Song

A traditional Tyneside folk song evoking the life and work of the keelmen of Newcastle on Tyn [Lower voices:] As I came thro’ Sandgate, Thro’ Sandgate, thro’ Sandgate, As I came thro’ Sandgate, I heard a lassie sing (x2) [chorus] Weel may the keel row, the keel row, the keel row, Weel may the keel […]

A cumulative folk song, often thought as Scottish in origin although this may be more to do with predominating versions in the early days of the folk revival. What’ll we do with a herring’s head?                   Turn it into a loaf of bread!                                                 Herring’s head, loaf of bread,

A Sea Shanty, also known as Roll the Old Chariot Along. It’s origins are unclear, but it would have been used on board for tasks that needed a brisk walking pace. Nelson’s bood became a nickname for rum. And a drop of Nelson’s blood wouldn’t do us any harm And a drop of Nelson’s blood

The phrase Randy Dandy likely mocks the ship’s Officers whom sailers viewd as dandies or fops for their formal uniforms. It is a playful jab at their perceived airs and graces. Now we are ready to sail for the horn Way hey, roll and go Our boots and our clothes boys are all in the

 A song with roots among enslaved workers in the American South. It goes back at least as far back as the mid-19th century. Hilo can be read as a reference to Hilo, Hawaii, which was involved in the 19th century sugar and whaling trades Well, I never seen the like since I’ve been born A railroad navvy

Rio Grande is a nineteenth-century sea shanty,  traditionally popular amongst American and British crews. Some people believe the title refers to the Rio Grande river, which forms much of the border between Mexico and the United States; but the shanty talks about the Brazilian state Rio Grande do Sul and its chief port of the same name O

New York Girls also known as Can’t you dance the Polka, was a popular capstan shanty on both British and American ships. It was collected by W.B Whall in the 1860’s, and has been recorded by many artists over the years. 1. [LEAD]As I walked down the Broadway one evening last JulyI met a maid

A traditional sea song, it expresses the anticipation of the crew of a whaling vessel of its return to Maui after a season of whaling in the Kamatchka sea. It’s a damn tough life, full of toil and strifeWe whalermen undergoAnd we won’t give a damn when the gale is done How hard the winds

‘South Australia’ also known as ‘Rolling King’ or ‘Bound for South Australia’. As an original worksong it was sung in a variety of trades including being used in the wool and later wheat traders who worked the clipper ships between Australian ports and London.   In South Australia I was born Heave away. Haul away!

A traditional folk ballad penned to commemorate a 19th century whaling ship and popularised by Ewan MacColl and A.L. Lloyd in 1957. In the liner notes for Lloyd’s album Leviathan in 1967, the Diamond sailed out of Peterhead, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, beginning in 1825. The Diamond was one of many vessels in a fleet lost