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.
John Paul Jones is a Pirate
The Longest Johns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
John Paul Jones is a pirate,
No loyalty does he possess,
Keep it up we'll catch the pirate,
And sink him along with the rest,
(Ho!)
Born the son of a Scot, he was,
Born the son of a Scot,
But cut a man down in his prime, he did,
So away to Virginia he got,
Oh, John Paul Jones is a pirate,
No loyalty does he possess,
Keep it up we'll catch the pirate,
And sink him along with the rest,
Ho!
Raise the flag of the Yanks, he did
Raise the flag of the Yanks,
They hailed him as a hero, they did,
And hoisted him up through the ranks,
Oh, John Paul Jones is a pirate,
No loyalty does he possess,
Keep it up we'll catch the pirate,
And sink him along with the rest,
Ho!
Sailed at the head of the French, he did
Sailed at the head of the French
But they swindled him out of his cash, they did
So away from them all he did wrench
Oh, John Paul Jones is a pirate,
No loyalty does he possess,
Keep it up we'll catch the pirate,
And sink him along with the rest,
Ho!
Now he's kicking up storms in the Black Sea, he is
Kicking up storms in the Black Sea
Fighting the Turks for the Russian Queen
'Cause she pays him much more than the Yankee
John Paul Jones is a pirate
He may be just a chancellor at best
Keep it up we'll catch the pirate
And sink him along with the rest
Ho!
The Longest Johns' song "John Paul Jones is a Pirate" is a tribute to the infamous Scottish sailor and naval hero, John Paul Jones, who is known for his contribution to the American Revolution and his career as a privateer. The song describes the journey of John Paul Jones, who started as a Scottish farmer's son and ended up becoming a pirate. The song highlights how he rose through ranks, sailed for the Americans during the Revolutionary War, became a hero, but eventually lost favor with the French and began working for the Russians.
The song's lyrics suggest that Jones did not have any loyalty to any particular nation and was in it only for what he could gain. The line "No loyalty does he possess" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the point. The line "keep it up, we'll catch the pirate and sink him along with the rest" suggests that the authorities were always on the lookout for Jones and saw him as a menace to society.
The song accurately portrays some of the major events in Jones' life, highlighting his accomplishments and failures, which make for a compelling narrative. Overall, the song serves as a fun reminder of the bravery and daring spirits of those who sailed the seas in the late 1700s.
Line by Line Meaning
John Paul Jones is a pirate,
The song is about John Paul Jones, who is a pirate.
No loyalty does he possess,
John Paul Jones is not loyal to anyone.
Keep it up we'll catch the pirate,
If they continue trying, they will catch John Paul Jones.
And sink him along with the rest,
If they catch John Paul Jones, they will sink his ship like they did to other pirates.
Born the son of a Scot, he was,
John Paul Jones was born to a Scottish family.
But cut a man down in his prime, he did,
John Paul Jones killed a man when he was young.
So away to Virginia he got,
He went to Virginia to get away from the law.
Raise the flag of the Yanks, he did
John Paul Jones joined the American Navy and raised the American flag.
They hailed him as a hero, they did,
John Paul Jones was praised as a hero for his service.
And hoisted him up through the ranks,
He was promoted within the navy hierarchy.
Sailed at the head of the French, he did
John Paul Jones served in the French Navy and was in command of a ship.
But they swindled him out of his cash, they did
The French Navy cheated John Paul Jones out of his money.
So away from them all he did wrench
John Paul Jones left the French Navy to avoid being cheated again.
Now he's kicking up storms in the Black Sea, he is
John Paul Jones is causing trouble in the Black Sea.
Fighting the Turks for the Russian Queen
John Paul Jones is fighting against the Turks on behalf of the Russian Queen.
'Cause she pays him much more than the Yankee
John Paul Jones is working for the Russian Queen because she pays him more than the Americans.
He may be just a chancellor at best
John Paul Jones is not very successful.
Ho!
This is an exclamation used throughout the song.
Contributed by Ryan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.