Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
By the second verse, dear friends
My head will burst, my life will end
So I'd like to start this one off by saying
Live and love
I was young and at home in bed
And I was hanging on the words some poem said
And thirty-one
I was impressionable, I was upsettable
I tried to make my breathing stop, my heart beat slow
So when my mom and John came in I would be cold
From a bridge on Washington Avenue
The year of 1972
Broke my bones and skull
And it was memorable
It was half a second and I was halfway down
Do you think I wanted to turn back around
And teach a class
Where you kiss the ass that I've exposed to you
And at the funeral the university
Cried at three poems they'd present in place of a broken me
I was breaking in a case of suds
At the brass rail, a fall-down drunk
With his tongue torn out
And his balls removed
And I knew that my last lines were gone
While stupidly I lingered on
Other wise men know
When it's time to go and so I should too
And so I fly into the brightest winter sun
Of this frozen town
I'm stripped down to move on
My friends, I'm gone
Well, I hear my father fall and I hear my mother call
And I hear the others all whispering, come home
I'm sorry to go, I loved you all so
But this is the worst trip I've ever been on
So hoist up the John B. sail
(Hoist up the John B. sail)
See how the main sail sets
(See how the main sail sets)
I've folded my heart in my head
And I wanna go home
With a book in my hand
In the way I had planned
Well, this is the worst trip I've ever been on
Hoist up the John B. sail
(Hoist up the John B. sail)
See how the main sail sets
(See how the main sail sets)
I've folded my heart in my head
And I wanna go home
With a book in each hand
(With a book in each hand)
In the way I had planned
(In the way I had planned)
I feel so broke up
I wanna go home
My head will burst, my life will end
So I'd like to start this one off by saying
Live and love
I was young and at home in bed
And I was hanging on the words some poem said
And thirty-one
I was impressionable, I was upsettable
I tried to make my breathing stop, my heart beat slow
So when my mom and John came in I would be cold
From a bridge on Washington Avenue
The year of 1972
Broke my bones and skull
And it was memorable
It was half a second and I was halfway down
Do you think I wanted to turn back around
And teach a class
Where you kiss the ass that I've exposed to you
And at the funeral the university
Cried at three poems they'd present in place of a broken me
I was breaking in a case of suds
At the brass rail, a fall-down drunk
With his tongue torn out
And his balls removed
And I knew that my last lines were gone
While stupidly I lingered on
Other wise men know
When it's time to go and so I should too
And so I fly into the brightest winter sun
Of this frozen town
I'm stripped down to move on
My friends, I'm gone
Well, I hear my father fall and I hear my mother call
And I hear the others all whispering, come home
I'm sorry to go, I loved you all so
But this is the worst trip I've ever been on
So hoist up the John B. sail
(Hoist up the John B. sail)
See how the main sail sets
(See how the main sail sets)
I've folded my heart in my head
And I wanna go home
With a book in my hand
In the way I had planned
Well, this is the worst trip I've ever been on
Hoist up the John B. sail
(Hoist up the John B. sail)
See how the main sail sets
(See how the main sail sets)
I've folded my heart in my head
And I wanna go home
With a book in each hand
(With a book in each hand)
In the way I had planned
(In the way I had planned)
I feel so broke up
I wanna go home
Lyrics submitted by smileforthecamera
John Allyn Smith Sails Lyrics as written by Will Robinson Sheff
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
very touching retelling of John Berryman's (aka John Allyn Smith) death by suicide. the opening verse immediately got me interested. the next few verses reference the key moments leading up to his death - him imagining his own suicide when he was younger, perhaps traumatised after seeing his father's own suicide ("so when my mum and John came in, I would be cold") and his alcoholism ("breaking in a case of suds").
you can read more about him here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Berryman
also, i like the throwback to Sloop John B. to me it's fitting both lyrically and melodically, especially since the ship (the John B.) and the subject of this song share the same initials. nice touch!
This song is especially meaningful in light of John Berryman's poetry itself. The 6th stanza (I was breaking in a case of suds, etc.) is a direct allusion to several poems of Berryman's, and the line "stripped down to move on" is directly lifted from one of the last poems in 77 Dream Songs.
The cover of Sloop John B. contains a few more references to those final poems in 77 Dream Songs (which wasn't Berryman's final work though they do heavily deal with suicide, he released over 300 poems after them). The line "I'm full in my heart and my head" is lifted almost verbatim, as well as the concept of carrying books in each hand.
Finally, the way the song addresses the listener as "my friends" is a technique that is often used by Berryman in his poetry. The song itself if straightforward, the story of Berryman's death, but it also acts as an homage to his work by incorporating pieces of his poetry itself.
Oh, and also: this is some of the best songwriting and storytelling I've ever heard. Song after song, I can't even believe how amazing these lyrics are. This song doesn't have any hidden meaning. The character has lived past his prime and turned into something that he dislikes, so he jumps to his death. Love the reference to a childhood not-really-suicide attempt. And the very meta first verse. So good!
Will Sheff astounds me.
[song]writers who read are a lovely thing indeed. amazing songmeanings input to jadedgypsy.
Just a minor correction. I believe it's "in 31" not "and thirty-one." That'd make our character, John, 17 years old at that point instead of 31. :)
the brass rail is a bar here in champaign.
this song hit me like a ton of brick the other day. it's such a heart-breaking story, and when it breaks into sloop john b it sounds so joyous but sad at the same time, like he was only waiting all that time just to escape from this world. beautiful beautiful song. okkervil river's probably one of my 5 favorite bands now because of this.
this is a great song by a great band, if you like this song you should also check out stuck between stations by the hold steady, also about john berryman's suicide
This song means a lot to me. John Berryman taught at the University of Minnesota (which is where I graduated from). I'm too young to have ever had him as a teacher, but my poetry professor was good friends with John and he was mentioned in our class frequently. The Washington Avenue Bridge runs from the West Bank of campus to the East Bank. He's one of many people who have jumped off of it. And The Brass Rail is a bar in downtown Minneapolis.
I find it very interesting that this song makes allusion to the Dylan Thomas poem "Don't go gently into that good night." ..."wise men know when its time to go" almost suggests that Thomas had a strong influence on Berryman's suicide.