From New England Folk Song to 1960s Beach Boys Hit

Plenty of critics believe Sloop John B to be the nadir of Pet Sounds. The original song was a 1926 to 1927 Caribbean folk song written by a man whose identity to this day remains unknown. It conveyed the emotions the singer felt and the events that occurred during the recovery of a ship, The John B, that was wrecked off the coast of Nassau in the Bahamas. It was singer Al Jardine who admired the interpretation of the song and suggested that the Beach Boys develop their own version without the West Indian language.

Al Jardine had previously composed an Americanized version of the song with his preceding group The Islanders. However, unlike The Islanders who immediately grasped the opportunity to elaborate on the song, Al Jardine had to spend countless hours trying to convince Wilson that the song was worth a spot on the album. Wilson was not keen of folk music and did not want to be limited to a simple, three-chord song that was already highly familiar to the American population of the 1960s. However, after days and days of persistence Al Jardine was able to devise a more elaborate chord structure and complex vocal arrangement which grabbed Wilson’s attention. In due course, the Beach Boys were proficient enough to transform an ordinary already popular Caribbean folk song into a delightful Beach Boys song with peculiar vocal harmonies and a bizarre jingle.

Although, the song was recorded on the 12^th of July, 1965 at Western Records, Brian Wilson and Mike Love’s lead vocals were recorded on December 22, 1965.

The inclusion of Sloop John B in the early track listing is significant because it has long been rumored that Brian was forced, against his wishes, to include the song -- a #3 hit -- on the album. But in late February, Sloop John B was still a month away from release as a single.

When analyzing the song, I came to the conclusion that it could possibly be suggesting more than just an unpleasant boat ride. I believe the disastrous oceanic voyage is a symbol for something much deeper, such as a bad acid trip being that during this time in the 1960s many people were partaking in the utilization of drugs. When referring to “My grandfather and me,” the Beach Boys could be referring to some psychedelic leader or sage. When singing the lyrics “Drinking all night, got into a fight,” the song could be suggesting the use of LSD and other psychedelic drugs. “The cook” could symbolize the man who produces the psychedelic experiences and constructs the drugs. Finally, the “hoisting up” of the “John B Sails,” could imply the desire for the unpleasant psychedelic trip or experience to be over and done with.

Although through careful analysis Sloop John B can be interpreted as a song about a bad acid trip, listeners, nevertheless, should remember that at its core, Sloop John B, is not a Beach Boys Pet Sounds original song, but rather a 100 year old New England folk song, and like all old folk songs is probably straightforward and lacks any deep underlying subtext…but who knows?? For ultimately, it is up to the listeners to interpret what they hear.