrast between the carefree, drunken atmosphere at the beginning of the song and the singer's sorrowful longing to leave the ship and go home is striking, and highlights the inner turmoil that can be caused by longing for one's home and family.

Line by Line Meaning

We come on the sloop John B
We arrived on the boat named sloop John B

My grandfather and me
My grandfather was with me

'Round Nassau town we did roam
We wandered around the town of Nassau

Drinking all night, we got into a fight
We drank all night and ended up in a fight

I feel so breakup, I want to go home
I feel terrible and want to go home

So hoist up the John B sails
Raise the sails of sloop John B

See how the mains'l's set
Observe how the main sail is set

Send for the captain ashore
Ask the captain to come ashore

Let me go home
Allow me to leave and go home

I feel so breakup
I feel terrible

Let me go home (let me go home)
I request to be allowed to leave and go home