Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys

Yarr.

There's plenty of pirates doing shanties and other nautical and Irish songs that'll probably sound a lot better, certainly a lot more authentic, than this rock treatment.

If really curious, look around for The Corsairs (Texas), The Pirates Royale (Maryland), The Ship's Company (Maryland), and others. Many perform at Renaissance festivals around the country.

hmm, will ye be a bringin' back some good 'ol fashioned keel-haulin' for the trolls?

My hull could use the back of a few of your creobots to be scrapin' the barnacles off.

At least they're raising their kids right in Iceland:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0yI2MQf8Tk

Arr yarr...

I don't know if your aware of this but here is a Pirate translator. Type in your sentence hit the button and out pops pirate speak. Like this:
Jus' type in yer sentence an' ou' pops sea dog speak
Ya landlubber who ortin' t' be keel hauled!

http://www.syddware.com/cgi-bin/pirate.pl

Wow! They must be on the verge of orgasm over at the Church of the FSM.

Me hull could use th' aft o' a wee o' yer creobots t' be scrapin` th' barnacles off.

Works great!

thanks.

Ya horn swogglin' scurvy cur!

I heartily recommend The Arrogant Worms' classic "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" to round out any such collection..

And it's a ho, hey!, hi, hey!, farmers bar yer doors
When you see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores.

Brian Ferry doing sea shanties? Wow. I thought I had a good imagination, but this is not something I can get my brain around.

For comic book stories of pirates, look up artist S. Clay Wilson who was a buddy of R. Crumb at Zap Comix and others.

Warning: it is pretty hardcore stuff.

Bryan Ferry, Sting, Bono AND Loudon Wainwright III? This, sir, is no cause for celebration.

wow, the line-up is quite something!!! i'll look for this cd.
let's not forget canada's stan rogers, probably THE ultimate for sea farin' songs.

ah, this thread brings back memories.

I used to teach maritime history and marine biology on board the only replica of the Pilgrim (think: Two Years Before the Mast). We used to rig it up to look like the Beagle and have kind of an 'evolution camp" for kids on board ship. Otherwise it was strict maritime history via re-enactment of the Pilgrim's primary mission, which was shipping cattle hides from the CA coastline.

It was a blast, and many a sea chanty were sung.

man, that was so long ago now... 1988 IIRC. I guess they still do it:

http://www.ocean-institute.org/html/aboutus.html

Stan Rodgers had an acapella tune called "Barret's Privateers" that's got to be the anthem for the down and out pirate. That one always had everyone up and singing along with the courus at the Rose & Crown pub in Ottawa.

"God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the seas
For American gold
We'd fire no guns
Shed no tears!
I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier,
The last of Barret's Privateers"

Shanties and Sea Songs

here be sum foyne leerics fer ye bilge rats

Some of my fondest memories are from my adventures asea and ashore with this scurvy band of rogues.

Now that my daughter's a teenager, I think it's time for this old doxy to once again throw in her lot with that merry band of brigands and start terrorizing the lubbers for fun and profit!

Wrap me up in me oilskins and blankets
No more on the docks I'll be seen
Just tell me ol' shipmates
I'm takin' a trip, mates
I'll see ye someday at Fiddler's Green

Pirates? No privateer or letter of marque shall be permitted passage by a vessel of the King's navy!

Signal to engage more closely! Wear about, Mister Myers, and fire as she bears!

And it's a hee, ho, hi, ho, comin' down the plains
Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains...

There are many Sea Shanty fans out here actually. If you want to find some good ones easily, just search Amazon for 'em. I have lots of CDs of Shantys that I got on amazon with those wonderful birthday gift certificates!

As a NY Ren Faire fan, I love the Crimson Pirates; they do sea chanties and other songs. I have all of their CDs. And, if you enjoy parodies, there is a performer at the NYRF who, on her second and third CDs, has songs that relate to the Pirate of the Caribbean movies (www.catpedini.com has the lyrics to one of them, a parody on Barrett's Privateers). Yo Ho Ho...

It has been said that if you stand at Toronto's main intersection, Yonge & Bloor, and start singing "Barrett's Privateers," passers-by will join in.

Edward Hoagland said:

"When I was young, I thought no man was complete without a parrot on his shoulder."

And would that be "Garnet's Home-made Beer" ye're thinking of, matey?

All you aspiring shantymen and shantywomen may wish to attend your local shanty sing. I learned my repertoire of shanties at the one in San Francisco[1] and now attend (more or less) the one in San Pedro.

Also, in addition to those previously mentioned, check out the Johnson Girls, John Langstaff and the Revels, and the Sons of the Buccaneers. Canadian supergroup Great Big Sea also do lots of shanties. And, of course, whatever they're selling at your local Sea Music Festival.

Yo ho!

[1] It's held aboard ship (formerly on the C.A. Thayer, but, as she is in drydock, currently on the Balclutha) at the San Francisco Maritime Museum, and featuring dirty shanties after 11 PM. It's free, but you must call ahead so they know to let you in. As it's a National Park Service event, headed by an NPS guy (ranger Peter Kasin--a hell of a guy), there's no booze-ahol allowed.

Might I add to the list of recommendations any and all CDs by the Jolly Rogers. They are a great group that tours many of the renfairs (I think they do the fair in MN).

http://www.chivalry.com/jollyrogers/

The CDs don't do justice to the live shows.

Cheers.