Sea Shanties: The Lyrics and History of Sailor Songs

by Karen Dolby

Pull up anchor, set sail, and hit the open water with this wonderful collection of sea shanties and their fascinating history.

Over four centuries since the first folk song was sung, sea shanties still fascinate and entertain. 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.

This gorgeous books brings together 50 of the best-loved ballads and their fascinating history , alongside stunning black and white illustrations. This is the perfect gift for anyone wanting to delve into the magical maritime world of 'Wellerman' and beyond.

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2021

Reviews

[Alissa J. Zavalianos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for research purposes, and after having read through it, I’m excited for all the information I found that will help my future writing projects.

That said, this book reads more like a fun text book. I actually enjoyed the tidbits of information and explanations more than the shanties themselves.

Bear in mind, some of the shanties are a little inappropriate, dealing with infidelity, sex, and drinking, but nothing is explicit. I often forget that life on the seas is rough and a lot of the language and lifestyles of the men on board is reflective of this. I stumbled upon a handful uses of d*mn and h*ll and one b**ch.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this, but I don’t think it’s suited for children to read on their own. (Someone asked me this question before I read it & didn’t have an answer; now I do.) I believe if you vetted the content beforehand, it could be a good learning experience, though!

I do think all the historical information and terms are super helpful and make this worth a read despite some of the shanty content.

I hope this is helpful :)

[Owen Townend · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful introduction to the music that kept sailors going.

For me, Sea Shanties by Karen Dolby was an ideal entry point into the history and meaning behind shanties and forebitter songs. Her prose style is simple and succinct, quick to accommodate a lubber's limited knowledge of bilges, capstans and halyards.

I was intrigued to learn about the privileged position of shantymen aboard packet ships, the importance of call and response singing to hauling and heaving tasks, the outright depravity of shanty lyrics and the perils of rounding Cape Horn. I even fell in love with a few of the mentioned songs as I played renditions alongside reading the words.

While I get the feeling that there are more comprehensive books about sea shanties out there (research conducted by William Doerflinger and Stan Hugill is often touted in the main text) I probably wouldn't have had the confidence to seek those tomes out without picking this one up first. Dolby's Sea Shanties has opened my eyes and ears to some beautiful uplifting songs that have survived the tempest of time, thanks to contemporary shanty bands.

I recommend Sea Shanties to those who want to get in touch with Jack Tarr as he seeks better weather and land ahoy.

Notable Shanties

• Roll the Old Chariot Along – an energising shanty that gets you going and certainly doesn’t do you any harm.

• The Banks of Newfoundland – a pretty rhythm with lyrics that lift the spirits, despite the cold nor’westers.

• Paddy West – a cheeky song that tells the story of a sailor’s boarding house that gave absurd maritime lessons.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

We Loved this book, with both the text of the shanties, followed by a history of their origins. The drawings are exquisite!

[Bronya Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

so fun, and i learnt quite a lot about ships and seafaring

did get a little bit repetitive in the explanations of the songs and language, but maybe that's ultimately a critique of the sailor's creativity and repertoire

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the little historical extracts

[Tom Fordham · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lover of Shanties and Fisherman's Friends I was curious about this book. It was a fun little read and I found it interesting to learn some shanty terminology and history behind the songs themselves. Whilst it is definitely the cleaner versions of the songs, it still showcases the charm and diversity of these sailing songs. Now my shanty knowledge has been broadened, I look forward to singing them loud and proud with full knowledge of the songs story, and connecting with those sailors of yesteryear.

[Rhys Causon · Rating 3 out of 5]

My only real issue with this book is that the lyrics in it seem very sanitised in comparison to the versions of the songs you can find on Spotify and YouTube and I would recommend listening to the songs as you read about them, only because I didn’t know how more than half of these shanties should flow like when I was reading the lyrics.

Other than that, it seemed a very good introduction to what shanties are like and some of the history of them.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heaving Songs, Hauling Songs, Forebitter Songs, and Shanties Today

As mentioned in my updates, this is very informative, methodical in its approach, and delivers the many-and-varied Shanties with both context and definitions as required

One thing I wish KD had included is examples of performers of each song, under each title, so you could search and listen whilst reading, if you so wished

A very enjoyable collection of well-researched culturally significant melodies

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good collection of different types of sea shanties, but not a great resource beyond that. Maybe I've read too much history or nonfiction, but I was expecting facts and knowledge interspersed with shanties. Instead, it was mostly shanty lyrics with offhanded factoids and asides between them. I recommend doing what I did: listen to each shanty on youtube as you read and you get a lot more enjoyment out of the book. Otherwise I would have skimmed and been displeased.

[Derek McCrone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of the lyrics didn't match what I was familiar with. I suspect the author chose the 'safe' versions of songs, even if those aren't as well known.

Regardless and interesting book and a good read for any east coast music lovers.

[Tweedledum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. I enjoyed searching out the music and listening alongside to old favourites and new discoveries.

[Karin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of Sea Shanties I found this book well researched and easy to read. It has made me want to read some of the books mentioned and to look into some of the different aspects further.

[Harald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I thought I knew a lot about shanties and ships workings but this has really opened my eyes to new shanties which I hadn’t heard.

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love sea shanties and it was great to learn a bit more about them.