Classic Sea Shanty's & Nautical Songs

Let's start this off with a story, and Stan Rogers performing The Mary Ellen Carter live;

One Warm Line (Documentary) Excerpt - Stan Rogers Performs "Mary Ellen Carter" - YouTube

Wanna share a favourite?

We had the pleasure of going to the Harwich Shanty fest.

These guys are really fun in person:

Shadows in the Shade: Harwich Shanty Festival 2012 - YouTube

This is a great thread idea, let's keep it going. I don't care if it strays from nautical themes.

Here's a Stan Rogers:


And then there is the late, great, John Hartford. Couldn't find a YouTube with him singing this one that was any good, so here's a Novi group doing it fairly well:


And even the late, Grate (ful Dead) Jerry Garcia:

Stan Rogers. Barrett's Privateers!

If we are talking chanteys, thought this might be of interest to some as to the types thereof:


"The songs commonly known as sea chanteys (or shanties) are sung to help fishermen and sailors pace their work. The many different types of chanteys vary according to the desired rhythm and nature of the work. Types of chanteys include capstan, ceremonial, long haul/drag, short haul/drag, whaling, and windlass chanteys".

http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/docs/folkways/sea_chantey_glossary.pdf

In the 50s my Dad had an album, "Down to the Sea in Ships" by Burl Ives. All sea songs and chanties he played it often, we loved it. I have looked for it on I tunes and Amazon but they don't seem to have it for downloading. The album cover,
with sailing ship posters was beautiful.

Side one [edit]

1. "Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor" – 2:43
2. "Santy Anna" – 2:34
3. "The Eddystone Light" – 1:17
4. "Haul Away, Joe" – 3:27
5. "You New York Girls" – 2:12
6. "The Sailor's Grave" – 2:51
7. "Leave Her, Johnny, Leave Her" – 1:21
8. "Away Rio" – 2:35
9. "Ben Backstay" – 3:02

Side two [edit]

1. "Wrap Me Up in My Tarpaulin Jacket" – 2:33
2. "Blow Ye Winds" – 2:30
3. "Go Down You Red Red Roses" – 2:40
4. "Hullabaloo Belay" – 1:13
5. "Stormalong" – 2:46
6. "The Drunken Sailor" – 2:17
7. "Highland Laddie" – 3:19
8. "The Golden Vanity" – 3:08
9. "Rolling Home" – 2:26

A capstan, halyard or pump chantey demonstrated, although the crew seems a bit out of sync with the tempo, possibly because they aren't really having to put any real effort into it. The group Great Big Sea does a good version of this.

Steve said:

In the 50s my Dad had an album, "Down to the Sea in Ships" by Burl Ives. All sea songs and chanties he played it often, we loved it. I have looked for it on I tunes and Amazon but they don't seem to have it for downloading. The album cover,
with sailing ship posters was beautiful.

Click to expand...

Had that one. Long lost alas.

I've always enjoyed "Port Isaac's Fishererman's Friends" for hearty sea shanties.

Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald;

Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald ('79) - YouTube

Here's two from Bellowhead, a modern take on the shanty: