Sloop John B is a traditional Bahamian folk song, popularized by The Beach Boys on their 1966 album Pet Sounds. The lyrics describe a narrator’s desire to return home after a chaotic voyage in Nassau involving drunken crew members, a fight, and lost food.
The song follows a verse-chorus structure detailing the misfortunes aboard the vessel:
Verse 1 We come on the sloop John B My grandfather and me Around Nassau town, we did roam Drinking all night Got into a fight Well, I feel so broke up, I wanna go home
Chorus So hoist up the John B’s sail See how the mainsail sets Call for the captain ashore, let me go home Let me go home I wanna go home, ay-yeah-ay Well, I feel so broke up, I wanna go home
Verse 2 The first mate he got drunk And broke in the captain’s trunk The constable had to come and take him away Sheriff John Stone Why don’t you leave me alone? Yeah, yeah Well, I feel so broke up, I wanna go home
Verse 3 The poor cook, he caught the fits And threw away all my grits And then he took and he ate up all of my corn Let me go home Why don’t they let me go home? This is the worst trip I’ve ever been on
Chorus So hoist up the John B’s sail See how the mainsail sets Call for the captain ashore, let me go home Let me go home I wanna go home Let me go home (Why don’t you let me go?) Hoist up the John B’s sail Feel so broke up, I wanna go home Let me go home
