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Shipmates! Until now, I have refrained from posting anything about my land-based job on this blog, but I’ve just curated a maritime music playlist using the collections of Smithsonian Folkways (the music label/recorded sound archives of the Smithsonian Institution). The result is two hours of sea shanties, shipwreck ballads, and other boat-related music from around the English-speaking world. I hope you enjoy!
sea shanties are lovely. Typically songs are like "Love! Heartbreak! Something sweet and nostalgic about our local mountains!" and then the shea shanties are like "I can't wait until we get supplied so I can drink rum again", "guys our Captain's annoying I'd do so much better", and "lets go and play some agressive pranks on our drunk coworker"
My new hyper fixation turns out to actually be group songs in all forms!!!! Union songs, work songs, rounds, sea shanties, etc!!! Please, if anyone has any information on any of these, but especially what the category is for these, let me know so I can research more!
By category I mean, I want to look into all types of group singing. Beyond just union songs, sea shanties, and work songs. Im talking like, campfire songs for kids, rowing songs (like The Canoe Song), and whatever other forms of group singing exists!
Have you heard Lead Belly?
Yes
No but I've heard of them
Haven't even heard of them
Anyone willing to write songs for characters to sing in Glory to the Revolution? I want the miners to have work songs, and for Jazz's VA to have something to actually perform.
우리네 청춘이 저물고 저물도록
미싱은 잘도 도네 돌아가네
---- I've been listening to "Four Seasons" by People Searching FOr Songs for quite some time now and noticed how a lot of students write in the comments how this song helps them focus because it makes them remember how their elders worked their asses off in the factories sothat they could study. I tried it today and wow, the rage I feel at every "미싱은 잘도 도네 돌아가네 " (The spinning wheel turns nicely, and turns on). It just makes me angry, thinking of all the young girls who couldn't even go to middle school and went from 6th grade to factory right away with no hope for the future and no light in their lives but the light of the factory. It really makes me wanna study, for them, for me.
Listen on YouTube / Listen on Spotify.
This is a traditional work song from the Valencian Country that used to be sang in the storehouses, with lyrics talking about their working rights. In this recording, it's sang by two of the most recognized Valencian singers of traditional style of the moment: Pep Gimeno "Botifarra" and Noelia Llorens "Titana". Botifarra has learned this song from elderly women and has added one new stanza as homage to them.
As always, here's the original lyrics in Valencian/Catalan and the translation of each stanza in English.
Ja ve l'aire, ja ve l'aire! Ja ve l'aire del migdia I ha vingut un pardalet A portar-nos l'alegria The breeze is arriving, the breeze is arriving! The noon's breeze is arriving And a little bird has come To bring us happiness.
Senyor amo, senyor amo A això no n'hi ha raó Que han tocat les dotze i mitja I encà estem en el muntó! Mister owner, mister owner This is nonsense For [the bells] have rung 12:30 And we're still at the pile!
Ací estan les triadores Fortes com els diamants I les encaixonadores Perles fines encaixant Here are the sorters [women] Strong like diamonds And the packers [women] Fine pearls [when it comes to] encasing.
Allà està el tapador Passa el dia repicant I l'embalador que embala I el carreter carrejant There's the capper [man] Who spends all day pricking And the wrapper [man] who wraps And the cartwright [man] carting.
Ja s'emporten les taronges Ja les duen al vagó Ja se'n va l'amo a València A forrar-se el jaquetó They're already taking away the oranges They're taking them to the coach The master is going to València [the capital city] To get the get his refeer coat lined
Ja ve l'amo, ja ve l'amo Ja ve l'amo dels diners Porta paper, porta plata I calderilla també The master is coming, the master is coming The money's master is coming He brings paper, he brings silver And loose change, too.
Ja se'n van totes les xiques Molt contentes se n'anem Amb el jornalet a casa Que el tinguem ben guanyadet All the girls are leaving We're leaving very happy With our salary [we go] home For we have earned it hard.
Ací estan les perles fines Braç a braç amb els diamants Repicant amb alegria Volem tot: les flors i el pa! Here are the fine pearls Shoulder to shoulder with the diamonds Pealing merrily We want all: the flowers and the bread!
[Repeat the first "ja ve l'amo..." stanza]
Ja ve l'amo, ja ve l'amo Ja ve l'amo dels diners Perquè les hores són nostres Si en vol més que en pague més! Perquè les hores són nostres Si en vol més que en pague més! The master is coming, the master is coming The money's master is coming Because the hours are ours If he wants more of them, he shall pay more of them. Because the hours are ours If he wants more of them, he shall pay more of them.
A podcast video, reading an essay about sea shanties and their history.
Direct eye contact during the intro and outro. Open captions over video footage during the body ~16 minutes.
My only gripe with this article is that it credits Nathan Evans with starting the viral trend of The Wellerman, when he actually sang the song in response to a rendition by The Longest Johns.
