Lyrical highlight: “Shave his belly with a rusty razor early in the morning!” It has appeared in television shows, cartoons, and video games. This is the most popular hand-over-hand, short-drag shanty. With the history of sea shanties out of the way, you can sing your heart out by giving one of the following shanties a well-deserved go! 1. Six Popular Sea Shanties For You to Sing Along to Although most of them were work-related, songs like “Leave her Johnny” were more suitable for relaxation in the evening. It would allow the crew to rest while the shantyman was busy making the most of his lyrical skills through multiple verses.Ĭapstan and pumping shanties were created to match the rhythm of continuous pulling that was less demanding. This type of sea shanty was more suited for longer periods of pulling. In addition, “hand over hand” was another take on short drag shanties that would include multiple pulls per verse. Every time the keyword was mentioned, the crew would do the suggested action. Short drag shanties were designed for quick bouts of tugging or pulling. For this reason, there are three types of sea shanties. In essence, shanties were linked to the jobs the sailors were performing. Ultimately, they brought changes to sailors’ work habits and musical preferences as well. That was when steamships were first introduced. They were also popular among international crews until the second half of the 19th century. For this reason, there are many songs about whaling.īy and large, sea shanties were not exclusive to English-speaking sailors. While most people tend to assume that these singalongs were naval, sea shanties were, in fact, predominant on merchant ships. However, others have linked its origins to North American lumberman songs, making mention of the word “shanty”.īe that as it may, historians have traced sea shanties back to at least the 15th or 16th century. Although most believe its origins stem from the French word “chanter”, meaning “to sing,” different theories exist.įor instance, some think that the term has derived from the English word “chant”. The phrase “sea shanty” was first recorded in the 1800s. Additionally, it relieved the boredom brought on by the task’s repetitiveness. The steady rhythm helped the sailors move in sync and made tasks, such as rowing, raising sails, or hauling ropes easier. That is to say, groups of sailors sang them to keep time and coordinate their physical movements. However, unlike other sailor songs, sea shanties were work-related. With that in mind, you may be wondering how many sailor songs there are. For this reason, they belong in the group of “call and response” songs.Īll in all, sea shanties have a heavy, regular rhythm, but their tempo and tune are consistent throughout.
A shanty was led by one singer (shantyman) while the rest of the crew followed by replying with the chorus.
In simpler words, sea shanties are folk songs created and sung by sailors aboard ships.
0 kommentar(er)
