1966 Top Ten: Sloop John B. (#2)
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86776)
United States
April 29, 2026 11:21am CST
Maybe you didn’t believe me when I made those 100 favorites lists. Yeah, I really love these songs. Both of today’s songs are on that list. They were released ten years apart, but that doesn’t matter to me. The fact that this one is now 60 years old also doesn’t matter to me. Here’s today’s classic.
#2: Sloop John B. - The Beach Boys
Actually, this recording is 60 years old. The song is much older. The covers database says the lyrics of this first appeared in a magazine in 1916, and it was old then. The Weavers had recorded this in 1950, and that was still “new.” The covers database has the first recording dated in 1935, in something that sounds like one of those John Lomax field recordings.
But most of us know this song because of the Beach Boys’ version. And that is just fine with me. It’s certainly the version I go to for enjoyment. The rest? Historical references only. When I want the frisson (the goosebumps you get when you hear a song), I head straight for this one.
Sloop John B.
Traditional, arranged by Brian Wilson
Recorded by The Beach Boys
From Pet Sounds, 1966
He ate up all of my corn:
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13 people like this
13 responses
@RasmaSandra (98026)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
29 Apr
Of course, love the guys and this is great music,
2 people like this
@Orson_Kart (8301)
• United Kingdom
29 Apr
This is another song that Lonnie Donegan covered, before The Beach Boys, I think? Lonnie’s is a slower version and good, but no one sings it like The Beach Boys. They had some fantastic songs of their own, but this is my favourite of theirs. Great choice!
1 person likes this
@Orson_Kart (8301)
• United Kingdom
2 May
@FourWalls I’ve only heard those two versions. I don’t think I could listen to 2 hours of the same song, no matter how good they were. 
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86776)
• United States
30 Apr
Yes, Lonnie recorded it in 1960. It’s fun to spend a couple of hours listening to all the different versions of that song.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86776)
• United States
2 May
@Orson_Kart — you may surprise yourself, especially with these old folk songs that have different (even slightly) lyrics across the versions. When you go back to older versions it frequently doesn’t sound like the same thing.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86776)
• United States
30 Apr
Timeless classic. “Golden oldie” makes us sound old. 
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86776)
• United States
30 Apr
@JudyEv — hey, that’s a great line to remember! 
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382329)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Apr
@FourWalls People sometimes ask if I remember whatever and I'll say 'my mother told me about it'!!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86776)
• United States
30 Apr
“Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “God Only Knows,” and “Caroline No” are also classics from that album.
1 person likes this
@Jehanne (2048)
• Philippines
30 Apr
@FourWalls I saved what you shared so I could go back to it and listen to other songs.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (14786)
• Ireland
29 Apr
@fourwalls I love the raucous version by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Great song.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86776)
• United States
30 Apr
I love their version of “Danny’s Song.”
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86776)
• United States
30 Apr
It’s the definitive version. I’m listening to Rex Allen’s version from the early 50s. It’s a fun rabbit hole for me, to listen to millions of different versions of the same song.
Anyway, you’re displaying that marvelous taste of yours again.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
30 Apr
@FourWalls At least you have an enjoyable rabbit hole!
Thank you and keep enjoying the music. It warms the soul.
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (11413)
• United Kingdom
30 Apr
When I was at Junior school I had a teacher called Miss Barnfield and this was her favourite song. She taught us all the words …..I don’t think she was supposed to, but she did ….
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86776)
• United States
1 May
Teachers have a way of sneaking music into the curriculum. I had an English teacher in 11th grade who let us listen to Wings Over America because she had mentioned the poem “Richard Cory” the day before (they covered it on that tour). That’s also where I first heard the Alan Parsons Project’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination album during our study on Poe.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222624)
• United States
30 Apr
Yes, indeed. There are several by the BB that I really like.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86776)
• United States
30 Apr
Hooray! You may know today’s as well, so I’m ending the month on a high note.
1 person likes this
