If you’ve not been on social media recently* you may have missed the hooray rise of the sea shantie. These seafaring songs are being discussed as the antidote to land-locked, lockdown cabin fever. People coming together with a shared cause to sing simple tunes together, in harmony, with the option to dance. The greatest hit has to be one known colloquially as “Wellerman” and we’re waiting with baited breath to hear whether Paul joins in. Check out The Longest Johns.
The biggest compilation I’ve seen so far of the Wellerman sea shanty. It’s chefs kiss! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/NwEwHsR6SK
– Etel Sverdlov (@etelsverdlov) January 11, 2021
*What did you find to do with all those hours in the day instead?
I’ve written a couple of folk tunes about the fishing village where I grew up. Not claiming them as shanties, but Spate Gatherers is in a similar vein: