Sloop John B.
Yearning for Home: Sloop John B. in Melancholic Journey
Lyrics
We come on the sloop John be
We arrive on the ship named Sloop John B
My grandfather and me
Both my grandfather and I are present
Around Nassau town we did roam
We wander around Nassau town
Drinking all night
We spend the night drinking
Got into a fight
A fight ensues
Well I feel so broke up
I feel emotionally shattered
I want to go home
Expressing a strong desire to return home
So hoist up the John be 's sail
Raise the sail of the ship Sloop John B
See how the mainsail sets
Observe how the mainsail is positioned
Call for the Captain ashore
Request the captain to come ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
Expressing a desire to go home
I wanna go home, yeah yeah
Reiteration of the strong desire to go home
Well I feel so broke up
Continued expression of emotional distress
I wanna go home
Repeating the desire to go home
The first mate he got drunk
The first mate becomes intoxicated
And broke in the Cap'n's trunk
He damages the captain's trunk
The constable had to come and take him away
The constable intervenes and takes the first mate away
Sheriff John Stone
Sheriff John Stone is addressed, expressing frustration
Why don't you leave me alone, yeah yeah
Request to be left alone
Well I feel so broke up I wanna go home
Reiterating the emotional distress and the desire to go home
So hoist up the John be 's sail
Raise the sail of the ship Sloop John B again
See how the mainsail sets
Observe how the mainsail is positioned once more
Call for the Captain ashore
Repeat of the call for the captain to come ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
Reiteration of the desire to go home
I wanna go home, let me go home
Continued plea to be allowed to go home
Why don't you let me go home
Questioning why the request to go home is not granted
Hoist up the John be
Raise the sail of the ship Sloop John B again
I feel so broke up I wanna go home
Reiteration of feeling emotionally shattered and the desire to go home
Let me go home
Repetition of the plea to be allowed to go home
The poor cook he caught the fits
The cook falls ill
And threw away all my grits
The cook discards the food (grits)
And then he took and he ate up all of my corn
The cook consumes all of the corn
Let me go home
Expressing frustration and a desire to go home
Why don't they let me go home
Questioning why the request to go home is not honored
This is the worst trip I've ever been on
Expressing that this is the worst trip ever
So hoist up the John be 's sail
Raise the sail of the ship Sloop John B once more
See how the mainsail sets
Observe how the mainsail is positioned again
Call for the Captain ashore
Repeat of the call for the captain to come ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
Reiteration of the desire to go home
I wanna go home, let me go home
Continued plea to be allowed to go home
Why don't you let me go home
Questioning why the request to go home is not granted
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