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Sea Songs
Geoff Grainger
Last updated: 10.12.23
rnpo15.gif Mostly at Sea rnpo15.gif
"Mostly at Sea" more-or-less wraps up my life, a subject on which I have waxed lyrically enough on my same-named CD and requires no further elaboration here. It is odd to relate however, that on leaving the Royal Navy I never, ever again sang those ribald songs learned over some dozen years. It was only as a civilian in more normal circles that I became interested in and indeed enchanted by that vast body of songs and outpourings of sea-going folk over the centuries. I have delved deeply into many songbooks in acquiring a more general repertoire, my absolute favourites being Sea Songs Ships and Shanties by Master Mariner W.B. Whall, The Oxford Book of Sea Songs and The Valiant Sailor, both by Roy Palmer and Grey Funnel Lines by Cyril Tawney. Whilst folk singing in general continues its decline which started with industrialisation, it is a somewhat amazing that sea songs continue to generate interest even in this 21st century.

Geoff Grainger, Bremen-Vegesack, 11th March, 2007

  Title Composer Sequencer
       
audiomidi15.gif A-Roving   Frank Petersohn
audiomidi15.gif All Things Are Quite Silent   Unknown
audiomidi15.gif Banks of Sacramento, The   Frank Petersohn
audiomidi15.gif Banks of the Nile   Frank Petersohn
audiomidi15.gif Blow the Man Down   Unknown
audiomidi15.gif Farewell to Tarwathie   Frank Petersohn
audiomidi15.gif Irish Rover, The   Frank Petersohn
audiomidi15.gif John's Gone to Hilo   Frank Petersohn
audiomidi15.gif Leave her, Johnny   Frank Petersohn
audiomidi15.gif Leaving of Liverpool, The   Frank Petersohn
audiomidi15.gif My Bonnie lies over the ocean   Frank Petersohn
audiomidi15.gif Paddy lay back   Unknown
audiomidi15.gif What shall we do with a drunken sailor   Frank Petersohn
  Title (Release Year) Composer Performers Instruments
         
audiodbemp315.gif Banks of the Nile, The Geoff Grainger (perf.) Voice, Concertina
audiodbemp315.gif Blow the Man Down Geoff Grainger (perf.) Voice, Concertina
audiodbemp315.gif Bound for the Rio Grande Geoff Grainger (perf.) Voice, Concertina
audiodbemp315.gif Fareweel to Tarwathie Steffi Lubrich (perf.) Voice
audiodbemp315.gif Fiddler's Green J. Conolly Geoff Grainger (perf.) Voice, Concertina
audiodbemp315.gif Fire Down Below Geoff Grainger (perf.) Voice, Concertina
audiodbemp315.gif Holy Ground, The Geoff Grainger (perf.) Voice, Guitars, Banjo, Chorus
audiodbemp315.gif Hullabaloo Belay Geoff Grainger (perf.) Voice, Concertina, Chorus
audiodbemp315.gif Johnny Todd Brian Kelly (perf.) Voice, Guitars, Banjo, Chorus
audiodbemp315.gif Off to Sea Once More Geoff Grainger (perf.) Voice, Concertina
audiodbemp315.gif Sally Brown Geoff Grainger (perf.) Voice, Concertina, Chorus
audiodbemp315.gif Whaling in Greenland Geoff Grainger (perf.) Voice, Concertina
audiodbemp315.gif What shall we do with a drunken sailor The Herminas (perf.) Vocal Trio
audiodbemp315.gif  Yellow Girls Geoff Grainger (perf.) Voice, Chorus
     Title Attribution Instruments Source Remarks
           
pdf15.gif Castle Hill Anthem (?) Traditional (w&m) Score, Voice York Garland
pdf15.gif Three Score and Ten (1889) W. Delf (w&m) Score, Voice York Garland
     Title Audio Files Remarks
       
anchor15.gif A-Roving  audiomidi15.gif nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Advertised in Boston   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif All Clouds the Sky   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif All Things Are Quite Silent  audiomidi15.gif nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Ballad of Sammy's Bar, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Banks of Newfoundland, The  audiomidi15.gif nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Banks of the Nile, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Banks of the Sacramento, The  audiomidi15.gif nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Barrat's Privateers   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Bergen, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Blow the Candles Out   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Blow the Man Down  audiomidi15.gif nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Blow, Boys, Blow   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Blow, Ye Winds   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Bold Fisherman, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif  Bold Shantymen, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Boston   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Bound for the Rio Grande   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Britons Strike Home   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Candlelight Fisherman, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Captain's Apprentice, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Chase, The  
anchor15.gif Chicken on a Raft   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Chinee Bum Boatman, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Christmas at Sea   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Crossing the Bar   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Davy Lowston   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Deep Blue Sea   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Diesel and Shale   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Drummer and the Cook, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Eyemouth Disaster, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif  Fareweel to Tarwathie  audiomidi15.gif nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Farewell to Grog   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Fiddler's Green   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Final Trawl, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Fire Down Below   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif First Trip, The  
anchor15.gif Fisher   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif General Taylor   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Greenland Whale Fishery  
anchor15.gif Grey Funnel Line, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Hailey Go Bailey Go  
anchor15.gif Handsome Cabin Boy, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Handy Me Boys So Handy   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Hanging Johnny   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Haul Away Joe   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Haul in the Long Line  
anchor15.gif  Herrin' and potatoes   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Hills of Isle au Haut   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Hilo Somebody   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Holy Ground, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Homeward Bound   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Hullabaloo Belay   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Humber Belle, The  
anchor15.gif Hundred and Fifty Days Out From Vancouver, A   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Hundred years ago, A   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Irish Rover, The  audiomidi15.gif nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Jeannie C.   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif John Kanaka   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif John's Gone to Hilo  audiomidi15.gif nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Johnny Todd   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Leave her, Johnny  audiomidi15.gif nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Leaving of Liverpool, The  audiomidi15.gif nscore.gifnlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif  Let There Be a Tower of Refuge   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Little Boy Billee   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Lowlands Away   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Maggie May   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Marching Inland   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Mary Ellen Carter, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Matelot Came to Our House Once, A  
anchor15.gif Mermaid (Rule Britannia), The  
anchor15.gif Mother Carey   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif My Bonnie lies over the ocean  audiomidi15.gif nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif New York Girls   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif No More Fish No More Fishermen   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Noah's Ark Shanty, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif North Sea Holes   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Off to Sea Once More   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Old Moke Pickin' on the Banjo   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif  Old Sailors Never Die  
anchor15.gif On a British Submarine   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif One More Day   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Paddy Doyle's Boots   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Paddy Lay Back  audiomidi15.gif nscore.gifnlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Paddy West   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Paddy Works on the Railway   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Pirate Smith of Bristol   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Plains of Mexico, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Pleasant and Delightful   nlyrics.gifpdf15.gif
anchor15.gif Press Gang, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Randy Dandy   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Reuben James   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Rodney so Bold  
anchor15.gif Roll Alabama Roll   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Roll the Old Chariot Along   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif  Roll the Woodpile Down   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Rollin Down to Old Mauii   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Rollin' Down to Rio  
anchor15.gif Rolling Home   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Roseabella   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Round the Bay of Mexico   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Sailing   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Sailor Likes His Bottle Oh, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Sailor's Return, The  
anchor15.gif Sailors' Wives, The  
anchor15.gif Sally Brown   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Sally Free and Easy   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Shallow Brown   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Shellback's Song, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Shenandoah   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Shoals of Herring, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif  Stormalong   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Stormy Weather Boys   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Stormy Winds do Blow   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Strike the Bell   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Tackuanna   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Three Score and Ten  audiomidi15.gifaudioextmp315.gif nlyrics.gifpdf15.gif
anchor15.gif Titanic, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif To all you Ladies   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Tom's Gone to Hilo   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Topman and the Afterguard   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Trawling Trade, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif We're all Bound to Go   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Weary Cutters, The   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Whaling in Greenland   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif What shall we do with a drunken sailor  audiomidi15.gif nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Whiskey Johnny   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif  Wife's in Dry Dock  
anchor15.gif Windy Old Weather   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Wreck of the Nancy Lee   nlyrics.gif
anchor15.gif Yellow Girls   nlyrics.gif
     Title Performer Composer
       
youtube15.jpg The Ballad of Sammy's Bar (4:21) Cyril Tawney
youtube15.jpg Barrett's Privateers (4:20) Stan Rogers
youtube15.jpg BIE DAIP 2010 - (Mainstage) (2:44) Act of Mutiny
youtube15.jpg Blow the Candles Out (2:37) The Kingston Trio
youtube15.jpg Christmas at Sea (5:59) B. Graham
youtube15.jpg Deep Blue Sea (2:24) The Weavers
youtube15.jpg Fareweel to Tarwathie (5:44) Judy Collins
youtube15.jpg Festival Maritim / Bremen Vegesack / Feuerwerk 2013 (8:43) FeuerwerkPyro
youtube15.jpg Festival Maritim 2013 (9:32) Jürgen Vogeley
youtube15.jpg  Festival Maritim Bremen-Vegesack 2008 (1:43) Documentary
youtube15.jpg Festival Maritim Vegesack Finale 1 2007 (4:59) Norbert Schröder
youtube15.jpg Festival Maritim Vegesack Finale 2 2007 (3:24) Norbert Schröder
youtube15.jpg Four 'n' Aft Festival Maritim Vegesack Balkon (5:17) Four 'n' Aft
youtube15.jpg Geoff sings with concertina (4:43) Geoff Grainger
youtube15.jpg Grey Funnel Line (5:38) Barry Dransfield
youtube15.jpg He Played his Ukulele as the Ship Went Down - Leslie Sarony (5:28) Lesley Sarony
youtube15.jpg He Played his Ukulele as the Ship Went Down - Ramond Crooke (6:24) Raymond Crooke
youtube15.jpg The Holy Ground (2:07) The Dubliners
youtube15.jpg Impressionen 1 Tag Festival Maritim 2013 (1:33) Matthias Sabelhaus
youtube15.jpg  Internationales Festival Maritim Bremen 2013 . (4:32) Matthias Sabelhaus
youtube15.jpg The Irish Rover (3:31) B. Graham
youtube15.jpg Jeanie C. (5:50) Stan Rogers
youtube15.jpg Johnny Todd (1:21) Bob Roberts
youtube15.jpg Lowlands by Four 'n Aft (1:45) Four 'n' Aft
youtube15.jpg Maggie May (2:36) The Spinners
youtube15.jpg Mermaid (3:16) Barry Dransfield
youtube15.jpg My Bonnie lies over the ocean (4:06) Laura Wright
youtube15.jpg Pirate Smith of Bristol (2:32) The Dubliners
youtube15.jpg Rolling Home (3:06) Shanty Chor Bremerhaven
youtube15.jpg  Sally Brown - Planxty 1980 Abbey Tavern (3:00) Planxty
youtube15.jpg Tackuanna (3:19) Emily Standish & Bill Galbraith
youtube15.jpg The Mary Ellen Carter (4:57) Stan Rogers
youtube15.jpg The Mermaid (3:42) Clerestory
youtube15.jpg The Mermaid (Rule Britannia) (4:14) To the King Male Chorus
youtube15.jpg The Mermaid (Traditional) (3:56) Southampton University Singers
youtube15.jpg The Oggie Man (3:09) Cyril Tawney
youtube15.jpg Three Score and Ten (4:23) The Dubliners
youtube15.jpg Trim RIg And A Doxy: Perform at the Ellesmere Port, Shanty Festival 2011 (1 of2) (3:47) Trim Rig and a. Doxy
youtube15.jpg Trim RIg And A Doxy: Perform at the Ellesmere Port, Shanty Festival 2011 (2 of2) (3:33) Trim Rig and a. Doxy
youtube15.jpg  What shall we do with a drunken sailor (2:38) The Irish Rovers
youtube15.jpg Whiskey Johnny (1:20) Michiel Schrey, Sean Dagher, Nils Brown