Sea Shanties
Original working songs from the Second Dawn’s decks — new lyrics, old rhythms, all fan-made.
Original lyrics. These shanties were written for this site in traditional sea-shanty rhythms. They are new songs, not historical ones — sing them as written, or make up your own verses; that is the tradition.
Roll Down to Port Mercy capstan shanty
Oh, roll down, roll down to Port Mercy,
Where the lighthouse burns so blue!
And we’ll drink to the dawn and the second dawn,
And the whole wide ocean too!
Roll down! (Roll down!) Haul away, boys!
Roll down to Port Mercy town!
For the tide is fair and the wind is square
And the captain buys the round!
The Lantern Eel hauling shanty
Oh, haul away, you lantern eel,
Light the water green!
The finest pilot ever I knew
Was a fish I’d never seen!
Haul away! (Haul away!) Together, boys!
Haul away as one!
For the rope won’t wait and the tide won’t wait
And the work is never done!
Eleven Days of Glass forebitter
Eleven days of glassy sea,
Eleven nights of stars,
I talked it over with a whale
And mended all the spars.
Oh, the calm it tries a sailor’s soul,
But the soul, it pulls him through —
There’s work to do and songs to sing
And a whole sky watching you.
Mrs. Pettifer’s Wind humorous
Oh, Mrs. Pettifer’s a fussy wind,
She bustles fore and aft,
She frets the sails, she spills the pails,
She’s never never daft —
She’s only particular, boys!
She likes things just-so!
So trim it neat and keep it sweet
And away, away we go!