Sea Songs
“Away Rio”
Performed by Jeff Warner, Louis Killen, Jeff Davis, and Fud Benson
This outward-bound chantey addresses shipboard activities associated with leaving port, as well as the hardships of saying farewell to those left behind.
Transcript
“Bonaparte’s Retreat”
Performed by Bob Webb
“Boney”
Performed by the X-Seamen’s Institute
This short melody converts highlights from the life and career of French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte into a drag chantey for short jobs, like hauling sheets or furling sails.
Transcript
“Coast of Peru”
Performed by Bob Webb
By the mid-19th century, American whaling ships were fishing for sperm whales mostly in the Pacific Ocean, and a common stop for supplies and fresh food was the port of Tumbez on the north coast of Peru. This song celebrates the chase and capture of a sperm whale; other versions often add anticipation of a port call.
Transcript“Homeward Bound”
Performed by Stuart Frank
This song celebrates leaving the last outward port and heading home to New York with lots of pay. It reveals what happens when a sailor with money arrives in port, how he spends it, and what he does when it’s gone.
Transcript
“A Hundred Years Ago”
Performed by Ewan MacColl, A. L. Lloyd, and Peggy Seeger
This tune mentions the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay and may derive from the Baltimore clipper era in the early 19th century. Its short lyrics also embrace a love story and a passage around Cape Horn on a whaling voyage. This blend reflects the improvised nature of sea chanteys, which were localized by every crew.
Transcript
“John Kanaka”
Performed by Helge Arildso
This chantey talks about the “old man,” or captain, granting a holiday before his ship heads out for San Francisco via Cape Horn—the most difficult passage on Earth for a sailing ship. The refrain is a rendition of kanaka, the Old Hawaiian word for a Hawaiian person. Whalers respected Hawaiians for their seamanship and accuracy with the harpoon, and recruited them for their long whale hunts. Many of the native islanders used “Kanaka” as their last name aboard the ships, since they did not have last names (as used by westerners) in their own culture.
Transcript
“Leave Her”
Performed by the X-Seamen’s Institute
This chantey airs sailors’ common complaints about their ship, food, wages, and weather, as the crew gets ready to disembark at the end of a long voyage.
Transcript
“(Rolling Down to) Old Maui”
Performed by A. L. Lloyd
This short chantey contrasts the hardships of the Arctic whaling grounds with the “green hills of them tropical isles,” as exemplified by “Old Maui.” The Hawaiian port of Lahaina on the island of Maui was a popular watering and supply spot for Pacific whalers in the 19th century.
Transcript
“Whiskey, Johnny”
Performed by Bob Webb
In slightly over a minute, this chantey tells a story about the evils of drink and its effects on a sailor and his family.
Transcript
