I have been collecting sea songs, and came across Stan Rogers a Canadian musician who died in 83 in a plane fire. I bought the album “The Very Best of Stan Rogers”. Wow I can’t believe I hadn’t heard his songs before now. I can highly recommend it if you like I guess what you might call an Irish style of music. I am currently listening on Utube to his brother Garnet Rogers singing “Next Turn of the Wheel” his own song in a different style. So now I am going to be buying another CD. Oh and another song new to me is “Molly May” sung by J. P. Cromier.
The first sea song that I learned to love was a small record for a child’s record player. I had listen to the song hundreds of times before the age of five. It was “What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor”. Other favorites at that age were “How Much is that Puppy in the Window” and “Ghost Riders in the Sky”, but I digress. I have to wonder how much these songs influenced my later life choices. So I guess when Country Joe came out with the song “Save the Whales” I was immediately drawn to it by his use of the melody from Drunk Sailor.
A few of my favorites are “Southern Cross”, “Cool Change”, “Sailing”, “Downeaster Alexa”, “Brandy”, and "Son of a Son of a Sailor.
@castoff said:
I have been collecting sea songs, and came across Stan Rogers a Canadian musician who died in 83 in a plane fire. I bought the album “The Very Best of Stan Rogers”. Wow I can’t believe I hadn’t heard his songs before now. I can highly recommend it if you like I guess what you might call an Irish style of music. I am currently listening on Utube to his brother Garnet Rogers singing “Next Turn of the Wheel” his own song in a different style. So now I am going to be buying another CD. Oh and another song new to me is “Molly May” sung by J. P. Cromier.
The first sea song that I learned to love was a small record for a child’s record player. I had listen to the song hundreds of times before the age of five. It was “What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor”. Other favorites at that age were “How Much is that Puppy in the Window” and “Ghost Riders in the Sky”, but I digress. I have to wonder how much these songs influenced my later life choices. So I guess when Country Joe came out with the song “Save the Whales” I was immediately drawn to it by his use of the melody from Drunk Sailor.
A few of my favorites are “Southern Cross”, “Cool Change”, “Sailing”, “Downeaster Alexa”, “Brandy”, and "Son of a Son of a Sailor.
I would love to hear your favorites.
Many ,if not all, can be gotten from Pandora or Spotify.
Losing Stan Rogers was sad. I’d started listening to him in the '70s. You can find much of his work on You Tube as well. As a Great Lakes paddler the song White Squall gives me chills (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ4ddAgykfk). You might also want to check out Gordon Bok.
Yes I still remember the first time I heard that song. I was waiting in the car on my Dad to finish work on a Friday afternoon. We where leaving on a hunting trip when he was done for the day. An all time favorite.
It would appear that the sea shanty is still alive today. This one is from the video game Assassin’s Creed. If you open rhe link you’ll see there are others from the game posted below. Some have the lyrics posted so you can easily learn them and therefore drive your paddling mates crazy as you belt them out.
My paddle’s keen and bright
Flashing with silver
Follow the wild goose flight
Dip, dip and swing
Dip, dip and swing her back
Flashing with silver
Swift as the wild goose flies
Dip, dip and swing
Land of the silver birch
Home of the beaver
Where still the mighty moose
Wanders at will
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom
High on a rocky ledge
I¹ll build my wigwam
Close to the water¹s edge
Silent and still
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom
My heart grows sick for thee
Here in the lowlands
I will return to thee hills of the north
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom
Land of the silver birch
Home of the beaver
Where still the mighty moose
Wanders at will
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom