Shanties from the Seven Seas: Shipboard Work-Songs and Songs Used as Work-Songs from the Great Days of Sail ~ Stan Hugill (RKP, 1961, abridged in 1984)
After a lifetime of sailing ships, Stan Hugill collected together the work-songs and shanties which were in danger of disappearing along with the sailing ships on which they had been sung…
Contains numerous shanties documenting cross-cultural exchange and transmission among 19th century sailors, workmen, slaves, banjo players, travelers, &c. …
For example:
- Hilo, Boys, Hilo
“Hilo is a port in the Hawaiian group, and, although occasionally shellbacks may have been referring to this locality, usually it was a port in South America of which they were singing — the Peruvian nitrate port of Ilo. But in some of these Hilo shanties it was not a port… Sometimes the word was a substitute for a ‘do’, a ‘jamboree’, or even a ‘dance’. And in some cases the word was used as a verb — to ‘hilo’ somebody or something.” (p.183)
“Like in most Negro and cotton-hoosier’s songs, after the first few regulation verses the shantyman would have to extemporize…” (p.184-5) - Johnny Come Down to Hilo
“Pieces from Hand Me Down Me Walkin’ Cane, Poor Old Ned, and Camptown Races are included in it, and the bawdy version of Hog-eye Man was also made use of.” (p.195-6) - Larry Marr
- Paddy Works on the Railway
“… [A] land version was also sung by the early railroad workers of Young America around the [1840s or 1850s]. It probably became popular in the Western Ocean Packets about the time of the Irish potato famine.” (p.252) - Santiana
- …
The Hardtacks 