Sea Shanties 101: Let’s explore
If you’ve any experience in sea shanties, you’ve probably noticed they don’t all sound the same. Some are slow, some are fast, and some are just downright sad! Well there’s method behind the melody, and I’m here to tell you all about it!
A shanty frequently contains a CALL, which is what the shantyman would sing out, essentially the verses of the song, and the RESPONSE, which is what the men would sing back. For example in Haul Away Joe: the call is “Louis was the king of France before the revolution,” and the response is “heave away, haul away Joe.”
One of the first things to keep in mind is that shanties were used most frequently during tasks that required most of the crew. I’m now going to separate these types of work shanties into categories:
CAPSTAN SHANTIES: these shanties were used for repetitive work that was sustained, such as raising the ship’s anchor at the capstan. Examples? Randy Dandy-Oh, Drunken Sailor, Eliza Lee, Barrett’s Privateers (though this was written long after the age of sail!)
HALYARD SHANTIES: sung during tasks that took a very long time and required a break for a breath before the men started up again, such as hoisting a sail. Examples? Blow the Man Down, Leave Her Johnny, Hanging Johnny (Johnny really took the piss huh)
PUMPING SHANTIES: let’s hope you didnt have to do a lot of pumping! Wooden ships were prone to leaking and so pumping out the water was necessary but tiresome work below decks. Examples? Santiana, Pump Shanty (surprise there)
SHORT-HAUL SHANTIES: for quick work, like shortening sails! Examples? Haul Away Joe, Paddy Doyle’s Boots, Haul on the Bowline
There’s some of our task shanties! Now why don’t we go below and see what our off-duty men are getting up to?
Why, they’re singing FO'C'SLE SHANTIES! These shanties are stories of life at sea, the work they’d done, the places they’d been, they can tell you a lot about a sailor’s life. Examples? Rolling Down to Old Maui, Ben Backstay, All for me Grog
Fun! How about those far away in the polar seas hunting whales? Well I’m glad you asked because this is where we encounter WHALING SHANTIES! And yes, you guessed it, this is where Wellerman comes in! Other examples include Bonnie Ship the Diamond, The Greenland Whaler Fisheries
Now of course the most important rule of sea shanties is to have fun with your buds! Be sure to tell everyone you know about your newly-acquired shanty knowledge!
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