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Sea shanties and maritime music

I remembered that sailors still sing in chorus while they work, and even sing different songs according to what part of their work they are doing. And a little while afterwards, when my sea journey was over, the sight of men working in the English fields reminded me again that there are still songs for harvest and for many agricultural routines. And I suddenly wondered why if this were so it should be quite unknown, for any modern trade to have a ritual poetry... And at the end of my reflections I had really got no further than the sub-conscious feeling of my friend the bank-clerk—that there is something spiritually suffocating about our life; not about our laws merely, but about our life. Bank-clerks are without songs, not because they are poor, but because they are sad. Sailors are much poorer.

G. K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles, 1909

This Day in History (February 29, 1908)

This Day in History (January 8, 1806)

The death of Lord Nelson was a national tragedy like no other for England. "From Greenwich to Whitehall Stairs, on the 8th of January, 1806, in one of the greatest Aquatic Processions that ever was beheld on the River Thames" drifted the royal shallop (barge). The event is referenced in the modern lament, Carrying Nelson Home. Nelson is mentioned in nearly a dozen other songs.

Try a random shanty sampling

Do Me Ama
Forecastle song

As Jack was walking thro' the square,
He met a lady and a squire
Now Jack he heard the squire say,
Tonight with you I mean to say
Ch: Do me a-ma Dinghy a-ma Do-me a-ma day

"I will tie a string to my little finger,
And the other end hang out of the window,
Then you must come and pull the string,
I'll come down and let you in."

"Damn my eyes," says Jack, "if I do not venture
For to pull the string hanging out of the window."
So Jack he went and pulled the string,
She came down and let him in.

"Oh, what is that which smells so tarry?
I've nothing in the house that's tarry;
It's a tarry sailor down below,
Kick him out- in the snow."

"Oh, what d'you want, you tarry sailor?
You've come to rob me of my treasure."
"Oh no," says Jack, "I pulled the string,
You came down and let me in."
O Du Glade Sjoman
Heaving shanty

Now you are leaving this country,
To sail around the world and 'cross the wide ocean.

Repeat all as chorus

Merry and contented, you sing so cheerfully,
Putting your faith in the Lord and high Heaven.

The cable is hove in, the sailors are braced tautly.
A hand to the wheel, and the crowd coil down.

Toward the shore fond farewells are sent,
A tender farewell to our dear homeland.

Now we're trim and taut, the ship gathers way,
The little cottage on the strand sees us sail away.

There stands my sweetheart with tear-stained cheeks,
Sad is she but we'll soon meet again.

The day is dying, and the night is growing wild,
The wind is howling in every stay and sail.

The sun has gone - no stars are to be seen,
The seas are wild - tearing at our sides.

The ship is laboring heavily - the water pours aboard,
Many fine seamen have found a watery grave.
Bound Down to Newfoundland
Forecastle song

Saint Patrick's day in 'sixty-five,
From New York we set sail.
Kind Providence did favor us
With a sweet and pleasant gale.
We bore away from America
As you will understand;
With courage brave we rode the waves
Bound down to Newfoundland.

Stafford Nelson was our captain's name,
Scare sixteen years of age,
As good and brave a seaman
As ever crossed the waves.
The Abeline our brig was called,
Belonging to Maitland;
With flowing sheets we sailed away
Bound down to Newfoundland.

When two days out, to our distress,
Our captain he fell sick
And shortly was unable
To show himself on deck.
The fever raged, which made us fear
That death was near at hand.
From Halifax we bore away,
Bound down to Newfoundland.

The land we made but knew it not,
For strangers were we all,
Our captain not being able
To come to deck at all;
So then we were obliged again
To haul her off from land.
With saddened hearts we put to sea
Bound down to Newfoundland.

So all that night we ran our brig
Till early the next day,
Our captain getting worse, we all
With one accord did say:
"We'll square away for Cape Canso,
My boys, now bear a hand!"
We spread our canvas to the wind
Bound down to Newfoundland.

Words missing

At two o'clock that afternoon,
As you shall understand,
She anchored safe in Arichat,
Bound down to Newfoundland,

And to the Board of Health that day
For medical aid did go,
Our captain near the point of death
That symptoms now did show.
And eight days after we arrived,
At God's just command
He breathed his last in Arichat,
Bound down to Newfoundland.

Both day and night may we lament
For our departed friend,
And pray to be protected
From what has been his end.
Be with us and protect us, God,
By Thin almighty hand,
And guard us safe while on the seas,
Bound down to Newfoundland.
Handsome Cabin Boy
Forecastle song

Now, 'tis of a handsome female as you should understand,
She had a mind for roving unto some foreign land,
Attired in sailor's clothing she boldly did appear,
And engaged with a captain to serve him for a year.

She engaged with a captain, a cabin boy to be.
The wind it being in favor they proudly put to sea.
The captain's lady being on board she seemed in great joy,
To think the captain had engaged a handsome cabin boy.

So gentle was this pretty maid, she did her duty well;
Then what followed next, me boys, the song itself will tell:
The captain and this pretty maid did oftimes kiss and toy,
For he soon found out the secret of the handsome cabin boy.

Her cheeks were like the rosebuds and her sidelocks all in curl;
The sailors often smiled and said he looks just like a girl.
Through eating cabin biscuits her color did destroy,
And the waist did swell of pretty Nell, the handsome cabin boy.

As through the Bay o' Biscay our gallant ship did plow,
One night among the sailors there was an awful row;
They tumbled from their hammocks, it did their rest destroy,
They swore it was the groaning of the handsome cabin boy.

"Oh doctor! Oh, doctor!" the cabin boy did cry;
The sailors swore by all that's good the cabin boy would die.
The doctor he came runnin'-a-smilin' at the fun,
To think the sailor boy would have a daughter or a son.

Now when the sailors heard the joke, they all began to state;
"The child belongs to none of us," they solemnly did swear.
The lady to the captain said, "My dear, I wish you joy,
It's either you or I betrayed the handsome cabin boy!"
Mainsail Café, 2025 Contact