The John B. Sails
“The John B. Sails”[edit]
Come on the sloop John B.,
My grandfather and me,
Round Nassau town ve did roam.
Drinking all night, ve got in a fight,
Ve feel so break-up, ve vant to go home.
Chorus
So hoist up the John B. sails,
See how the mainsail set,
Send for the captain ashore—let me go home,
Let me go home, let me go home,
I feel so break-up, I vant to go home.
The first mate he got drunk,
Break up the people trunk,
Constable come aboard, take him away—
Mr. Johnstone, leave me alone,
I feel so break-up, I vant to go home.
(Chorus)
The poor cook got the fits,
Throw away all o’ my grits,
Captain’s pig done eat up all o’ my corn.
Lemme go home, I vant to go home,
I feel so break-up, I vant to go home.
(Chorus)
Steamboat go by steam,
Sailboat go by sail,
My girl’s hat ’ain’t got no tail.
Lemme go home, I vant to go home,
I feel so break-up, I vant to go home.
(Chorus)
Send all the things from ashore,
Let all the breezes blow,
I’m so sorry that I can longer stay,
Good-by to you— Tra-la-la-lu,
This is the vorst trip since I vas born.
(Chorus)
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1947, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 76 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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