The group can usually be heard singing on Friday evenings throughout the summer on the Platt in wonderful Port Isaac.
Fisherman's Friends are John, Julian and Jeremy Brown, Trevor Grills, John Lethbridge, Billy Hawkins, Nigel Sherratt, Peter Rowe, John McDonnell and Jon Cleave.
Fisherman's Friends, from Port Isaac on the North Cornwall coast, have secured a deal â said to be worth ÂŁ1 million â with Universal, the company behind acts such as Lady Gaga, Take That and Amy Winehouse
The 10-strong group, which also has a date at this year's Glastonbury Festival, will issue an album of traditional tunes and folk songs next month after being discovered by a record producer on holiday.
Fishermanâs Friends are shanty singers--each of whom are or have been fishermen, lifeboatmen and coastguards (as well as builders, artisans, hoteliers, and shop keepers) in the local area--from Port Isaac on Cornwallâs rugged north coast.
At around eight in the evening during the summer months, tourists and locals gather to hear this ten-man group sing a rousing set of shanties and Cornish folk songs. This album, recorded in a 15th-century church in nearby St Kew, features a rich haul of 12 songs from their Port Isaac repertoire, including the classic "South Australia", the haunting Cornish robber ballad "The Cadgwith Anthem" and the beautiful "Brightly Beams".
In February 2013 Trevor Gills and tour manager Paul McMullen were both killed in a tragic accident while touring.
Sloop John B
Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My grandpappy and me
Over the seven seas we did roam
Drinking all night (drinking all night)
Got into a fight
Well I feel so broke up (oh yeah)
I wanna go home
See how the main sail sets (see how the main sail)
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home
I wanna go home
Let me go home, and I wanna go home
Hoist up the John B sail
Well I feel so broke up (oh yeah)
I wanna go home
Now the captainâČs a wicked man
He gets drunk whenever he can
And he don't give a damn for grandpappy and me
He kicks us around (kicks us around)
And he knocks us about
Well I feel so broke up (oh yeah)
I wanna go home
So hoist up the John B sail (hoist up the John B)
See how the main sail sets (see how the main sail)
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home
I wanna go home
Let me go home, and I wanna go home
Hoist up the John B sail
Well I feel so broke up (oh yeah)
I wanna go home
Now the first mate, he got drunk
And he broke in the captainâČs trunk
And the constable had to come and take him away
Sherriff John Stone (Sherriff John Stone)
Why don't you leave me alone?
Well I feel so broke up (oh yeah)
I wanna go home
So hoist up the John B sail (hoist up the John B)
See how the main sail sets (see how the main sail)
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home
I wanna go home
Let me go home, and I wanna go home
Hoist up the John B sail
Well I feel so broke up (oh yeah)
I wanna go home
So hoist up the John B sail (hoist up the John B)
See how the main sail sets (see how the main sail)
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home
I wanna go home
Let me go home, and I wanna go home
Hoist up the John B sail
Well I feel so broke up (oh yeah)
I wanna go home
I feel so broke up (oh yeah)
I want to go home
The lyrics to "Sloop John B" by Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends tell the story of a journey at sea on a sloop called John B. The singer, along with their grandpappy, sails across the seven seas, encountering various challenges along the way. They spend their nights drinking and eventually get into a fight. The singer feels broken and homesick, yearning to return home.
The captain of the ship is described as a wicked man who frequently gets drunk and disregards the well-being of the crew, including the singer and their grandpappy. The captain mistreats them and inflicts physical harm. Despite the mistreatment, the singer remains determined to go back home.
The first mate of the ship also gets drunk and breaks into the captain's trunk, resulting in the intervention of the constable. The mention of Sheriff John Stone suggests a local authority figure who has to handle the situation. The singer once again expresses their desire to escape these troubles and return home.
Overall, "Sloop John B" is a sea shanty that captures the longing for home amid a challenging voyage, highlighting the difficulties faced by the crew.
Line by Line Meaning
For we sail on the Sloop John B
We are sailing on a ship called the Sloop John B
My grandpappy and me
My grandfather and I are together on this voyage
Over the seven seas we did roam
We have traveled across all seven seas
Drinking all night (drinking all night)
We have been drinking throughout the night
Got into a fight
We got into a physical altercation
Well I feel so broke up (oh yeah)
I am emotionally and physically exhausted
I wanna go home
I desire to return to my home
So hoist up the John B sail (hoist up the John B)
Raise the sail of the Sloop John B
See how the main sail sets (see how the main sail)
Observe how the main sail is positioned
Call for the captain ashore
Summon the captain to come on land
Let me go home
Allow me to depart and return home
Now the captain's a wicked man
The captain is a morally corrupt individual
He gets drunk whenever he can
He frequently gets intoxicated
And he don't give a damn for grandpappy and me
He doesn't care about my grandfather and me at all
He kicks us around (kicks us around)
He physically abuses us
And he knocks us about
He violently handles us
Now the first mate, he got drunk
The first mate became intoxicated
And he broke in the captain's trunk
He forcefully opened the captain's trunk
And the constable had to come and take him away
The constable had to intervene and arrest him
Sheriff John Stone (Sheriff John Stone)
The sheriff's name is John Stone
Why don't you leave me alone?
Why don't you stop bothering me?
I feel so broke up (oh yeah)
I am emotionally and physically shattered
I want to go home
I desperately want to return home
Writer(s): Traditional, Brian Wilson
Contributed by Lila F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@glenbelson5485
Just wonderful to see the joy of men singing, escaping the endless criticism and put downs they face in the modern world.
@oscarrees-thompson6484
There is not much that impresses me about Britain anymore even though I am an Army Veteran and getting on in years. But these guys remind me where I come from and we have some culture still left the doo gooders haven't taken away.
@jrapprentice
Do Gooders? WTF?
@villhelm
Do gooders who have opened our borders and clapped while our culture has been displaced all over the nation while shouting âracistâ at anyone who doesnât want to see our nation taken over and the natives displaced
@chrispooler675
Love these guys, seen them perform a few times, and got horribly drunk with them once. All of them are true gentlemen, and always make time for everyone. Best of Britain đ
@jonnygranville281
Thank you. I always picture them as you described. Nice blokes that'll share a pint an swap stories.
@chrispooler675
@@jonnygranville281 genuinely lovely people, if you can get to see them at a smaller venue, do so
@jamesdakrn
Didnât get into a fight? Hope they didnât get broke up and had to go home
@chrisevans3170
I would love to get drunk with them
@pateris
Thanks for sharing !