With pianoforte accompaniment, introduction, and notes.

Although Cecil Sharp admits he had “no technical or practical knowledge whatever of nautical matters” and had “never even heard a chantey sung on board ship”, this work comprises an important, thoughtful compilation of shanties. Many songs were collected first-hand from sailors, especially from John Short (age 76 in 1914, having spent 50 years on sailing boats). Over one third of the songs were first published in this collection.

Sharp avoids songs that were not used for labour, (“The Banks of the Sacramento”, “Can’t You Dance the Polka”), and songs that were repeatedly published elsewhere, (“Ladies of Spain”, “Cawsand Bay”, “The Coasts of High Barbary”). He divides the rest into two categories: Capstan Shanties and Pulling Shanties. Discussion of the word “chantey”, the relationship to work, and the influence of hymns and African-American folk song is included in the introduction. Unfortunately, he does not give much individual description to songs, prioritizing discussion of keys, recording lineages, and providing three-part harmonies. He also gives accents over pull-notes for the hauling shanties.

Capstan Chanteys

  1. Santy Anna
  2. Leave her Johnny (First Version)
  3. Leave her Johnny (Second Version)
  4. He-back, She-back
  5. The Hog-eyed Man
  6. Clear the Track
  7. Drunken Sailor
  8. Do let me go
  9. Whip Jamboree
  10. Roll and go
  11. Shanadar (First Version)
  12. Roller, Bowler
  13. Let the Bullgine Run
  14. Huckleberry Hunting
  15. One more Day
  16. O Johnny come to Hilo
  17. Good Morning, Ladies All
  18. Lowlands Away
  19. The Bully Boat
  20. Stormalong John
  21. Rio Grand
  22. Lucy Long
  23. The Black Ball Line
  24. Fire! Fire!
  25. A-Roving
  26. Heave away, my Johnny

Pulling Chanteys

  1. Haul Away, Joe
  2. Sally Brown
  3. Lowlands Low
  4. Shallow Brown (First Version)
  5. Sing, Sally O
  6. Poor Old Reuben Ranzo
  7. General Taylor
  8. Old Stormey
  9. Bully in the Alley
  10. Liza Lee
  11. Haul on the Bow-line
  12. Paddy Doyle
  13. Knock a Man Down
  14. Johnny Bowker
  15. Tiddy I O
  16. Round the Corner, Sally
  17. So Handy
  18. A Long Time Ago
  19. Cheerly Man
  20. The Sailor likes his Bottle O
  21. The Dead Horse
  22. Whisky for my Johnny
  23. Bonny was a Warrior
  24. Blow, Boys, come Blow together
  25. Hanging Johnny
  26. A Hundred Years on the Eastern Shore
  27. Shanadar (Second Version)
  28. In Frisco Bay
  29. Shallow Brown (Second Version)
  30. Won’t you go my way
  31. Wo, Stormalong
  32. O Billy Riley
  33. Tom is gone to Hilo
  34. Tommy’s gone Away