I soon got used to this singing, for the sailors never touched a rope without it . . . Some sea captains, before shipping a man, always ask him whether he can sing out at a rope.
–Herman Melville, Redburn
During the age of sailing, sea shanties were used to keep rhythm while hoisting sails and accomplishing tasks requiring teamwork. It also seemed to make the hard work a little more pleasant. Most of the themes revolved around a sailor’s life: long hours of backbreaking labor; abuses by captain and crew; girls and lost love; alcohol; and of course, a longing for dry land.
Typically, the format of a shanty was call-and-response. The Shantyman would sing out a verse followed by a response from the rest of the sailors— the work balanced in a rhythmic pattern.
Shanties were broken into categories, depending on the type of work being performed. Windlass shanties were used when the leaky wooden ship needed to be pumped out. Long haul and short haul shanties were used in rope pulling and capstan shanties were sung whenever sailors raised and lowered the anchor.
A classic short haul shanty is Haul Away Joe. It includes one of the wittiest lines of any sea shanty: “When I was a little lad my mother always told me…that if I did not kiss the girls, my lips would grow all moldy.” You can read the rest of the lyrics to Haul Away Joe, here.
Blood Red Roses is a long haul shanty about whalers rounding Cape Horn, a perilous task for sailors because of strong winds and unpredictable weather. You can read the lyrics of Blood Red Roses, here.
If you’ve encountered the Spongebob Squarepants theme song, then Blow the Man Down will be familiar to you, as it is a variation of this melody. In the original (and lively) shanty, the song title and chorus call attention to the abuse sailors endured on the Black Ball Line. You can read the lyrics to Blow the Man Down, here.
You are the Shantyman (or woman)! Use the melody from one of the sea shanties above (or your old favorite) and write your own shanty, depicting daily life… as you know it. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can imagine yourself a sailor during the age of sailing ships. What are your complaints? Who do you miss? You can also retell a story about a ship. Remember to keep your lyrics simple and rhythmic.
Thanks to everyone who participated in last week’s poetry prompt. Here’s a poem from Laura we enjoyed:
Photo by Andrew Stawarz, Creative Commons via Flickr.