Sloop John B
The Beach Boys/Musicfire.in Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My grandfather and me
Around Nassau town we did roam
Drinking all night
Got into a fight
Well, I feel so broke up
I wanna go home
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home
Let me go home
I wanna go home, yeah, yeah
Well, I feel so broke up
I wanna go home
The first mate, he got drunk
And broke in the captain's trunk
The constable had to come and take him away
Sheriff John Stone
Why don't you leave me alone? Yeah, yeah
Well, I feel so broke up
I wanna go home
So hoist up the John B's sail (hoist up the John B's sail)
See how the mainsail sets (see how the mainsail sets)
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home
Let me go home
I wanna go home
Let me go home (hoist up the John B's sail)
(Why don't you let me go home?)
Hoist up the John B's sail (hoist up the John B's sail)
Feel so broke up
I wanna go home
Let me go home
The poor cook, he caught the fits
And threw away all my grits
And then he took and he ate up all of my corn
Let me go home
Why don't they let me go home?
This is the worst trip I've ever been on
So hoist up the John B's sail (hoist up the John B's sail)
See how the mainsail sets (see how the mainsail sets)
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home
Let me go home
I wanna go home
Let me go home
The Beach Boys' song "Sloop John B" is a cover of the traditional Bahamian folk song "The John B. Sails," which tells the story of a boat trip gone wrong. The singer, sailing on the sloop John B with his grandfather and crewmates, recounts a series of mishaps that lead him to feel "broke up" and wanting to go home. He describes drinking and fighting in Nassau, with the first mate getting drunk and stealing from the captain's trunk, and the cook throwing away his grits and eating all of his corn. Throughout the song, the singer pleads to go home, asking to be let go and for the captain to hoist up the John B's sail.
The lyrics of "Sloop John B" can be interpreted in several ways, depending on the listener's context and experience. On one hand, the song can be taken as a fun, carefree tune about a boating trip gone awry, with the singer's desire to go home reflecting his longing for comfort and familiarity. On the other hand, the song can also be read as a commentary on the dangers of excessive drinking and reckless behavior, as well as a reflection of the way that societal pressures can create difficult situations.
Line by Line Meaning
We come on the Sloop John B
My grandfather and I boarded the Sloop John B
Around Nassau town we did roam
We sailed around the town of Nassau
Drinking all night
We consumed alcohol throughout the night
Got into a fight
We were involved in a physical altercation
Well I feel so broke up
I'm feeling distressed about the situation
I want to go home
I desire to return home
So hoist up the John B's sail
Raise the sails of the ship
See how the main sail sets
Observe the proper positioning of the largest sail
Call for the Captain ashore
Request for the captain to come onboard the ship
Let me go home, let me go home
Allow me to leave and return home
Yeah yeah
An expression of frustration and desperation
The first mate he got drunk
The assistant captain became intoxicated
And broke in the Cap'n's trunk
And forcefully opened the captain's storage container
The constable had to come and take him away
The authorities were called to apprehend him
Sheriff John Stone
A law enforcement officer named John Stone
Why don't you leave me alone
An expression of frustration and annoyance towards the officer
So hoist up the John B's sail
Raise the sails of the ship
Let me go home
Allow me to leave and return home
Why don't you let me go home
A frustrated plea for freedom and escape from the situation
(Hoist up the John B's sail)
An additional instruction to raise the ship's sails
Hoist up the John B
Another command to raise the ship's sails
The poor cook he caught the fits
The chef became sick
And threw away all my grits
And disposed of all my cornmeal
And then he took and he ate up all of my corn
And then he proceeded to consume all of the remaining corn
Why don't they let me go home
A plea directed at a larger group for freedom and escape
This is the worst trip I've ever been on
A proclamation describing the disastrous nature of the journey
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Brian Wilson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind