sea chantey
Maritime work tune
A sea chantey is a work song traditionally sung by sailors to coordinate physical labor aboard sailing ships—hauling ropes, raising anchors, working the pumps.
The rhythm matched the task's pace, with a leader singing verses and the crew joining on the chorus.
Also spelled shanty or chanty.
The crew broke into a sea chantey as they hoisted the sails.
- sailorSeafaring crew member
- folkRegular common people
- work songMusic paced to labor
- call and responseAlternating vocal pattern
- heave-hoForcible, informal ejection
yo ho ho · anchor · deck · rigging · capstan · halyard · voyage · crew · maritime · nautical · tall ship · hornpipe · accordion · fiddle · galley · mast · rope · hauling