The Musical History of the Sea Shanty
Image courtesy of orbtal media / Unsplash
SEA SHANTIES AS A TREASURED PIECE OF MARITIME CULTURE
“Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguing is done
We'll take our leave and go”
You may recognize the lyrics above from the popular sea shanty “Wellerman.” A sea shanty is a traditional folk song that sailors sang while working on ships at sea. While there is debate over where the phrase originated, the word “shanty” may come from the French verb "chanter," meaning "to sing,” or from the English word “chant.” The purpose of sea shanties was to help sailors maintain rhythm and synchronization during physically demanding tasks on ships like pulling ropes and hoisting sails. These songs also helped keep their spirits up as they conducted boring, repetitive tasks during long voyages.
While singing has been a part of life at sea for centuries, sea shanties have particular characteristics. They are known for their call-and-response pattern, in which one singer, called the “shantyman,” leads the song with a verse and the others respond with the chorus. They have a regular, heavy rhythm. While there may be many versions and verses of sea shanties, the tune and tempo remain constant. These songs are a significant part of maritime and musical culture, as well as the seafood/fishing lifestyle.
Evolution of These Persevering Songs of the Sea
Prior to the existence of sea shanties, there were simple chants and calls used to coordinate labor on ships. With roots dating back to the mid-1400s, sea shanties experienced their most significant development during the 19th century on large merchant vessels.
Sea shanties developed from various cultural influences and adapted to fit the demands of maritime labor. The art form pulled from British and other European folk songs, popular music of the time and African American work songs.
With the rise of steam-powered ships and reduced need for manual labor, the practice of singing shanties declined significantly by the early 20th century. However, interest in sea shanties has been rekindled on social media, specifically #ShantyTok on TikTok, allowing them to be preserved and shared today.
Image courtesy of Andreea Swank / Unsplash
Types of Sea Shanties and Their Content
Different types of shanties existed depending on the job at hand, including "hauling shanties" for pulling ropes and "heaving shanties" for continuous pushing actions.
Below are four broad categories of sea shanties:
‘Long-haul’ or ‘Halyard’: Intended for sustained periods of pulling and lengthy, strenuous work, such as raising an anchor up off the seafloor.
‘Short-haul’ or ‘Short-drag’: Used for short, hard bursts of pulling and quick work, such as hauling in the corner of a sail.
Forecastle: Named for the forward-most quarters in the ship where the crew lived. These songs were meant to pass the time with storytelling and the pure enjoyment of singing.
Pilot: Someone who guides a ship through a tricky harbor. These songs would aid in remembering the best way to navigate into a particular bay or harbor.
Sailors would sing about work, fun, nonsense, stories, nostalgia and current events. The content of sea shanties certainly traveled and changed. They were rarely sung the same way twice because the words usually weren't written down and the shantyman would often change the words to suit the ship, crew or mood.
Florida’s Own Sea Shanties
Florida has a few distinct sea shanties of our own. The earliest known Florida shanty was written down in 1830 by Dr. Benjamin Strobel. "The Wrecker's Song" was sung in Key West. Wreckers were professional rescuers of ships that ran into the coral reefs common in the shallow water of the keys.
Another Florida-specific shanty is "Roll the Woodpile Down." It falls into an interesting category, as it follows the rhythm and patterns of a sea shanty but was used on the shore near boats and ships. The song likely originated with African-American work crews who loaded wood onto the steam-powered river boats.
To hear sea shanties or join in singing them, you can visit the Florida Maritime Museum where "The Main Hatch Motley" group practices a few times a month!
Image courtesy of Lance Asper / Unsplash
Popular Sea Shanty Recommendations
Famous sea shanties include "Spanish Ladies,” which started as a ballad in the Royal Navy, and "What Would You Do With a Drunken Sailor. For those who are looking to dive further into the world of sea shanties, below are some recommendations for popular sea shanties:
Rio Grande – A rendition by the Foc’sle Singers.
All We Got – A song by YouTuber Louie Zong, remixed from samples of various sea shanties and with a lofi hip-hop vibe.
Video Compilation of ShantyTok – Featuring Nathan Evans’ original video (credited for starting #ShantyTok), people’s responses to it and a short history lesson.
Collection of Shanty Vocals – YouTuber Matt Dearing compiled various singers’ renditions of sea shanties without music for those who want to experience the shanty as it would have been sung on ships.
Leave Her Johnny Mass Choir – A rendition of the sea shanty “Leave Her Johnny” featuring hundreds of singers around the world.
EXPERIENCE THE SEA LIFE AT TIMOTI’S SEAFOOD SHAK
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