The Members of the Beach Boys: Where Are They Now?

About the Song

“Sloop John B” is a song by the American rock band The Beach Boys, released in 1966 as the second single from their album Pet Sounds. It is a folk song that was originally published as “The John B.” in 1946 by the American folk singer Alan Lomax. The Beach Boys’ version of the song was produced and arranged by Brian Wilson, and it was a major hit, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The song is a sea shanty about a sailor named John B who is sailing home from Nassau. The song is sung in a call-and-response style, with the chorus singing “Sloop John B, come on home” and the verses telling the story of John B’s journey. The song is notable for its use of a cappella vocals, which was unusual for pop music at the time.

“Sloop John B” is one of the most popular and enduring songs by The Beach Boys, and it is often considered to be one of their greatest hits. The song has been covered by many other artists, and it has been used in films, television shows, and commercials.

The Beach Boys Members Then and Now | Woman's World

Video

Lyrics: Sloop John B

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 homeSo 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, yeah, yeah
Well, I feel so broke up
I wanna go homeThe 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 homeSo hoist up the John B’s sail (Hoist up the John B’s sail)
See how the mainsail sets (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 (Hoist up the John B’s sail)
Hoist up the John B (Hoist up the John B)
I feel so broke up
I wanna go home, let me go homeThe 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 onSo hoist up the John B’s sail (Hoist up the John B’s sail)
See how the mainsail sets (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

You Missed

Dolly Parton turned a simple handmade coat into one of the most powerful songs of her life because to her, it was never really about the fabric. “Coat of Many Colors” sprang directly from Dolly’s growing-up years in East Tennessee. Her mother, Avie Lee, pieced the jacket together by sewing colorful rags the family already owned. Cash was mighty tight, so there was no running down to the store for brand-new clothes. Instead, Avie Lee took what was on hand and stitched together something warm for her little girl to wear. While the needle flew, she shared the Bible story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, turning an ordinary piece of clothing into something special in Dolly’s eyes. Proudly wearing that coat to school, Dolly felt rich, but the other kids saw it differently. They laughed at the patches and teased her for having so little. Years down the road, Dolly penned those childhood memories into “Coat of Many Colors.” Released in 1971, the tune became a shining example of why her songwriting touched so many souls. She never tried to hide hard times or dress up her youth to look prettier than it was. She simply laid the sting of teasing side-by-side with the deep love that stitched the coat together, letting that honest truth speak for itself. The song eventually grew far beyond that original vinyl record. Its spirit inspired the 2015 television movie Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors, followed by Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love the very next year. Those films opened a window into Dolly’s mountain home, introducing folks to the hardworking parents and siblings who shaped her long before the bright lights found her. By then, Dolly had worn glittering stage gowns worth more than her family could ever have dreamed. Yet the garment folks remember best remains that humble little coat stitched by a mother’s loving hands when buying something new simply wasn’t in the cards. That is why the memory stayed alive. The scraps faded away, but the lesson underneath never did.