Gibb, another reason what Bullen was ignored, I think, is that he only gave one or two stanzas per song. Nobody wants to sing just one or two stanzas! Furthermore, he emphasized the African-American side of the subject, which may have lessened the interest for white singers and musicians of the period.

Exactly why shanties have been so generally shunned by African-Americans (and African-Britons) is another minor cultural mystery.