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.
Le Capitaine de Saint-Malo
The Longest Johns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ali alo
Qui fait la pêche au cachalot
Ali ali ali alo
Ali alo
Il a trois filles qui ont fait la peau
Ali alo
La première à Valparaiso
Ali ali ali alo
Ali alo
La deuxième à Rio de Janeiro
Ali alo
La troisième à San Francisco
Ali ali ali alo
Ali alo
Il mange la viande, nous laisse les os
Ali alo
Il boit du vin et toi de l′eau
Ali ali ali alo
Ali alo
Il donne la goutte à ses matelots
Ali alo
À grande coups de barre de guindeau
Ali ali ali alo
Ali alo
Le lieutenant t'envoie là-haut
Ali alo
À coups de bottes dans le dos
Ali ali ali alo
Ali alo
Et le second, qui est le plus beau
Ali alo
Si tu groumes. Il te fout à l′eau
Ali ali ali alo
Ali alo
Le Capitaine de Saint-Malo
Ali alo
Qui fait la pêche au cachalot
Ali ali ali alo
Ali alo
Ali ali ali alo
Ali alo
The song "Le Capitaine de Saint-Malo" by The Longest Johns is a traditional French sea shanty that tells the story of a captain from the port city of Saint-Malo in Brittany, who goes on a whaling trip to catch a sperm whale ("cachalot" in French) with his crew. The song is sung in a call-and-response style, with the lead singer singing the verses and the other singers responding with the chorus "Ali alo" and "Ali ali ali alo."
The first verse introduces the captain and his whaling expedition, while the subsequent verses describe his three daughters and their marriages to men from other port cities they visited. The chorus "Ali alo" serves as a rhythmic interlude and emphasizes the repetition of the captain's name and the overall mood of the song, which is both celebratory and mournful.
The last verses portray the captain as a ruthless leader who mistreats his crew by giving them the scraps and the bare minimum to eat and drink, and punishing them with violence if they don't obey his orders. The mention of the lieutenant and the second officer highlights the hierarchical structure of the ship, with the captain being at the top and the crew members at the bottom. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, as if to acknowledge the enduring legacy of the captain as a legendary figure in Saint-Malo's history.
Line by Line Meaning
Le Capitaine de Saint-Malo
This song speaks about the Captain of Saint-Malo
Ali alo
Vocals used to create rhythm and add to the overall vibe of the song
Qui fait la pêche au cachalot
The Captain is a whaler who specializes in catching sperm whales
Il a trois filles qui ont fait la peau
The Captain has three daughters who have left or betrayed him
La première à Valparaiso
The first daughter left for Valparaiso
La deuxième à Rio de Janeiro
The second daughter left for Rio de Janeiro
La troisième à San Francisco
The third daughter left for San Francisco
Il mange la viande, nous laisse les os
The Captain eats the meat, leaving the leftovers for his crew
Il boit du vin et toi de l′eau
The Captain drinks wine while his crew drinks water
Il donne la goutte à ses matelots
The Captain gives his crew a painful chronic disease known as gout
À grande coups de barre de guindeau
He uses a large tool used for hoisting anchors to inflict this disease on them
Le lieutenant t'envoie là-haut
The Lieutenant sends the crew members who misbehave or complain up high
À coups de bottes dans le dos
He uses his boots to hit them on the back as punishment
Et le second, qui est le plus beau
The second-in-command, who is the most attractive
Si tu groumes. Il te fout à l′eau
If you complain, he'll throw you overboard
Le Capitaine de Saint-Malo
This song speaks about the Captain of Saint-Malo
Ali alo
Vocals used to create rhythm and add to the overall vibe of the song
Ali ali ali alo
Vocals used to create rhythm and add to the overall vibe of the song
Ali alo
Vocals used to create rhythm and add to the overall vibe of the song
Writer(s): Traditional
Contributed by Nolan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.