Book of Sea Chanties

Subject: Looking for Book of Sea Chanties
From:
Date: 30 Jun 98 - 02:14 PM

Could anyone help me? I am looking for a book of sea chanties (standards like "Drunken Sailor") as a gift. Either something that is illustrated with lyrics, or sheet music would be fine too. Does anyone know of a book like this that is still in print?? Many thanks.

Subject: RE: Book of Sea Chanties
From: Barry Finn
Date: 30 Jun 98 - 03:18 PM

"Shanties from the Seven Seas" by Stan Hugill. The new U.S. edition (1994) was published by Mystic Seaport Museum, 75 Greenmanville Ave., Mystic, CT., USA, 06355, & is available from them. They have a web site if you care to visit them (don't know how to send you). Stan's collection is considered to be the largest, most in depth (including the standards) & probably the most informative of all the collections on shanties (there are also many illustrations, I think all done by Stan). You can't do better than this, most of the other great collections , you'll find are now out of print. The music is also there. Barry

Subject: RE: Book of Sea Chanties
From: Bruce O.
Date: 30 Jun 98 - 03:27 PM

Some, including several works by Hugill, and a few editions of Whall, can be found as used books at www.bibliofind.com. Just enter 'Shanties' in the search box for 'Title Keywords'.

Subject: RE: Book of Sea Chanties
From: O'Boyle
Date: 30 Jun 98 - 09:02 PM

I have an old copy of "Songs of American Sailormen" by Joanna C. Colcord. I've seen it cited here several times and I think that if you do a data base search using @colcord, you'll get some hits. I'd like to know if it's still in print because I think it would make a wonderful gift. Otherwise, It is exactly what your looking for.

Slainte

Rick

Subject: RE: Book of Sea Chanties
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 30 Jun 98 - 11:10 PM

If yoyu don''t mind electronic publishing, the DT database has a pretty good collection. Search on @sailor.

Subject: RE: Book of Sea Chanties
From: rich r
Date: 30 Jun 98 - 11:49 PM

You might also consider "Songs of the Sea, Rivers, Lakes & Canals" by Jerry Silverman (1992, Mel Bay Publications). Mel Bay also has a web site you can order from

rich r

Subject: RE: Book of Sea Chanties
From: Susan of DT
Date: 01 Jul 98 - 09:50 PM

See also Songs of the Sailor and Lumberman by William Main Doerflinger.

O'Boyle: the @ sign is for categories, not for actual words in the entry. a search for Colcord yields 14 hits. a search for @colcord gets none, since this is not a category (keyword)

Subject: RE: Book of Sea Chanties
From: Barry Finn
Date: 01 Jul 98 - 10:24 PM

Whoa Bruce, that's a dangerous site, I only browsed briefly throught the sea stuff & felt the hunger in the crying voices of my children, as they screamed we can't surivive on sea songs alone, we need some bread too, Daddy, please don't. They're looking for you Bruce. Barry

Subject: RE: Book of Sea Chanties
From: Bruce O.
Date: 06 Jul 98 - 10:09 PM

Yeah, it is dangerous, and people without a strong 'won't' power should stay away.

Subject: RE: Book of Sea Chanties
From: Cuilionn
Date: 07 Jul 98 - 04:05 AM

Alricht, here's a query whae's been plaguin' me for years, an' I'm tae embarrassed tae ask ony local folkies tae their face. Where does the name "sea chanty/shanty" come frae? Why dae I find it spelled twa different ways, an' what's th' richt pronouncin' o' it? Och, blastit, this ane allus makes me feel like an' eejit! Put me oot o' my misery, will ye?

Muckle thanks,

--Cuilionn

Subject: RE: Book of Sea Chanties
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 07 Jul 98 - 04:18 AM

Cuilionn- Dinna fash yersel, lassie. The so-called authorities have been arguing about the spelling and origin of chanty/shanty/shantey for at least a century, with no resolution in sight.

Subject: RE: Book of Sea Chanties
From: Barry Finn
Date: 07 Jul 98 - 01:11 PM

Cuilionn, the earliest use of the word in print, found by Hugill dates to no earlier than the 1830's although reference to it's use is recorded by Felix Fabri in 1493. As to the orgin of the word, as Dick says is a crap shoot. Hugill puts forth 6 theories, breifly;
1 West Indians moving their shanties (huts) to song.
2 The drinking Shanties in the Gulf Ports where Black & White sailors, steveadores & hoosiers drank.
3 The boat songs of the old French voyageurs which were called 'chansons'.
4 The French word 'chantez' sing.
5 A derivation of the English word 'chant'.
6 A connection to the shantyboy songs of the lumber camps.
Hugill leans more to #5 then #1, with a lot of recent uncovering as to the extent the Afro American waterman has had on shanties & how far back their influence goes, I'd rather bet on #1, but then, it's only a hunch. So say what ever you'd like, no one can say you're wrong. Barry