A Sailor's Garland

John Edward Masefield (1878-1967) was an English poet and writer. He spent several years reading and writing aboard the sail training ship HMS Conway. He shipped to Chile aboard the Gilcruix, a four-masted barque of the White Star Line, but returned home after suffering from sunstroke. Masefield made one more attempt at the sailing profession aboard a New York-bound windjammer, but upon arrival he opted to try life as a writer instead. Masefield served as Poet Laureate from 1930-1967.

Masefield lamented that these "sea ballads... make up the bulk of the sea poetry we possess." He claims the included ballads date from the 1500s to as late as 1830.

A section of 25 familiar shanties are included at the end.

1. Lowlands
2. Storm Along
3. Whiskey Johnny
4. Jean Francois
5. Blow the Man Down
6. Roll the Cotton Down
7. Reuben Ranzo
8. Roll and Go
9. Roll Him Over
10. Hanging Johnny
11. Sally Brown
12. Poor Old Joe
13. Tommy's Gone
14. A Long Time Ago
15. Blow, Bullies, Blow
16. The Rio Grande
17. Sebastopol
18. The Banks of the Sacramento
19. The Maid of Amsterdam
20. Hand Over Hand
21. Haul Away, O
22. Haul the Bowline
23. Runaway Chorus
24. Paddy Doyle
25. Leave Her, Johnny