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SLOOP  JOHN  B.

​Traditional (Bahamian) folk song
Beats per bar = 4
Beat symbol = Dot ( . ) or equivalent
Buttons 2 to 5*   (low)
Buttons 5 to 9*   (high) 
​
​
​Accordion Notation - Either row, high
​Verse 1 of 3:

 .5   |    "7      .7 "7      .7       .8*    |  .:7    .5   |    :7     "7   "7   .8*   |  ::7   |
We    come  on the sloop John      B,   my   grand-fath-er  and     me

    .:7      "7    "8*  |     :8    .8*   .7   |   ::7*~ | ~:
 Round Nas-sau      town we did     roam____

   "5   "5* .6*  |    ::6~                | ~.      .6   "6  "7*  .7   |      ::8*~                   | ~:   
Drink-in' all   night  ("5 "5 .6* | .6)    got  in - to   a       fight  (.6  "6 "7* .7 | :8*)
 
   "7*  ;7*  |    ;7   "7    .7      .6~ | ~.   "7*  ;7*  "6 .6*  |   ::6~  | ~.:     
Well,   I       feel so broke  up___       I   wan-ta go    home___

​

Chorus:
​

 .5   |   "7     .7  "7      .7     .8*    |  .:7     .5   |    :7   "7    "7     .8*   |  .:7   
​So     hoist up the John  B's      sail   See   how the main sail     sets

   .5  |   "7  .7    "7     .7   .8* |    ;8      "8   "7   "7    .7*   |    ::7*~ | ~.
Call     for the cap-tain  a  -  shore, let  me  go  back    home__


  .5    .5   .6*  |        .6~  ~.:~       | ~.       .6  "6  "7*  .7   |      .8*~  ~.:~            | ~:   
Let  me  go      home  (.5 .5 .6* | .6)      I  wan-na go    home  (.6  "6 "7* .7 | :8*)
 
   .7*  .7*  |    ;7   "7    .7      .6~ | ~.   "7*  .7*  "6 .6*  |   ::6~  | ~.:     
Well,   I       feel so broke  up__        I   wan-ta go    home


​
Accordion Notation - Inside row, low
​Verse 1 of 3:

 .5   |    "7      .7 "7      .7       .8*    |  .:7    .5   |    :7     "7   "7   .8*   |  ::7   |
 .2   |    "4      .4 "4      .4       .4*    |  .:4    .2   |    :4     "4   "4   .4*   |  ::4   |

We    come  on the sloop John      B,   my   grand-fath-er  and     me

    .:7      "7    "8*  |     :8    .8*   .7   |   ::7*~ | ~:
    .:4      "4    "4*  |     :5    .4*   .4   |   ::3*~ | ~:

 Round Nas-sau      town we did     roam___

   "5   "5*   .6*  |     ::6~ | ~.             .6   "6  "7*  .7   |   ::8*~ | ~: 
   "2  "o3*  .2*  |     ::3~ | ~.             .3   "3  "3*  .4   |   ::4*~ | ~:

Drink-in'   all     night  (repeat?    got  in - to   a       fight  (repeat?)
 
   "7*  ;7*  |    ;7   "7    .7      .6~ | ~.   "7*  ;7*  "6  .6*  |   ::6~ | ~.:
   "3*  ;3*  |    ;4   "4    .4      .3~ | ~.   "3*  ;3*  "3  .3*  |   ::3~ | ~.:    

Well,   I       feel so broke  up___       I   wan-ta  go    home___

​

Chorus:
​

 .5   |   "7     .7  "7      .7     .8*    |  .:7     .5   |    :7   "7    "7     .8*   |  .:7
 .2   |   "4     .4  "4      .4     .4*    |  .:4     .2   |    :4   "4    "4     .4*   |  .:4   

​So     hoist up the John  B's      sail   See   how the main sail     sets

   .5  |   "7  .7    "7     .7   .8* |    ;8      "8   "7   "7    .7*   |    ::7*~ | ~.
   .2  |   "4  .4    "4     .4   .4* |    ;5      "5   "4   "4    .3*   |    ::3*~ | ~.

Call     for the cap-tain  a  -  shore, let  me  go  back    home__


  .5    .5   .6*  |     ::6~ | ~.                 .6  "6   "7*  .7   |    ::8*~ | ~: 
  .2    .2   .2*  |     ::3~ | ~.                 .3  "3   "3*  .4   |    ::4*~ | ~:

Let  me  go      home  ( repeat? )     I  wan-na go       home  ( repeat? )
 
   .7*  .7*  |    ;7   "7    .7      .6~ | ~.   "7*  .7*  "6 .6*  |   ::6~ | ~.: 
   .3*  .3*  |    ;4   "4    .4      .3~ | ~.   "3*  .3*  "3 .2*  |   ::3~ | ~.:    

Well,   I       feel so broke  up__        I   wan-ta go    home

​

NOTE:  The tilde symbol ( ~ ) near the end of lines 1, 2 and 4 indicates that this note should be held for the additional beats indicated.

Embedded youTube VIDEOS

Total of 10 videos in various keys:   Ab=1    A=1   C,D=1   D=1    E=1    F=2   G=3

Key:  Ab   

Tempo:  125 bpm

Group: Beach Boys

​Posted by:  Elvind Madland


Key:  A   

Tempo:  130 bpm

Group:  Reliant K

​Posted by:  ChristianHardToFind

Key:  C  from time 0:40 to 2:53
         D  from  3:20 to End.

​Tempo:  130 bpm

Singer:  Tom Fogerthy & Randy Oda

​Posted by:  SOUTHERN REBEL

Key:   D  

​Tempo:  125 bpm


Singer: Roger Whittaker

​Posted by:  Memo Music

Key:   E  

​Tempo:  140 bpm


Group: The Weavers

​Posted by:  Carlo Schena

Key:  F   

Tempo:  120 bpm

Group: Steel Rhythm Steel Drum Band

​Posted by:  Steel Rhythm Steel Drum
​                                                        Band

​Key:   F  

​Tempo:  135 bpm


Performer:  Dick Dale?

​Posted by:  Dick Dale - Topic

Key:  G

​Tempo:  135 bpm

Group:  Mainland Kitchen Band

​Posted by:  Mainland Kitchen Band

Really great melodic accordion playing, perfectly matched to the strong vocals and guitar.

Key:  G  
​
Group:  Kilkenny Krew

Posted by: outportoutlaw



Key:   G  

​Tempo:  145 bpm

Group:  The Kingston Trio

​Posted by:  CompVid101



Background Materials, Information & Links

​LYRICS

​

​
​

Verse 1






​Chorus






Verse 2






Verse 3



​
As can be observed on youTube, for this traditional song, there are many variations, including the one below, in both lyrics and musical interpretation.
​Most sing the chorus after each verse, and repeat at end.  Many sing a further background repeat (or equivalent) at each of lines 4 & 5, for verses and chorus.
​
​We come on the sloop John B
My grandfather and me
Around Nassau town we did roam
Drinkin' 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
Well, I feel so broke up ​I wanna go home
​
​The first mate, he got drunk
Broke in the captain's trunk
The constable had to come and take him away
Sheriff John Stone,
please let me alone
I feel so broke-up I wanna go home.

The poor cook, he got the fits
He threw away all of my grits
He took and ate up all of my corn
Let me go home
Why don't you let me go home
This is the worst trip I've ever been on
​
BackgroundLinks:
Click HERE for additional (wikipedia) info about this song.