The Fish Aren
David Allan Coe Lyrics


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Take the jib sail down boys, take the jib sail down
Turn this ship around boys, before we run aground
The fish aren't biting today boys, fish aren't biting today
I'm gonna lay on my bunk and get drunk as a skunk
?Cause the fish aren't biting today

There's six foot waves and my stomach craves
Some good old Antiguan rum
I put some away for a rainy day
And the rain she's starting to come now

There's a northern wind and the lights are dim
Like a good fresh Cuban cigar




I got me a hutch where there might be a bunch
In the Captions pickle jar, so

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Allan Coe's song The Fish Aren't Bitin' Today express the discontent and disappointment of the singer, who is on a fishing expedition that is not going as planned. The tone of the song is one of frustration and resignation, as the singer urges his fellow sailors to take down the jib sail and turn the ship around before they run aground. He then laments the fact that the fish are not biting, and decides to resign himself to spending the day in his bunk, drinking heavily to pass the time. The feeling of discontent is further reflected in the reference to the rough waves and the stormy weather, as well as the singer's craving for Antiguan rum.


Line by Line Meaning

Take the jib sail down boys, take the jib sail down
Let's lower the jib sail as we need to change our direction


Turn this ship around boys, before we run aground
We need to change our course before we hit the shore


The fish aren't biting today boys, fish aren't biting today
We're not having any luck catching fish today


I'm gonna lay on my bunk and get drunk as a skunk
I'm going to lie down on my bed and drink alcohol until I pass out


?Cause the fish aren't biting today
The reason I'm drinking is because we're not having any luck with fishing


There's six foot waves and my stomach craves
The waves are high and I'm feeling nauseous


Some good old Antiguan rum
I'm going to drink some rum from Antigua


I put some away for a rainy day
I had saved some rum for a bad day like today


And the rain she's starting to come now
It's starting to rain now


There's a northern wind and the lights are dim
There's a cool breeze and the lights are not very bright


Like a good fresh Cuban cigar
I'm smoking a fresh cigar from Cuba


I got me a hutch where there might be a bunch
I have a place where I might find some cigars


In the Captions pickle jar
The jar belonged to the ship's captain and I kept my cigars in it




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID ALLAN COE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@derekmartinez7134

I think its safe to say Last Man On Earth kills it with their song selection

@devilbooster1082

Derek Martinez amen to that

@intrepiddevildog

Looks Like they Nailed it with a Virus in 2020. Hope it doesn't end like the show.

@masonsdungeon3754

THATS EXACTLY WHAT I SAID

@camrennik9512

exactly the reason I’ve been playing this song on repeat! Tandy for prez! Lol

@carsonjenkins8902

That’s why I’m here

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@zach32889

All time favorite country singer

@born321

Who has the audacity to actually give this a thumbs down????!?!!! 😤😤😤

@garyhenderson7741

a genius but also an outlaw. we are lucky to have him.

@308winmag

Songs been stuck in my head for bout 4 days now, don't mind it though

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