Masterpieces – Sloop John B

“Sloop John B” – From sea shanty to pop anthem: How a forgotten shanty survived over 50 years of music history

Sometimes music history begins not with a stroke of genius, but with a crooked melody that no one quite wants. "Sloop John B," made famous worldwide by the Beach Boys , is just such a case. A song that Brian Wilson originally considered too simple—"too few chords, too much banjo," one might say. And yet it became a worldwide success, a milestone on perhaps the most influential pop album of all time: "Pet Sounds."

But first things first.

The song was first recorded in 1917 , originally as a Bahamian folk song , under the title "The John B. Sails" . The oldest known recording dates from 1935 , played by the Cleveland Simmons Group , whose version sailed under the maritime title "Histe Up the John B. Sails" . The lyrics describe a chaotic trip on a sailing ship - the eponymous "sloop" - on which two drunken passengers start a fight. The goal: to get back to safe harbor, back to order. An allegory? Perhaps. Or simply a drinking song with depth.

Before the Beach Boys, greats like Lonnie Donegan , Johnny Cash , Barry McGuire , and the Kingston Trio had already taken on the song. It wandered through folk clubs, skiffle cellars, and country barns—a perpetual wanderer in the shadow of the mainstream.

Alan Jardine , a member of the Beach Boys and avowed folk music fan, finally persuaded a reluctant Brian Wilson to record his own version. The first rough version languished on studio tapes for over half a year —too simple, too outdated. But then everything changed: The arrangement became more complex, the harmonies more refined, the production opulent.

In 1966, "Sloop John B" became a single—and an explosive success . It reached number 3 in the US, number 2 in the UK, and was a chart success worldwide. The single sold over 500,000 copies in its first two weeks alone. And, incidentally, its lush production paved the way for the sound aesthetic that would fully blossom on "Pet Sounds."

The historical context is also interesting: The "Sloop John B" was a real ship, a Caribbean sloop named after Captain John Bethel , which sank around 1900 off Eleuthera , an island in the Bahamas. The wreck was discovered in 1926. But what was salvaged musically outlasted both the shipwreck and the zeitgeist.

And today? A group called The Fendertones , consisting of Beach Boys enthusiasts and vintage instrument virtuosos, is reviving the harmonies of yesteryear. Their meticulously reconstructed version of "Sloop John B" has over 4 million views on YouTube —proof that good music often has a second life. Or a third. Or a fourth.

Because some songs are not written - they arise, disappear and return , like a melody carried by the wind on the open sea.