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.
Wild Mountain Thyme
The Longest Johns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the trees are sweetly blooming
And the wild mountain thyme
Grows among the blooming heather
Will you go, Lassie go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
Will you go, Lassie go?
I will build my love a bower
Near yon' pure crystal fountain
And on it I will pile
All the flowers of the mountain
Will you go, Lassie go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All among the blooming heather
Will you go, Lassie go?
If my true love he were gone
I would surely find another
To pull wild mountain thyme
All among the blooming heather
Will you go, Lassie go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All among the blooming heather
Will you go, Lassie go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All among the blooming heather
Will you go, Lassie go?
The Longest John's song Wild Mountain Thyme celebrates the arrival of summertime and the beauty of nature. As the blooming heather lines the mountainside, the wild mountain thyme grows wild among them. The singer asks his companion, Lassie, to join him in the fields to collect the mountain thyme. The singer promises to build a bower for his lover and decorate it with all the flowers of the mountain. He expresses his undying commitment to his lover by stating that "If my true love he were gone," he would "surely find another to pull wild mountain thyme."
The song's lyrics speak to the beauty of nature and the importance of love in one's life. The wild mountain thyme symbolizes the beauty of nature and how it can be celebrated and enjoyed with a loved one. The singer's promise to build a bower for his lover signifies the importance of romance and the willingness to go above and beyond for someone they love. The song's verses also speak to the resilience of love and the desire to move forward with another after a previous relationship comes to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the summertime has come
The season of summer has arrived
And the trees are sweetly blooming
The trees are in full bloom, emanating a sweet aroma
And the wild mountain thyme
A type of thyme that grows wildly in the mountains
Grows among the blooming heather
It grows among other flowers that are also in bloom
Will you go, Lassie go?
Will you accompany me to pick wild mountain thyme?
And we'll all go together
We will all go as a group
To pull wild mountain thyme
To harvest the wild mountain thyme
All among the blooming heather
Taking care not to damage the other blooming flowers around it
I will build my love a bower
I will construct a small shelter for my loved one
Near yon' pure crystal fountain
Next to a clear, pristine fountain
And on it I will pile
And I will decorate it with
All the flowers of the mountain
All of the flowers that are found in the mountains
If my true love he were gone
If my true love were to leave me
I would surely find another
I would not dwell on the past and would seek another love
To pull wild mountain thyme
To share in the experience of harvesting the wild mountain thyme
All among the blooming heather
And to enjoy the beauty of the other flowers blooming alongside it
And we'll all go together
Once again, we will all go as a group
To pull wild mountain thyme
To collect the remaining wild mountain thyme
All among the blooming heather
Carefully and respectfully, preserving the natural beauty of the surrounding area
Will you go, Lassie go?
Asking once more if the listener would like to join in the experience
Writer(s): Francis Mcpeake, James O'neill
Contributed by Avery H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.