sloop John B
trad.
We come on the sloop john b
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 sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home,
Let me 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 peoples trunk
The constable had to come and take him away
They take him to jail
Without any bail
Well I feel so broke up
I wanna 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
Say Mr John Stone
Please let me alone
Well I feel so broke up
I want to go home
The sailboat go by sail
and the steamboat go by steam
Around nassau town we did roam
Drinking all night
Got into a fight
This is the worst trip
I’ve ever been on
Tune trad, arranged by G Mickelborough (thanks Greg!)
"The John B. Sails" is a folk song that first appeared in a 1917 American novel, Pieces of Eight, written by Richard Le Gallienne.
The "secret" narrator of the story describes it as "one of the quaint Nassau ditties,"
the first verse and chorus of which are:
Come on the sloop John B.
My grandfather and me,
Round Nassau town we did roam;
Drinking all night, ve got in a fight,
Ve feel so break-up, ve vant to go home.
So h'ist up the John B. sails,
See how the mainsail set,
Send for the captain—shore, let us go home,
Let me go home, let me go home,
I feel so break-up, I vant to go home.
"The John B. Sails" is a folk song that first appeared in a 1917 American novel, Pieces of Eight, written by Richard Le Gallienne.
The "secret" narrator of the story describes it as "one of the quaint Nassau ditties,"
the first verse and chorus of which are:
Come on the sloop John B.
My grandfather and me,
Round Nassau town we did roam;
Drinking all night, ve got in a fight,
Ve feel so break-up, ve vant to go home.
So h'ist up the John B. sails,
See how the mainsail set,
Send for the captain—shore, let us go home,
Let me go home, let me go home,
I feel so break-up, I vant to go home.