[jjotto]

Beach Boys covered the Kingston Trio. Possibly the Beach Boys heard it via Dick Dale, King of the Surf Guitar, who also had a somewhat popular version prior to BB.

The song goes back at least a hundred years and was popularized by poet Carl Sandburg.

Very compelling song.

[Fast Moving Angel]

OK, you made me look ... LOL I was always under the impression that Brian Wilson wrote the song and had no idea as to its history. This from Wikipedia (yeah, I know, but it was quick):

"Sloop John B" is the seventh track on The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album and was also a single which was released in 1966 on Capitol Records. It was originally a traditional West Indies folk song, "The John B. Sails," taken from Carl Sandburg's 1927 collection of folk songs, The American Songbag.

Thanks ... I learned something!