In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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
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, yeah, yeah
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? Yeah, yeah
Well, I feel so broke up
I wanna go home
So 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)
(Why don't you let me go home?)
Hoist up the John B's sail (hoist up the John B's sail)
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 (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
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
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, yeah, yeah
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? Yeah, yeah
Well, I feel so broke up
I wanna go home
So 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)
(Why don't you let me go home?)
Hoist up the John B's sail (hoist up the John B's sail)
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 (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
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So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
This song has always been a favorite of mine since my parents played it when I was a little kid.
Once on the inter-campus bus it started playing and I started to get into it and I noticed about 5 Rap-culture black kids picking on me for my "wimpy music." I wasn't going to let them ruin it and by the end of the song I had them all singing along with me.
My mom used to sing it to me at bedtime when I was about 3 or 4. I loved it, too.
"Wimpy Music," HA! I am 18 and get made fun of because I listen to this "Granny" music. This is what I was raised on. Not rap. My parents had a big infulence on what I like.
@skylott MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! Thats what happens to me!
I agree with sgrt144. He said it perfectly. Pet Sounds is definitely a brilliant album. I will go even farther and say it is a perfect album, only in competition with The Beatles great albums. It is definitely not whimpy music, though, I can laugh at that.
Funny story. I was walking down the hallway, and had my walkman on listening to this exact song. I'm a bigger (mostly fat) guy, and walk quickly. This makes me look "mean" as some people have said it. Now, picture someone who's big, and looks mean walking toward you, listening to this song. It's quite funny.
Love it:)
The Pet sounds album is probably the greatest album ever created. Sloop john B is one of the best songs on this albu simply because of how it starts and ends. It begins so simple and by the end it seems so complex, instrumentally, vocally musically in general. Everything about how it flows into itself and seems so effortless. However, during every new stanza they add a new sound and by the end you seem so overwhelmed instrumentally that it's hard to focus on the lyrics and the music. The harmonizing is incredible too just like in every Beach Boys album. Definitly a great song, hands down one of the greatest albums ever.
Amen brother.
Pet Sounds is mostly a great album,but I cant believe that Brian could pad it out with those mediocre instrumental tracks(lets go away for a while/Pet Sounds)...it does'nt compare with Sgt.Pepper(which does'nt compare with Revolver!)
hmmm, I personally have to disagree about "filler" I got shivers litening to Lets go away...
No, it doesn't compare with Sgt. Peppers, but it most certainly does with not only the most overrated Beatles album, but the most overrated album of all time, Revolver. The only Beatles album worse than Revolver (yes, including Beatles for Sale and Please Please Me) is obviously Yellow Submarine, which doesn't really count. Revolver sucks.
Relient K rocks!!!
Being trapped somewhere awful always gets this song in my head. And then it reminds me of Touching the Void, wherein Joe can't get Boney M's Brown Girl in the Ring out of his head. Perhaps Sloop John B will play on my deathbed? I think I'd like that. I think I just decided it's my funeral song.
i love this song, i first heard it on the movie, Forrest Gump
That's the Beach Boys versh, isn't it? I love it, personally. Brian, apparently, didn't like the recording afterward, and certainly in retrospect, since there was way too much (and it's evident more on the mono Pet recording) sliding to the top notes. I have to agree that it exists, but I always thought that that was purely for effect. Is there a Gump soundtrack available?
yea, and it kicks ass, alot of good songs on it. i personally like this song though. man, i just wish i lived in the same decades as forrest gump did...