Topmusicanswers
What makes a song a sea shanty?
What is a sea shanty? Sea shanties are work songs that were created by sailors aboard merchant ships, usually sung in accompaniment of hard labour such as hoisting the sails or raising the anchor.
Why are sea shanties so popular?
Shanties were sung as a way to get sailors to work together for the common good, even when they were stuck on small ships for years at a time, seeing the same few faces and hauling the same ropes every day. The songs created a sense of community and shared purpose, and made life a little more enjoyable.
Where do sea shanties come from?
The origins of the traditional Sailors' Sea Shanty have been lost in the midst of time. Traceable from at least the mid-1400s, the shanty hails from the days of the old merchant 'tall' sailing ships.
