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John Lyrics by Larry Kaplan

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Foggy harbor
Cold and wet and not a soul
The boats are lying crooked in the mud
All about the sounds of life are chilled and distant;
The kerosene lamps flicker in the night
Rub your hands together, pull your collar up
We'll drink another round before the night is done
Then it's to your chances, boys
Soon we'll all be leaving
And not a word about the times to come

John comes home to his old boat, all alone
(He's got his stocking-cap pulled down around his ears.)
Ten years going and he's worked his hands to stone and leather
Tonight he says he's got to get away
Busted broke, no place to go, that's what he says you get
For putting all your time into the sea
Then a man gets old, he says
Too late to settle down, he says
Too late to find a place for company
Rub your hands together...

Hear the hulls a-creaking hard against the rocky bottom
Hear the hungry, lonesome singing gulls
Curse those winter winds
The empty dreams that took you in:
When you're young enough, you never get your fill
Turn your lanterns up, and throw the big hatch open wide:
No man is a stranger in the cold
Throw another log into the stove; the night is young enough
And good friends keep a man from getting old
Rub your hands together, pull your collar up
We'll drink another round before the night is done
Then it's to your chances, boys
Soon we'll all be leaving
And not a word about the times to come

About “John” by Larry Kaplan

Read the complete lyrics to "John" by Larry Kaplan. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"John" is performed by Larry Kaplan. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "John", explore more songs by Larry Kaplan using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Larry Kaplan · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"John" is credited to Larry Kaplan. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

Album information for "John" is not available in our database yet. You can still read the full lyrics on this page.

Visit the Larry Kaplan artist page at /artist/larry-kaplan for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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