Sea Shanties: The Lyrics and History of Sailor Songs by Karen Dolby Hardcover Bo

Description: Sea Shanties by Karen Dolby A rousing collection of the most memorable and feel-good shanties in maritime history. FORMAT Hardcover CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Sea shanties are enjoying a huge resurgence in recent months, and given their history and purpose, it is hardly surprising. Composed and performed by sailors on sailing ships to ensure the rhythmic operation of the hauling and heaving that was a mainstay of a lot of their work aboard these huge merchant vessels, they were also about camaraderie, positivity and motivation. Life as sea was harsh and relentless, and these songs injected some much-needed humour into maritime life. The words and fascinating history of some of the best-loved shanties, dating back as early as the seventeenth century, are brought to life in this wonderful collection. Author Biography Karen Dolby is a freelance editor and writer. Among her books are Auld Lang Syne, The Wicked Wit of Queen Elizabeth II and The Wicked Wit of Princess Margaret, all published by Michael OMara Books. She lives and writes in south London. Table of Contents Contents list Introduction Shanties are work songs, sung to relieve boredom and to help with the many heavy, physical, repetitive jobs sailors performed daily on ship. The shantys rhythm helped the crew keep tempo when working together so that everyone knew the exact moment when extra effort was needed. On board sailing ships there were two main types of physical labour - hauling and heaving, pulling and pushing in land parlance. Hauling tasks revolved around pulling ropes to hoist and lower sails, while heaving shanties were sung at the capstan or windlass to raise or drop the heavy anchor. There was a third category, not connected to a specific job, but a vital part of the sailors working day, sung in the precious downtime when chores were done. These sailor songs are known as Forebitters, or Focsle shanties after the forecastle, the deckhouse where the sailors had their living quarters. Shanties arent gentle songs. They reflect the age in which they originated. Sailors lives were tough and often short, and the lyrics reflect that. Theres nothing PC or woke here. They are frequently sexist, innuendo was a given, and they refer to daily tasks that our twenty-first century sensibilities find distasteful at the least. Coarse, raucous and honest, the fact that we dont understand some of the phrases used is not always a bad thing. Commonplace jobs that would have been easily recognised at the time are obsolete today. Categorising shanties strictly in terms of their work purpose on ship is not completely straightforward as the same song was often adapted to match different tasks. Most sailor songs were versatile. By their very nature, lyrics werent fixed and were often made up on the spot, rarely written down. Names, places and ports could be changed, and verses added or lost according to where the crew originated and the ships destination. They are grouped here according to their most common application and to give an indication of whether they were originally intended for hauling or heaving. HAULING SONGS There were two different types of hauling shanties: short-haul and long-haul, or halyard. Short-haul were sung to aid quick tasks which needed fast bursts of energy and short pulls such as for shortening or unfurling the sails. Halyard Shanties, which literally meant to haul a yard, were sung when raising and lowering the heavy sails. This was hard work and required a greater, more sustained effort over a long period. The songs were designed to give the crew time to rest, take a deep breath and fresh grip between pulls and usually have a chorus at the end of each line. Hauling shanties are often call and response songs and would have been led by a shantyman with the crew typically pulling on the final syllable of the chorus line. Way-Hey-Yah! Short-Haul Shanties Boney was a Warrior Paddy Doyles Boots Haul on the Bowline Johnny Boker Round the Corner Sally Blow the Man Down - Halyard Shanties The word Halyard comes from to haul yards and refers to the rope used to hoist or lower sails, flags and yards on sailing ships. Across the Western Ocean Alabama The Black Ball Line Blood Red Roses Blow the Man Down Blow, Ye Winds Bully in the Alley Cheerily Man (one of only two shanties allowed by Royal Navy - other was Drunken Sailor) The Dead Horse Drunken Sailor Hanging Johnny Haul Away Joe John Kanaka Poor Old Horse Roll Alabama Roll Roll the Old Chariot Along (Drop of Nelsons Blood) Shallow Brown So Handy, Me Boys Toms Gone to Hilo Whisky Johnny (multi-purpose could also be capstan, windlass pump) HEAVING SONGS Turning the capstan required a steady heaving or pushing effort to raise or lower the anchor while winding the heavy anchor chain. This was lengthy, repetitive work and the rhythm of Capstan Shanties echoes the continuous physical effort involved, sometimes taking a whole day or more. The capstan had a barrel-shaped, vertical axle and the crew tramped around it, pushing on the bars or levers to wind the anchor. The capstan was replaced by the windlass around the middle of the nineteenth century. This did the same job, but more efficiently, using a horizontal axle and as a result, slightly different shanties developed. Pumping bilge water from the depths of the leaky, wooden ship was a constant and one of the most tedious and unpopular jobs. Across the Western Ocean - Capstan, Windlass and Pumping Shanties Alabama John Cherokee A Rovin Across the Western Ocean (another multi-purpose song) Banks of Newfoundland The Banks of the Sacramento Cape Cod Girls Clear the Track The Dreadnaught Donkey Riding Farewell to You, Ye Fine Spanish Ladies Fire Down Below The Fire Ship Galloping Randy Dandy O! Goodbye, Fare Ye Well Go to Sea Once More Haul Boys Haul (or The Smacksman) Heave Away, Me Johnnies The Hog-Eye Man Homeward Bound Jolly Rovin Tar Leave Her, Johnny Liverpool Girls The Liverpool Song London Julies Lowlands Away Maid of Amsterdam New York Girls One More Day Paddy, Lay Back Randy Dandy Oh Rio Grande Sally Brown Santy Anna (or Santiana) Shenandoah The Saucy Arabella (or Saucy Sailor ) South Australia Stormalong John (also has a halyard version) Strike the Bell Were All Bound to Go Whip Jamboree Yo, Heave Ho! Soon May the Wellerman Come - Whaling Shanties A whalers life was particularly brutal, It was gruelling, miserable work in the worst conditions. Whaling ships were typically at sea for a couple of years at a time. They reeked from the foul stench of the whale oil extraction and the sailors manning the decks endured constant danger. Bonnie Ship the Diamond Blow Ye Winds Blow The Losing of the Whale Reuben Ranzo Wellerman FOREBITTER SONGS Forebitters, or Focsle Shanties werent sung to spur on a task but were an essential part of a sailors shipboard repertoire. Sung at the end of the day in the forecastle living quarters, Forebitters were often adapted from other shanties. They allowed more scope for the imagination, telling tales of hopes and fears, the girls and families left behind, conditions at sea, and the merits or otherwise of the captain and officers. Farewell and Adieu - Forebitters All For Me Grog The Big Five-Gallon Jar Boston Harbor Canadee-i-o Do Me Ama The Ebenezer The Flying Cloud Heart of Oak / Hearts of Gold High Barbaree Homeward Bound Little Fishes Maggie May The Mermaid Rollin Down to Old Maui Sloop John B Spanish Ladies The Wide Missouri Conclusion Index Promotional A rousing collection of the most memorable and feel-good shanties in maritime history. Promotional "Headline" A rousing collection of the most memorable and feel-good shanties in maritime history. Description for Sales People Sea shanties have inspired a new generation in the twenty-first century and are hugely popular once more These sailor work songs have a long and fascinating history, and the lyrics reveal what life was like for merchant sailors on the high seas Divided into two parts - hauling and heaving - this book will explore the purpose and history of fifty or so famous shanties, with beautiful black and white illustrations Sea Shanties sparked the first major trend of 2021, with Nathan Evans version of Wellerman gathering billions of views and counting and this book brings together the best songs for new and seasoned fans of these folk songs Comp titles: Sailor Song: The Shanties and Ballads of the High Seas (British Library Publishing 2021) Details ISBN1789293766 Author Karen Dolby Pages 192 Year 2021 ISBN-10 1789293766 ISBN-13 9781789293760 Format Hardcover Imprint Michael OMara Books Ltd Place of Publication London Country of Publication United Kingdom Publication Date 2021-09-16 UK Release Date 2021-09-16 Illustrations integrated pictures Subtitle The Lyrics and History of Sailor Songs Publisher Michael OMara Books Ltd DEWEY 782.421595 Audience General AU Release Date 2022-04-05 NZ Release Date 2022-04-05 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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