Leave Her Johnny | The Longest Johns | Mass Choir Community Video Project

We originally hoped for 100 submissions for this project... When almost 500 turned up, we had to rethink our plans! It's so amazing to watch this video and see the faces of people still keeping Folk Music and Sea Shanties alive all around the globe! A huge thank you to everyone who took part, and remember to keep singing! Hopefully this video gives you a bit of optimism for the future at the end of such a dreary year.

Back in 2019, we had the idea to sing a song with as many of our fans as we could. When 2020 hit, it seemed like the perfect time to do it! Since we got way more submissions that we expected, we ended up having to delay the video's release until NOW!

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Lyrics

Oh, the times were hard and the wages are low,
(Leave her, Johnny, leave her!)
I guess it's time for us to go,
(And it's time for us to leave her!)

Beware these packet ships, I say!
(Leave her, Johnny, leave her!)
They'll steal your stores and your clothes away
(And it's time for us to leave her!)

{Chorus}
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is done, and the winds don't blow
and it's time for us to leave her

There's Liverpool Pat in his tarpaulin hat
(Leave her, Johnny, leave her!)
And Yankee John the pocket rat
(And it's time for us to leave her!)

She would not wear and she would not stay
(Leave her, Johnny, leave her!)
She shipped great seas both night and day
(And it's time for us to leave her!)

{Chorus}

It's rotten beef and weevil-y bread,
(Leave her, Johnny, leave her!)
It was pump or drown the old man said,
(And it's time for us to leave her!)

The sails all furled, our work is done,
(Leave her, Johnny, leave her!)
and now ashore we'll take our run
(And it's time for us to leave her!)

{Chorus til Finish}

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The Longest Johns

[youwereexpectingadecentpro]

Realizing that "her" is a ship that johnny and his crew is sailing on and that their adventure is ending with no choice to leave her (The ship) to move on with their lives is legit even sadder

[MaxsonAtTheFort]

Captain Edward: “Sing me a shanty!”
Everyone: (Inhales)

[SaltEZ]

Dude had a ship wheel in his bedroom legendary

[J_B]

" Edward… your constant friendship has been my most treasured find on these seas. Well above gold and silver and rum, I prize the courage you have inspired in me this year. Thank you, sir! A fair good morrow to you! "

- Stede Bonnet

[yanderegirl]

I love how the internet was just "sea shanty time" and everyone agrees.

[natoartiljerija]

This accomplished what all those celebrities failed to do during the pandemic.

[snowdroppax]

I just realized after 3 years of listening to this song that "her" isn't a person but the ship that Johnny sails on.

[ndlsjk]

I start crying at the first "and it's time for us to leave her." Every time something major in my life changes I get this song stuck in my head for a week or 2. Kicks me in nuts. Love this.

[ryanm.]

i dont know what the worlds sudden obsession is with sea shanties but damn can i get behind it

[brillstrat]

The audio engineer for this deserves a friggin medal

[BennyHawaiiJustice]

Who else had chills throughout the entirety of the song?

[renangelo]

I went on a cruise a long time ago as a kid during the middle of the school year, so there were only about 7 teens in total on a cruise full of people. We all became really fast friends despite our different backgrounds. We got up to all sorts of trouble in the 7 days the cruise went for, so much that the staff would just smile and shake their heads and let us do whatever it was we were scheming. There was one kid who took a ukelele with him everywhere and oftentimes we'd all sing sea shanties together since some of the kids were really into assassins creed. This was one of the main songs we sung and I always remember how hard it hit us singing it on the last day of the cruise when we knew we'd probably never see each other again.
To this day I dont think ill ever have such a great group of friends and its bittersweet remembering the time spent on the boat. But at the end of the day it was time for us to leave her and go our separate ways.

Very awesome project. I loved seeing how diverse the singers were from all ages and different walks of life. It reminded me a lot of my old friends and brought back fond memories, thank you ♥

[itsben]

I am not dissapointed to find this i love this

[Igneelimmortal]

This shows more community and togetherness than any compilation of million dollar celebrities singing some John Lennon song

[InchonDM]

As a church choir boy for years, I can attest--the power of a chorus is that it doesn't matter how YOU might feel about your singing ability. People aren't going to hear you. They're going to hear ALL of you. The choir holds each other up. And when you get that harmony, that just-so timed power of hundreds of voices singing in unison, there is nothing else humanity has ever invented that sounds as powerful.

[memethanYT]

In all seriousness, this is one of the more beautiful things to have come out of lockdown. Weirdly nostalgic of that era.

[fullmetalpsyche]

In a world without gold, we might have been heroes. - Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach

[chrisko-pelago]

I can't blame the editor for giving the guy with the cat the widest frame lol

[SomeBarrels]

Johnny: "What's that handle-like thing that you can pull up and down?"
*'Lever, Johnny, Lever'*

[Nathantodd]

When humans are not busy fighting over the things or the world, we are capable of such great beauty.