Let's Go to Town
Sailor Lyrics


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Let's go to town, oh yeah
Down to the red light quarter
That part of town
Where there is no such thing as law and order
That's where the girls are waiting for us, oh yeah
With all the boozin' and them dice to toss
Downtown, downtown
No more scrubbin' dirty decks, no more sanitary checks
Never mind the captain, this is our world
Got my money, got my leave, got our naval sex appeal
Let's get down to girls!

Let's go to town
And take up that old routine
Let's go to town
To act out the sailor's dream
There's a city full of lonely dames
Waitin' for the boys
With empty glasses, making passes
Looking out for joys
And we don't want to spend the night aboard
With a deck of cards
Let's go to town, let's get the girls!
Let's get our fingers through those beautiful curls
Downtown, downtown

Let's go to town, yeah, let's go to town
Down to the red light quarter
That part of town (that part of town, that part of town)
Where there is no such thing as law and order!
That's where the girls are waiting for us




With all the boozin' and them dice to toss
Downtown, downtown!

Overall Meaning

The Sailor in the song "Let's go to town" is tired of his mundane life aboard a ship and wants to break free from it. He suggests going to the red light district of town where there is no law and order and everything is allowed. He urges his fellow sailors to join him in this escape from sanitization and monotony. The girls in this part of the town are waiting for them, and there is no dearth of liquor and games to play. They can leave the captain and his rules behind and embrace their world. The Sailor has money and leave, and he exudes confidence and eagerness to explore. He wants to fulfill the sailors' dream of being with women in town and not on the ship.


The song delves into the myth of the sailor's life and his romanticized image of adventure, freedom, and promiscuity. The song reveals how the sailor's routine of cleaning the deck and following rules can be monotonous, so they often turn to excess drinking, gambling, and women for escape. The sailor believes that he lives in a world that belongs to the sailors and the women, and they are going to enjoy it to the fullest away from rules and restriction.


Line by Line Meaning

Let's go to town, oh yeah
Let's leave the ship and head to the city, excitedly


Down to the red light quarter
Specifically to the seedy part of town where prostitutes wait for customers


That part of town
Referring to the area previously mentioned, known for being wild and lawless


Where there is no such thing as law and order
A place lacking in policing and where anything goes


That's where the girls are waiting for us, oh yeah
Prostitution is common and women are waiting for male customers


With all the boozin' and them dice to toss
There are plenty of opportunities to drink and gamble


No more scrubbin' dirty decks, no more sanitary checks
No more tedious and unpleasant ship duties, we can enjoy ourselves


Never mind the captain, this is our world
We don't care about the authority figure of the ship, we're enjoying our freedom


Got my money, got my leave, got our naval sex appeal
We have money, time off from the ship and the confidence of being sailors


Let's get down to girls!
Let's go find prostitutes


Let's go to town and take up that old routine
Let's indulge in the traditional sailor activity of visiting prostitutes


To act out the sailor's dream
To fulfill the stereotype of sailors visiting prostitutes


There's a city full of lonely dames waitin' for the boys
Prostitutes are available and waiting for male customers


With empty glasses, making passes, looking out for joys
Prostitutes are actively seeking customers and hoping to make money


And we don't want to spend the night aboard with a deck of cards
We don't want to be stuck on the ship playing cards when there are prostitutes available


Let's go to town, let's get the girls!
Let's leave the ship and find prostitutes


Let's get our fingers through those beautiful curls
Let's touch the prostitutes' hair


Downtown, downtown
Once again, let's head to the seedy part of town


Let's go to town, yeah, let's go to town
Reiterating the desire to leave the ship and head to the city


Down to the red light quarter
Once again, specifically to the seedy part of town where prostitutes wait for customers


That part of town (that part of town, that part of town)
Repeating the reference to the wild, lawless area of town


Where there is no such thing as law and order!
Once again highlighting the lack of law enforcement in this area


That's where the girls are waiting for us
Once again emphasizing that prostitutes are waiting for male customers


With all the boozin' and them dice to toss
There are once again opportunities to drink and gamble while seeking prostitutes


Downtown, downtown!
Once again, emphasizing the desire to visit the seedy part of town




Contributed by Chloe Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@ruudvandinter578

Sailor one my favorite bands, was 8 years old when i am heard them for the first time, Great musicians i still love their music

@suitbertglocke5020

Ruud van Dinter ,me too !! I was 9 years old : ) I totally agree with you !!

@friarsgirl1

Is this a remake? It doesn't sound right somehow

@MS62

It´s the original one from the first Sailor LP

@chrisdegroot4003

@Michael McFly The best.

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