Sea Shanties - Where are they?

[Caps]

I am playing next month for a birthday party and I was requested to play some Sea Shanties, Preferably with english words that they could sing along with. Not a genre that I am very familiar with.
Does anyone know of sheet music somewhere that would have the words along with the notes for about a dozen or so songs. I have "Haul away Joe", "Old Maui" nd "Drunken Sailor" and Spanish Ladies". There are a couple books out there with German songs or just the notes but that wont work. Thanks

 

[cestjeffici]

Try here: (you can change the search parameters to find sea songs)

Search for traditional Irish tunes on The Session

thesession.org

 

[Mike t.]

The Wellerman in Am is a great crowd pleaser, my granddaughters knew the words, must have heard it a lot during Covid isolation? Lots of accordion covers of it.

 

[Caps]

Thanks Mike, The Wellerman is a good song - exactly what I was looking for. I found a bit of history regarding it here. https://mashable.com/article/wellerman-sea-shanty-history . Also on this site is an interesting link to "Leave her Johnny, Leave her" sung by no less than 500 people in a collaborative effort.

 

[David Colpitts]

My vote, too, goes to "Leave her Johnny, Leave her" and also "Westering Home."

 

[Rosie C]

Thanks Mike, The Wellerman is a good song - exactly what I was looking for. I found a bit of history regarding it here. https://mashable.com/article/wellerman-sea-shanty-history . Also on this site is an interesting link to "Leave her Johnny, Leave her" sung by no less than 500 people in a collaborative effort.

Our band perform The Wellerman, in fact we opened last Saturday's show with it. It is a curious song though, as it suddenly appeared in the mid 1960s (I think) without any evidence of it being published or recorded before. So whether it's original or a new tune is uncertain. As an aside, it shares a tune with "The Lightning Tree" which we also perform.

 

[Caps]

Our band perform The Wellerman, in fact we opened last Saturday's show with it. It is a curious song though, as it suddenly appeared in the mid 1960s (I think) without any evidence of it being published or recorded before. So whether it's original or a new tune is uncertain. As an aside, it shares a tune with "The Lightning Tree" which we also perform.

Actually I read that it was from New Zealand during the 1860-1870 time period. Old, old song. Just not published until much later.

 

[Rosie C]

Actually I read that it was from New Zealand during the 1860-1870 time period. Old, old song. I saw it in a book dated 1932.

That's good to know. When it was suddenly big on TikTok during lockdown there was a newspaper article casting shade over its origins. Better for our band if it's genuine and not recent.

 

[murathan]

https://www.bethsnotesplus.com/2012/12/sea-shanties.html

 

[Caps]

https://www.bethsnotesplus.com/2012/12/sea-shanties.html

Good site! All the words to the chanties as well.

 

[Jmcgsd]

Thanks for this. Great site.

Also had never hear The Wellerman. Now it’s gonna be an ear worm for days!

 

[JeffJetton]

That's good to know. When it was suddenly big on TikTok during lockdown there was a newspaper article casting shade over its origins. Better for our band if it's genuine and not recent.

I'm not sure it matters much. After all, once you're playing accordion on a sea shanty, historical accuracy has already gone out the window. You're going for a "vibe", and if the song sounds like it fits that vibe, you're all set, IMHO.

 

[Giovanni]

Great site thanks so much for sharing ............some of the shanties I can remember singing in infant and early junior school.

 

[Gary M]

Does anybody know of a song containing the words “shifting a she-decker”? An old friend gave me his father’s concertina and he remembers him playing a tune with those words. I’d love to learn it and play it for him to bring fond memories back and show my appreciation. Thanks!

 

[Caps]

I looked through both volumes of the Shanty Book (about 60 shanties) and found nothing. Nothing found on Google search either. Apparently a fairly obscure shanty. Know any more of the lyrics?