# Sloop John B. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 31, 2006, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sloop-john-b/342314 "2006-01-31T05:19:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sloop-john-b/342314/1 "2006-01-31T05:19:36Z")
Was there ever a real Sloop John B? Did the first mate really get drunk and break the captains trunk? was there ever a real John Stone? Why wouldn’t he leave the sailor alone? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sloop-john-b/342314/2 "2006-01-31T05:41:22Z")
Some data: > [@](#): > > the Beach Boys; while not a folk-rock band themselves, they directly influenced the genre, and at the height of the folk-rock boom in 1966 had a hit with a cover of the 1920s West Indian folk song “Sloop John B”, which had entered the North American mainstrem via the Weavers. from [http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Folk-rock](http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Folk-rock) [**Public Domain song from the 1800’s**](http://www.nctc.net/~hazard/conrad/michaeldunn/songs/) JOHN B. SAILS This traditional folk tune was included in Carl Sandburg’s collection of 280 folk songs published in his book “The American Songbag” (1927). The Weavers adapted and arraigned the song found in the book and first recorded it as “The Wreck of the ‘John B’.” The Beach Boys further tweaked it and changed the title to “Sloop John B” in 1966 that was included in their “Pet Sounds” album. It climbed to #3 in the charts. Dorin & Dunn’s duet (wav 370KB) from TNOT Raven 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 want to go home 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, I wanna go home, Well I feel so broke up I wanna go home 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, leave me alone Well I feel so broke up I wanna go home 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 home (Hoist up the John B’s sail) Hoist up the John B I feel so broke up I wanna go home Let me go home 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 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 home \*\* So to answer your question no one knows. \*\* Jim ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sloop-john-b/342314/3 "2006-01-31T07:14:46Z")
**Peter Morris** > [@](#): > > was there ever a real John Stone? Why wouldn’t he leave the sailor alone? Hey look - some guy gets drunk - disturbing the peace and breaking and entering the Captain’s trunk - I haul him away and all of a sudden _I’m_ the bad guy? Why didn’t someone write a song and tell _my_ side of the story? Sincerely, John Stone, Sheriff, Nassau town ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sloop-john-b/342314/4 "2006-01-31T15:20:52Z")
**What Exit?** , you should be aware that posting complete lyrics is frowned on here, due to copyright issues. It is acceptable to post a short excerpt from a song and/or a link to another site which has the complete lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sloop-john-b/342314/5 "2006-01-31T15:33:01Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > **What Exit?** , you should be aware that posting complete lyrics is frowned on here, due to copyright issues. It is acceptable to post a short excerpt from a song and/or a link to another site which has the complete lyrics. I think you missed the Public Domain part. I listed it above, but thank you for your vigilance. The song and lyrics are Traditional, not the Beach Boys version. Jim