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Let's do a thread on sea shanties! For the last many years of my life, I've been singing sea songs and learning about the history of nautical labor and to see these rather obscure songs come into the spotlight is nothing but a joy. Let's begin! 1/? #seashanty
The great Wisconsin folk singer and shanty man (of ships like the HMS Bounty reconstruction) David HB Drake put it best: sea shanties are often found by three distinct groups: historians, who enjoy them for their historical relevance. Folk singers, who find their harmonic- 2/?
Potential truly a joy. And thirdly, the sailors, who use them for their work application. This last group is where sea shanties are born, and whose history is, I think, utterly fascinating. 3/?
Ships were one of the most complex endeavors to run. With sails as wide as buildings and anchors weighing upwards of 10,000 lbs, you need hands. Lots. Hauling required synchronized movements; one sailor hauling at a time won't do much to get a sail raised. In comes the shanty.4/?
Not all shanties are made alike, because not all jobs are made alike. Halyards, the line to haul on the topsails, require firm pulls at a reasonable pace as to not wear the men out. An example of a Halyard Shanty is Blow the Man Down!
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Whereas some shanties, like the halyard, pertain to hauling, some pertain to heaving, such as pump shanties. Water+inside ship=sink. Pumps, invented in the 1800s, aided this problem. Pumps required consistent rhythmic movements, and requires songs such as Leave Her Johnny. 6/?
Another lesser known pump shanty is Fire Down Below!
There are a number of other shanty categories as well. However, there is indeed a distinction between shanties and sea songs. Shanties are work songs. Sea songs are pleasure songs. 7/?
There are a number of other shanty categories as well. However, there is indeed a distinction between shanties and sea songs. Shanties are work songs. Sea songs are pleasure songs. 7/?
These ballads may seem very similar, but do not contain the structure necessary for promoting work. Sea songs often were sung during down time, and may be accompanied by such instruments as the concertina, which was particularly great on ships, as it was small and portable. 8/?
Lastly, sea shanties existed in all sorts of cultures! The English, French, Dutch, and Spanish had their shanties, but seaborne work songs existed in the river fishing trade in China as well. Documentation, however, has been the biggest setback, as with all oral traditions. 9/?
Stan Hugill is the last true sailor who, thanks to him, allowed sea shanties to survive in text. Without his texts, we would not have known as much about the English shanty tradition as we do. 10/?
If you've made it this far, thank you for reading! Please ask any questions you have. This thread was inspired by @hankgreen's recent video. May the winds be fruitful to you all. 
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