It's not just Morris dancing that's enjoyed a revival in recent years – there have been resurgences in many folk traditions across the British isles.
One of these has been sea shanty singing, thanks to the proliferation of tunes across TikTok and other social media platforms which have had people tapping toes and smashing their tankards down on pub benches across the land. Here, we've gathered together some of the best sea shanties for beginners to get their teeth into. The repetitious nature of shanties means they're easy to learn. You'll be singing them all in no time.
The best sea shanties to learn
South Australia
Originally created as a worksong, 'South Australia' is likely to have started life on the clipper ships between Australia and England. The refrain of "heave away, haul away" meant that it was likely used as a "capstan shanty", used by sailors in heaving activities, encouraging everyone to pull together as one. This type of shanty is named after the capstan on a vessel, which is a revolving cylinder pushed around by the crew in order to move heavy weights.
"In South Australia I was born (heave away, haul away)
In South Australia, round Cape Horn, we're bound for South Australia"
Cousin Jack
‘Cousin Jack’ tells the story of men and their families having to leave their villages in Cornwall to emigrate in search of work. Over each decade from 1861 to 1901, Cornwall lost 20% of its male population, the majority of them from the mining community. There are many theories about the song’s title; Cornish emigrants would often call their countrymen ‘cousin’, while Jack was a popular name in the county.
“Where there’s a mine or a hole in the ground
That’s what I’m heading for, that’s where I’m bound”
Drunken Sailor
The lyrics date from at least 1855. On long sea journeys, alcohol was safer to store and drink than water so it had long been part of maritime culture. This ditty offers several remedies for sailors who overdid it. Examples include: “Put him in a longboat till he’s sober”; “Shave his belly with a rusty razor”; and, rather naughtily, “Put him in the bed with the captain’s daughter”. This was one of the shanties that the British Royal Navy were permitted to sing. The lyrics for most were deemed too parochial!
“What shall we do with the drunken sailor...”
Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her
This popular shanty was usually reserved for the last day of a voyage as a way of ridding yourself of any grievances. Although the first written record of ‘Leave Her, Johnny Leave Her’ dates to around 1917, its origins are unknown; that said, it shares the same melody as the shanty ‘Across the Western Ocean’, which was inspired by penniless Irish trying to flee the potato famine between 1846 and 1852.
“I thought I heard
the Old Man say,
‘Leave her Johnny, leave her
Tomorrow you will get your pay
And it’s time for us to leave her.”
Drop of Nelson's Blood
This shanty builds in drama (and salaciousness) as it progresses, relaying all the things the sailors will miss while they're at sea – a common theme of many sea shanties. This journeys from "a drop of Nelson's blood", to "a damn good floggin", to "a nice fat cook", "a night with the girls" and "a roll in the clover". Each of these lines is sung three times, followed by "And we'll all hang on behind" before the group moves onto the refrain.
Also known as 'Roll the old chariot along', the shanty features this refrain throughout, with the lower parts holding the word "Roll" to create a pedal tone. Known as a "walkaway shanty", this is the type of shanty that would have been sung while the sailors worked, with a brisk walking beat and opportunities for rhythmic stamping.
If you've enjoyed getting to know these sea shanties, why not head to one of the UK's sea shanty festivals this summer?
"A drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm
And we'll all hang on behind"
