Sea Shanties are having a moment, thanks to this guy on TikTok.
The remix hit #1 on the UK charts last week
So I decided to get on the bandwagon and do an episode on Sea Shanties because:
a) I love it when anything historical becomes a thing
b) I love sea shanties
So here we go – an episode devoted to the history of Sea Shanties
So the thing about Sea Shanties is that they primarily became popular a little bit after our time, in the 17th and 18th centuries. BUT they have a history dating all the way back to the Irish in the 6th century. And they started to take off in the 16th century. They were songs that were sung to keep a rhythm while working on large ships. Plus, they kept up morale. It was said that a good shantyman on board was worth several extra crew members.
These websites helped me a lot:
The Shady Isle Pirate Society
Historic UK
If you’re on Spotify, here’s a fun playlist of Sea Shanties:
Music Credits:
Wellerman by Beau Brenton is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
The Mermaid: Fisherman’s Friends – Sole Mates
What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor? The Fisherman’s Friends, Long Dan Russell, The Cod Wranglers & Ron Kavana & The Sherkin Crew/A Treasury Of Shanties And Songs Of The Sea
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