Sailors in the days of shanty-singing used to be quite superstitious I've read. They would only sing certain songs at cetain times. For instance you didn't sing "Homeward Bound" till you actually were, otherwise you were courting disaster.

This makes me think that maybe sailors wouldn't generally want to be singing about shipwrecks etc. In case it brought one down upon them! Cautionary tales maybe, which instructed you somehow. But if you were on the high seas would you really want to sing about shipwrecks, drowning etc. etc.? Sounds more like a landlubber's type sea-song...

Whatya think?