Sea Chanty

Sea Chanties (or shanties) are working songs of Sailors from around the 1800s. The category is sometimes stretched to include land work songs or ballads but these are NOT pirate songs. The basic format is an individual call and then group response based upon a rhythm for a specific type of work. There are a few experts that have written collections of lyrics, but they are rarely written down due to the improvisational nature of the verses. The verses vary as they have been passed on from ship to ship but the same themes and subjects are always present. The songs are in all languages and have traveled all over the world, but have a strong presence in American sailing history. Sea Chanty music still exists today with festivals and people producing new material. The Spongebob Squarepants theme is considered to be a shanty song format and has roots in an existing song. The newest Assassin’s Creed video game includes a task of collecting “pirate shanties”, and although incorrectly titled, it has caused an increase in views of Youtube chanty videos. I personally came across this genre of music this semester by the Sea Chanty and Maritime Ensemble class taught at Pomona by Professor Gibb “Ranzo” Schreffler. 

This video is a recording of Stan Rogers singing “Leave Her Johnny,” a pumping style work song used at the final port before going ashore. The song is about leaving the ship, including a few complaints about voyage. Today its is often the ending song at festivals that everyone sings together, and it also was in Assassin’s Creed. I must point out that Stan Rogers was Canadian, but he is an important symbol of 1970s folk/chanty music.