The Longest Johns formed in June 2012 after first singing together at a friend's barbecue. The original line up consisted of Josh Bowker, Andy Yates, Jonathan Darley and Dave Robinson. About a week later, they posted their first video on YouTube, singing "Haul Away Joe." They released their debut EP, Bones in the Ocean, in 2013, the title track of which is still one of their most popular. Their first full album, Written in Salt, was released in 2016, featuring tracks such as Drunken Sailor, Old Maui and Randy Dandy-O.
In June 2018 they released their second album, Between Wind & Water, which contained the smash hit "Wellerman". This recording, as well as the one used in the bands' Sea of Thieves series "Open Crewsing" would go on to cause the viral sensation in the years to come.
In October 2019, the band announced that Anna Cornish would be leaving the band to focus on her other band, The Norfolk Broads.
In March 2020, they released a song titled "Flatten the Curve", urging people to stay indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In June 2020, the band released their third studio album, Cures What Ails Ya. This album was the Johns' first album featuring a full array of instruments on half of the songs.
In March 2023, The Longest Johns released a collab album, The Longest Pony, featuring collabs with the Barcelona folk group, El Pony Pisador. The album features the song "Al Pirata Joan Torrellas" which sung only in Catalan.
On 1 May 2023, the band announced the departure of founding member Dave Robinson.
Four Hours
The Longest Johns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's get off this cursed sea
Let's be home to lovers and wives
And leave behind these four hour lives
Four hours
Workin' on the swell
Four hours
Four hours
Workin' to the bell
Then four hours
'Til it starts again
Come me boys and heave with me
The wind's my friend and my enemy
It carries me home, but it must be tamed
Everything lost or everything gained
Four hours
Workin' on the swell
Four hours
Sloggin' in the rain
Four hours
Workin' to the bell
Then four hours
'Til it starts again
Come me boys and heave with me
Got scabrous hands and bloody knees
But when the bell tolls, I'll go below
My hands will callous, and my strength will grow
Four hours
Workin' on the swell
Four hours
Sloggin' in the rain
Four hours
Workin' to the bell
Then four hours
'Til it starts again
Come me boys and heave away
Soaked and heavy heaving under the spray
Will I ever shed this salt on my brow?
Better the dust from under my plow
Four hours
Workin' on the swell
Four hours
Sloggin' in the rain
Four hours
Workin' to the bell
Then four hours
'Til it starts again
When I'm back in Bristol town
I'll buy my love a silken gown
We'll lie in each others arms and rest
Until that bell sounds in my chest
Four hours
Workin' on the swell
Four hours
Sloggin' in the rain
Four hours
Workin' to the bell
Then four hours
'Til it starts again
Four hours
Haulin' on the sheets
Four hours
Keepin' our feet
Four hours
Wrap me in the shroud
And four hours
Lay me in the ground
The Longest Johns's song "Four Hours" is a sea shanty that portrays the repetitive and challenging life of sailors going through their day-to-day work of four-hour shifts. The song's lyrics express a strong desire to be free from this seemingly interminable routine and to return to their loved ones waiting back home. The song's structure and catchy melody try to highlight the monotony of the seafarers' lives.
The first verse sets the theme of the song as the sailors' desire to return home to their partners after a long, hard day at sea. The use of the phrase "cursed sea" explains the unpredictable nature of the ocean, which constantly leaves them exhausted and drenched. The next verse talks about the sailors' work routine, with their entire day split into four-hour shifts that repeated until they got back to the port. The sailors' interaction with the weather and the sea becomes a significant part of their lives, and the wind, the rain, and the swell all influence their survival.
In another verse, we see the sailors' physical exhaustion, and the lyricist talks about "scabrous hands and bloody knees" that emphasize their readiness to accomplish their duties. The song concludes with the final verse, which talks about when the sailors make it to the port, and they invest what they have earned into their loved ones. The final words talk about the possibility of death at sea, which can be seen as both the final rest from hard duties and a dreaded consequence of the profession.
Line by Line Meaning
Come me boys and heave with me
Let's work together to get off this cursed sea
Let's be home to lovers and wives
We all want to return home to our loved ones
And leave behind these four hour lives
We are tired of this life at sea with only four hours of rest
Four hours
Workin' on the swell
We have to work for four hours in the rough sea
Four hours
Sloggin' in the rain
We have to work for four hours in the pouring rain
Four hours
Workin' to the bell
We have to work non-stop for four hours until the bell rings
Then four hours
'Til it starts again
We only have four hours of rest before the work starts again
The wind's my friend and my enemy
The wind can help us return home, but it can also create waves that make our work harder
It carries me home, but it must be tamed
Even though the wind can help, it must be controlled so we can safely return home
Everything lost or everything gained
Working at sea can have risks, we can either lose everything or gain everything
Got scabrous hands and bloody knees
Our hands and knees have been severely affected by the rough work
But when the bell tolls, I'll go below
We have to work when the bell rings, no matter how tired or hurt we are
My hands will callous, and my strength will grow
Even though the work is tough, it builds up our strength and experience
Come me boys and heave away
Let's work hard and push through this rough time
Soaked and heavy heaving under the spray
We are soaked and weighed down by the water we're heaving
Will I ever shed this salt on my brow?
Will I ever be able to leave behind the hardships of the sea?
Better the dust from under my plow
Working on land may be tough, but it's still better than the hardships of working at sea
When I'm back in Bristol town
I'll buy my love a silken gown
When I return to my loved ones, I'll show them my love by buying gifts
We'll lie in each others arms and rest
We can finally rest and spend time with our loved ones
Until that bell sounds in my chest
Until I have to go back to work and hear the sound of the bell ringing
Four hours
Haulin' on the sheets
Another four hours of hard work
Four hours
Keepin' our feet
Trying to keep our footing as the waves toss us around
Four hours
Wrap me in the shroud
Eventually, the hard work at sea will take its toll and we will die
And four hours
Lay me in the ground
Our hard work will end with our death and burial
Writer(s): Andrew Yates, David Robinson, Jonathan Darley, Joshua Bowker, Robert Sattin
Contributed by Jason C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@VanDeSam69
I thought this is gonna be four hour full of shanties
@josh___something
it is if you press replay enough times :p
@thelongestjohns
Ha, not quite :)
@Soepsas
@@thelongestjohns The longest Longest Johns Music video
@bigmanpotato9061
God if only
@Ikaram.128
@@thelongestjohns Not a bad idea tho.
@mr.revive589
This is one of the channels that I'd wake up at 3am just to watch
@vikingseagull2575
Oh boy, 3 AM!
@thelongestjohns
Very much appreciated!!
@csfhusker5874
slep