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.
The Banks of the Lee
The Longest Johns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When two lovers meet down beneath the green tree
When Mary, fond Mary, declared unto her lover
You have stolen my poor heart from the Banks of the Lee
I loved her very dearly, so truly and sincerely
There was no one in this wide world I loved better than she
Every bush and every bower, every wild Irish flower
Well don't stay out late, love, on the moorlands, my Mary
Well don't stay out late, love, on the moorlands from me
How little was our notion when we parted on the ocean
That we were forever parted from the Banks of the Lee
I loved her very dearly, so truly and sincerely
There was no one in this wide world I loved better than she
Every bush and every bower, every wild Irish flower
Reminds me of my Mary, on the banks of the Lee
I will pluck my love some roses, some blooming Irish roses
I will pluck my love some roses, the fairest that ever grew
And I'll lay them on the grave of my own true lovely Mary
In that cold and silent church yard where she sleeps 'neath the dew
I loved her very dearly, so truly and sincerely
There was no one in this wide world I loved better than she
Every bush and every bower, every wild Irish flower
Reminds me of my Mary, on the banks of the Lee
The Banks of the Lee is a traditional Irish song that tells the story of two lovers who meet beneath a green bower. Mary, one of the lovers, declares her love to her partner only to find that he has already stolen her heart. The song goes on to describe the singer’s love for Mary and how every aspect of nature reminds him of her. The song takes a tragic turn when the lovers are separated by the ocean with no idea that they will never see each other again. The song ends with the singer proclaiming his love for Mary and laying roses on her grave.
The lyrics of this song are steeped in Irish culture and tradition. The song tells a story of love and loss, which is a theme that can be traced throughout Irish history. Love songs like this one were a way for Irish people to express their emotions, especially when they were otherwise unable to do so. Additionally, the mention of Irish flowers and moorlands evokes a sense of nostalgia for the country and its landscape.
The Banks of the Lee has been covered by numerous artists, including The Chieftains and The Dubliners. The song has also been featured in movies and TV shows, including the 1995 film The Brothers McMullen. It remains a popular traditional Irish song today and is often played in pubs and bars throughout Ireland.
Line by Line Meaning
When two lovers meet down beside the green bower
When two lovers meet under a tree
When Mary, fond Mary, declared unto her lover
When Mary told her lover that he had her heart
You have stolen my poor heart from the Banks of the Lee
You have taken my heart from the place where we first met
I loved her very dearly, so truly and sincerely
I loved her deeply and honestly
There was no one in this wide world I loved better than she
She was the most important person in my life
Every bush and every bower, every wild Irish flower
Every natural element reminds me of her
Well don't stay out late, love, on the moorlands, my Mary
Don't stay out too late in the fields, my Mary
Well don't stay out late, love, on the moorlands from me
Don't stay out late and worry me
How little was our notion when we parted on the ocean
We had no idea that we would never see each other again
That we were forever parted from the Banks of the Lee
That we would never return to the place where we fell in love
I will pluck my love some roses, some blooming Irish roses
I will pick some flowers for my love
I will pluck my love some roses, the fairest that ever grew
I will pick the most beautiful flowers
And I'll lay them on the grave of my own true lovely Mary
And I'll place them on Mary's grave
In that cold and silent church yard where she sleeps 'neath the dew
In the quiet cemetery where she rests
Writer(s): Andrew Yates, David Robinson, Jonathan Darley, Robert Sattin, Traditional Song
Contributed by Hailey N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@joshuabelfield7592
When two lovers meet down beside the green bower
When two lovers meet down beneath the green tree
When Mary, fond Mary, declared to her lover
"You have stolen my poor heart from the Banks of the Lee"
I loved her very dearly, so truly and sincerely
There was no one in this wide world I loved better than she
Every bush, and every bower, every wild Irish flower
Reminds me of my Mary, on the banks of the Lee.
"Well, don't stay out late, love, on the moorlands, my Mary
Well, don't stay out late, love, on the moorlands from me"
How little was our notion when we parted on the ocean
That we were forever parted from the Banks of the Lee
I loved her very dearly, so truly and sincerely
There was no one in this wide world I loved better than she
Every bush, and every bower, every wild Irish flower
Reminds me of my Mary, on the banks of the Lee.
I will pluck my love some roses, some blooming Irish roses
I will pluck my love some roses, the fairest that ever grew
And I'll lay them on the grave of my own true lovely Mary
In that cold and silent churchyard where she sleeps 'neath the dew
I loved her very dearly, so truly and sincerely
There was no one in this wide world I loved better than she
Every bush, and every bower, every wild Irish flower
Reminds me of my Mary, on the banks of the Lee.
(Here’s the lyrics of the song if anyone is interested. Great song guys! Keep it up. I love this one so much!)
@SinBlade06
I sang this song as a Bard in a game of D&D, and I couldn't finish it without crying. Everyone loved it. I changed the word "Irish" to "Elven" to fit the world.
@bridgetorpg9313
I'm 99% sure our DM is gonna make my Bard kill off her love interest at the end of our weekly, 2 year campaign, so I'm working up some lyrics to this to do the same. Yeah I'm gonna cry.
@OxTheHerdzz
@@bridgetorpg9313 that's pretty cringe ngl
@lliamthrumble
I sang this song at a miners camp on shift change and everyone was quiet. I didn't cry but some of them did.... its an incredible song
@jamesschreiner3956
@@OxTheHerdzz So what if you don't agree with the notion. To each their own and let's let everyone enjoy what they will.
@OxTheHerdzz
@@jamesschreiner3956 Sounds like something a cringelord would say
@joshuabelfield7592
When two lovers meet down beside the green bower
When two lovers meet down beneath the green tree
When Mary, fond Mary, declared to her lover
"You have stolen my poor heart from the Banks of the Lee"
I loved her very dearly, so truly and sincerely
There was no one in this wide world I loved better than she
Every bush, and every bower, every wild Irish flower
Reminds me of my Mary, on the banks of the Lee.
"Well, don't stay out late, love, on the moorlands, my Mary
Well, don't stay out late, love, on the moorlands from me"
How little was our notion when we parted on the ocean
That we were forever parted from the Banks of the Lee
I loved her very dearly, so truly and sincerely
There was no one in this wide world I loved better than she
Every bush, and every bower, every wild Irish flower
Reminds me of my Mary, on the banks of the Lee.
I will pluck my love some roses, some blooming Irish roses
I will pluck my love some roses, the fairest that ever grew
And I'll lay them on the grave of my own true lovely Mary
In that cold and silent churchyard where she sleeps 'neath the dew
I loved her very dearly, so truly and sincerely
There was no one in this wide world I loved better than she
Every bush, and every bower, every wild Irish flower
Reminds me of my Mary, on the banks of the Lee.
(Here’s the lyrics of the song if anyone is interested. Great song guys! Keep it up. I love this one so much!)
@doctorminigun
Joshua Belfield thank you very much I am going to sing this for my choir teacher and you have made this process much faster and easier
@joshuabelfield7592
doctorminigun no problem man. I’m planning to sing this song with some buddies of mine so it helps us too!
@Jennifer_Devote
Man I wanna sing with you guys too!!!