SONGS OF THE HIGH SEAS
SIX FAMOUS SEA SHANTIES
1. Across the Western Ocean
2. What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor?
3. Haul Away Joe
4. John Kanaka
5. New York Girls/Can’t You Dance The Polka?
6. South Australia
You know shanties are having a moment when they feature as official entertainment for a G7 summit, as they did in Cornwall last summer. But then, the last few years have certainly been somewhat surreal in the world of the centuries-old sea shanty. The fuse was lit in 2019 with the release of the feel-good film Fisherman’s Friends, loosely based on the story of the Cornish group, a stalwart of the English folk scene for more than 25 years and well known for performing shanties. It made number two in the UK box office charts and the sequel is due in cinemas this year. There’s even a West End musical on the cards. Then, in late 2020, a Scottish postman named Nathan Evans went viral on social media singing seafaring songs, one of which, Wellerman, believed to be a New Zealand whaling song, reached number one in the UK after a pop remix. It’s had millions of views online and Nathan has since got a record deal and quit his job.
Last year, Bristol-based shanty group The Longest from their 2018 album suddenly finding themselves gaining a much wider audience. Soon after came the publication of Gerry Smyth’s brilliant book on shanties, with words and music alongside the history for those who want to have a go themselves. Then to top it off, local Cornish shanty singers Du Hag Owr sang on the beach when the G7 summit was held in Carbis Bay in June, entertaining the Johnsons, the Bidens and their fellow politicians.
