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Sea shanties and maritime music

A song is as necessary to sailors as the drum and fife to a soldier. They must pull together as soldiers must step in time, and they can't pull in time, or pull with a will, without it.

Richard Henry Dana, Jr., Two Years Before the Mast, 1840

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

Run with the Bullgine
Hauling shanty

We'll run from night till morning

Ch: O run, let the bullgine run.
Way-yah, oo... Oh run, let the bullgine run.

We'll run from Dover to Calais.

We've sailed away from Mobile Bay.

We gave three cheers and away we went.

Now up aloft this yard must go.

We're homeward bound for Liverpool docks.
Fischerlied
Fishing song

Ein armer Fischer bin ich zwar, verdien mein Geld stets in Gefahr,
Doch wenn Feinsliebchen am Ufer rught, Dann geht das Fischer noch einmal so gut. Doch wenn Feinsgut.

Und fahren nir zur See hinaus, und werfen uns're Netze aus.
Dann kommen Fischlein gross und klein, ein jedes nill einmal gefangen sein.

Und ist vorbei der Monat Mai, vorbei ist dann die Fischerei,
Dann geht Feinsliebchen zum Traualtar, es lebe hoch das Fischerpaar.
The Wreck of the Ellen Munn
Forecastle song

Oh, it happened to be on Christmas Day,
"Twas from King's Cove we sailed away,
As we were bound up to Goose Bay
The Ellen to repair.
When we left the wind was down,
We headed her up for Newman's Sound,
The Ellen, my boys, she did lose ground,
Fell off for Little Denier.

The wind veered to the west-sou'west
And Barrow Harbour we could not fetch.
The gale grew blustering down the retch -
'Twas near the close of day.
So to Dark Hole we ran her in,
And waited there for a half-free wind,
The twenty-seventh to begin
Our anchors for to weigh.

Next morning then our hearts were light,
We ran her up for the standing ice
Thinking that all things were right
As you may understand.
Till from below there came a roar:
"There's water up to the cabin floor."
The signals of distress did soar
For help from off the land.

The men into the hold did make,
The women to the pumps did take
In hopes that they might stop the leak
And beach her in a trice.
But water still came tumbling in -
Against the flow we could not win.
The Skipper's voice rose o'er the din:
"All hands get on the ice."

Now to our very sad mistake
We found the ice was very weak.
We had to carry and to take
The children to the ground.
Poor Tommy Rolland scratched his head:
"For God's sake, Skipper, save me bed!"
Immediately the words were said
The Ellen she went down.

Early next morning we bid adieu
To bring down Tommy Rolland's crew.
We landed them in Plate cove too
For to walk down the shore.
Repeating often he did say:
"I'll never be caught up in Goose Bay.
If I ever get out of it today
I'll trouble it no more."

Tom Holloway lives on Goose Bay shore
His father and two brothers more -
All hardy men to ply an oar -
Westward that day did wend.
A pair of boots, a barrel of flour
They salvaged working half an hour,
And leather for Joe Horney for
Susannah's boots to mend.

And now to close take this advice:
Don't ever trust the new-made ice.
'Twill hold and squeeze you like a vice,
'Twill shave your planks away,
Till finally they're cut so thin
Through your seam the seas come in,
And when a sea voyage you begin,
Don't sail on Christmas Day.
Admiral Benbow
Forecastle song

Oh come good people all young and old, young and old,
Oh come good people all young and old.
It's of an Admiral brave called Benbow by his name,
How he fought on the raging main you shall hear, you shall hear.

Brave Benbow he set sail for to fight, for to fight,
Brave Benbow he set sail for to fight.
Brave Benbow he set sail in a sweet and pleasant gale
But his captains they turned tail in a fright, in a fright.

Says Kirby unto Wade, “I will run, I will run.”
Says Kirby unto Wade, “I will run,
For I value no disgrace, even losing of my place,
But the enemy I won't face nor their guns, nor their guns.”

So Brave Benbow gave the signal for to fight, for to fight,
So Brave Benbow gave the signal for to fight.
The ships boxed up and down and the shots they flew all around
And the men came tumbling down, there they lay, there they lay.

Admiral Benbow lost his legs by chain shot, by chain shot,
Admiral Benbow lost his legs by chain shot.
He down on his stumps did fall and so bitterly he did call,
“Fight on my British tars, 'tis my lot, 'tis my lot.”

While the surgeon dressed his wounds, oh he cried, oh he cried,
While the surgeon dressed his wounds oh he cried.
“Let my cradle now in haste on the quarter deck be placed
That the enemy I may face 'til I'm dead, 'til I'm dead.”

'Twas on Tuesday morning last Benbow died, Benbow died,
'Twas on Tuesday morning last Benbow died.
'Twas a shocking sight to see, Admiral Benbow carried away,
He was buried in Kingston church, there he lay, there he lay.
Mainsail Café, 2025 Contact