Sea shanties have long been an important part of British musical and maritime cultur. Even if that seafaring heyday is now over, groups around the country still preserve the tradition. These days, however, they tend to sing them while safe on dry land. Here are six of the best sea shanties.
Why are they called shanties?
The word shanty is said to have derived from the French verb ‘chanter’, meaning ‘to sing’. Usually sung by a shanty-man and his crew, shanties often involve call-and-response phrases. These are paired with strong rhythms to keep sailors in time and lighten the load of their work. You can find out more about when sea shanties were invented.
We’ve chosen some of the best sea shanties to get your teeth into. Have a listen, pop down to Cornwall, find the nearest pub and grab a pint. Then you’ll be able to join in with aplomb.
Best sea shanties
Spanish Ladies
‘We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors’. Ah, the shy retiring Brits. This tune describes a voyage from Spain to England, with sailors trying to gauge how far they are from home. A difficult task, thanks to the awkward location of landmarks on the way.And perhaps a tot or two of rum.
‘Spanish Ladies’ is one of the best loved sea songs. It started life as a ballad in the Royal Navy, and travelled to the merchant ships. It was used as a capstan shanty (one of the different types of sea shanties), used for ‘heaving’ activities.
The lyrics in the verses track a homeward journey, with various landmarks mentioned: Plymouth, Portland and Dover, to name just a few.
Spanish Ladies also forms a section of Henry Woods’s Fantasia on British Sea Songs, so you’ll probably find this one familiar if you ever tune into the Last Night of the Proms. You might also have heard it if you’re a Jaws fan, as Quint sings it throughout the film.
You can find the lyrics to Spanish Ladies here
Drunken Sailor
Also known as ‘”‘What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?’ or indeed ‘Up She Rises’, this perennial favourite is traditional English sea shanty. You would have heard ‘Drunken Sailor’ being sung lustily on board English sailing ships from around 1830, and possibly longer ago.
There are a few variations on the lyrics, but the refrain ‘ song’s lyrics vary, but usually contain some variant of the question, ‘What shall we do with a drunken sailor, early in the morning?’ is pretty much a given. You may hear versions, for example, in which each verse suggests a different way of sobering up the sozzled seaman. ‘Shave his belly with a rusty razor’, ‘Put him in a long boat until he’s sober’: plenty of fun to be had here.
In fact, ‘Drunken Sailor’ is one of those shanties whose popularity grew way beyond its original maritime use. It’s now a popular favourite among audiences at many a sea shanty festival, or even a lively night down the pub.
Blow the Man Down
Cartoon lovers will already be well acquainted with this shanty, as it forms the basis of the theme for SpongeBob SquarePants. It also appears in the Popeye cartoons. Unlike others in this list, this shanty doesn’t entirely revolve around raucousness, drinking and debauchery.
Historians disagree on whether ‘Blow the Man Down’ is to do with the physical fighting that took place on ships or the savage weather conditions to which sailors were exposed. Often, the force of a big wind at sea could knock all the men to the decks.
‘Blow the Man Down’ is a well-known halyard shanty, used for hoisting sails and ‘pulling’ activities. It was particularly well used between 1840 and 1870 on packet ships. The lyrics reference the infamous ‘Black Ball Line’, one of the first commercial shipping ventures between Liverpool and New York across the Atlantic ocean. These ventures were notorious for being brutal to its crew members. You’ll hear references to it crop up in many other shanties – including one called ‘The Black Ball Line’.
‘Blow the Man Down’ features the classic call-and-response chorus used in many of the best sea shanties.
You can find the lyrics to Blow the Man Down here
South Australia
Another great sea shanty for a long journey. This one was sung on boats sailing between the ports of England and, yes, you’ve guessed it, Australia. Its relentless refrain ‘Heave away, haul away’ was used to encourage crews hauling heavy objects to and fro.
The verses are flexible and have evolved over time, but the story of the shanty has remained the same. It is an ode to the girls the sailors have left back home, while they also drink to the women they will meet on their travels. This shanty possible dates from the 19th century during the Australian gold rush, when trade between England and Australia was at an all-time high.
Australia doesn’t feature very prominently in sea shanty tradition, with the Atlantic trade tending to dominate the narratives. ‘South Australia’ is full of binaries: ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sailors are mentioned and the refrain mentions both ‘heaving’ and ‘hauling’. It functioned as both a shanty and a forebitter (a song performed for entertainment).
You might recognise it from the Pogues’ adaptation on their 1987 album If I Should Fall From Grace With God.
You can find the lyrics to the sea shanty South Australia here
Sloop John B
Sloop John B is a Bahamian sea shanty, and was well-known and loved across the seas in the 19th century. Today, you will probably recognise its ‘I want to Go Home’ refrain from The Beach Boys’ adaptation on the album Pet Sounds.
Drop of Nelson’s Blood
‘Nelson’s Blood’ became a term for rum, so the story goes, after Nelson’s death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. His body was preserved in a cask of spirits which was tapped and drained. This meant that the sailors were then essentially drinking his blood for the rest of the journey. This shanty – despite its questionable glamorisation of alcoholism and objectification of women – is often sung by groups today. It’s also known as ‘Roll the Old Chariot Along’. Both are among the best sea shanties out there.
You can find the lyrics to Drop of Nelson’s Blood here
You can watch Fisherman’s Friends on Amazon Prime, YouTube or Google Play.
You can find the lyrics to many more of your favourite sea shanties here