Sea Chanteys

Sea chanteys (sometimes spelled shanty or chanty) are work songs sung by sailors or ship hands to coordinate the efforts of hoisting sails, hauling lines (on a ship, the term line means rope), raising the anchor, or any other of the collective activities of a ship. Work songs at sea certainly have existed since the earliest days of water travel in cultures throughout the world. Greek myths described choruses of sailors, Viking ships from the seventh century are known to have had officers to lead chants for the oarsmen, and even Shakespeare mentions ship songs in his writings.

Despite this long history of sea songs, according to written records the term "chantey" dates only to the nineteenth century. Though it is tied mainly to English and American cultures, there is some debate over the origin of the word "chantey." The most widely-accepted theory has it derives from the English word "chant," while others believe it derives from the French word chanter which means "to sing." Some scholars point to "shanty" songs of Canadian lumberjack camps that took their name from the shanty dwellings in which they lived. Whatever the origin, written records indicate chanteys were widely sung on American and English ships by the 1800s, both at sea and on inland rivers-as in the American chantey song "Shenandoah."

Types of Chanteys

Nearly all chanteys were comprised of four-line stanza sung by a soloist, or "chanteyman." In between each line the chorus of sailors would respond with either the same line or two paired lines. For example:

Chanteyman: Me bonnie bunch o' roses, O!
Crew: Go down! Ye blood red roses. Go down!
Chanteyman: It's time for us to roll an' go!
Crew: Go down! Ye blood red roses. Go down!

In this chantey, the sailors would haul back on the halyards on the italicized word Go.

Chanteys could be categorized broadly into two categories: those for hauling line and those for working the windlass or the capstan. For example, if the sailors were turning the capstan to raise the anchor, or pumping the bilge to expel water, songs tended to be longer with more verses, since these activities could continue for long periods of time. On the other hand, line hauling songs like "Blow, Boys, Blow" were often quicker and shorter, and line was pulled twice a chorus line. For example:

Chanteyman: A Yankee's ship's comin' down th' river.
Crew: Blow, boys, blow!
Chanteyman: Her mast an' spars they shine like silver.
Crew: Blow, bully boys, blow!

Lyrical Content

The lyrics of chanteys reveal clues of the homelands, histories, and lives of the sailors who composed and sung them. Songs might include references to China, New Orleans, cotton plantations, railroads, Irish emigration, wars, and politics. Sea chanteys were often crude, though the crew might clean up the words depending on the passengers on board. One of the most common themes in chantey lyrics is the trials and tribulations of the life of a sailor.

Improvisation was highly prized in singing sea chanteys. Captains were known to choose a crewman based on his ability to lead song. Chanteymen were counted on to lighten the mood on the ship with humor and wit, and laughter often erupted after a particularly clever line.

With the advent of steam power and the reduced role of large crews, sea chanteys are no longer sung on board ships. They now exist only as relics of a bygone age, performed by school children, professional singing groups, and others who help keep the memories of these times alive.

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