Shrimp Boats
Jo Stafford & The Norman Luboff Choir Lyrics


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Oh...
(CHORUS):
Shrimp boats is a-comin'
Their sails are in sight
Shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' tonight
Why don't 'cha hurry hurry hurry home
Why don't 'cha hurry hurry hurry home
Look here! The shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' tonight
(Shrimp boats is a-comin', there's dancin' tonight)

(REPEAT CHORUS)

(SLOWLY):
They go to sea with the evenin' tide
And the women folk wave their good-bye
(There they go... There they go)
While the Louisiana moon floats on high
And they wait for the day when they can cry...

(CHORUS)

(SLOWLY):
Happy the days while they're mending the nets
'Til once more they ride out to sea
(There they go... There they go)
Then how lonely the nights will be
'Til that wonderful day when they sing...

(CHORUS)

(Shrimp boats is a-comin' - there's dancin'
There's dancin' There's dancin' There's dancin' ...)





Shrimp boats is a-comin' - there's dancin' tonight!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jo Stafford's "Shrimp Boats" tell the story of the women who wait for their loved ones to return home upon sighting the shrimp boats. The chorus announces that the shrimp boats are coming and there will be dancing tonight. The urgency in the repeated refrain, "Why don't 'cha hurry hurry hurry home," suggests that the women are impatient to see their husbands or loved ones after a long day out at sea. The Louisiana moon reinforces the setting and highlights the sentimental state of mind of the women. The song touches on the emotions of love, yearning, and anticipation in a poignant and heartfelt manner.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh...
Expressing anticipation or eagerness for something exciting or important to happen.


Shrimp boats is a-comin', their sails are in sight
The boats that catch shrimps are arriving, and their sails are visible from afar.


Shrimp boats is a-comin', there's dancin' tonight
The arrival of the shrimp boats is a reason to celebrate and dance tonight.


Why don't 'cha hurry hurry hurry home
Inviting someone to rush back home and participate in the festivities.


Look here! The shrimp boats is a-comin'
Drawing attention to the arrival of the shrimp boats.


There's dancin' tonight
Emphasizing that there will be dancing tonight due to the festivities.


They go to sea with the evenin' tide
The shrimp boats set sail during the time when the sea level is at its highest at night.


And the women folk wave their good-bye
The women within the community watching as the boats depart and wishing them good luck.


While the Louisiana moon floats on high
The full moon that is specific to Louisiana during the shrimp season is hanging high in the sky.


And they wait for the day when they can cry...
They wait for the day when the shrimp season will come to an end when they can go home and rest or cry if the season was not successful.


Happy the days while they're mending the nets
The fishermen are happy while they are fixing their nets before going back to catch shrimp out to sea.


'Til once more they ride out to sea
Until the time when they set sail again to catch shrimps.


Then how lonely the nights will be
Nights will be lonelier without the fishermen since they'll be at sea during the shrimp season.


'Til that wonderful day when they sing...
Until the season comes to an end and they can sing of their successes.


Shrimp boats is a-comin' - there's dancin', there's dancin', there's dancin'...
Repeating the fact that the people are celebrating the arrival of the shrimp boats with dancing.


Shrimp boats is a-comin' - there's dancin' tonight!
Reaffirming that the arrival of the shrimp boats is an occasion to celebrate and dance tonight.




Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, HANOVER MUSIC CORPORATION
Written by: PAUL MASON HOWARD, PAUL WESTON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Joan Benson

My mother sang all the time. She was an excellent singer; her father was a voice teacher. (those genes didn't pass to me!) This song and 'The Wayward Wind" I remember her singing the most. I just thought she was being dramatic. Now that I'm older and study about it...maybe she was wistful, thinking about some other life that might have been. I think I think too much.

STEPHEN S

What a cool song! Love it!😃

Marie Katherine

My mother still sings it. She’s 96.

Justin Ellison

Sounds damn good for such a old recording!

T Van K

The calls of the women, "ils y vont....there they go" are the French/Cajun and English versions of "there they go." But lyrics sites often omit the French phrase and just repeat the English version twice.

Joseph Tisdale

This was a song I discussed inside a amall Italian restaurant near Wakefield in 2010.

John McAuley

I have a copy but it is on the RCA label.

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