PoppaGator, I was finally able to PM you (Mudcat timed out on me Friday morning when I first tried) AND make this post.

Welcome to the glorious world of sea music! We're liberal -- sometimes we even sing about people who DRINK water. (Or rum -- and we sing river and Great Lakes songs, too.)

Singing sea music certainly doesn't keep us from singing all the other stuff we sing -- English, Scots and Irish trad, music hall, etc. And it's great for getting people who know nothing about folk music to sing along. We seduced a couple more yesterday at our 3rd Saturday of the month sea music singaround at The Press Room in Portsmouth, NH. People come in expecting to have a quiet lunch or beer and discover us singing loudly in the back of the pub. Mostly they're intrigued and stay to listen or even join in.

During an exceptionally crowded and exuberant singaround at the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival a couple years ago, a reported for one of the local rags asked, dumfounded, how all these people knew the words and where did they come from. I explained that most of them DIDN'T know the words -- but the choruses are so easy to pick up.

As to where they all came from, well, I've got a theory on that, too. I think in our culture it's frowned upon to sing in public in most cases. Your co-workers will complain and throw things, people cross to the other side of the street or avoid making eye contact. And people LIKE to sing. About the only acceptable places to sing in public, even if you don't have a great voice, (and I DON'T count karaoke!!!) is church or shanty sessions.

Singing is fun and singing shanties and sea songs is a great way to spend the day!

Linn