Details
About the Sea Shanty Song Lyrics PDF Download
This sea shanty song book is for anyone who joins in at a harbour singaround, a pub session or a shanty festival and can never remember the second verse. It gathers the sea shanty lyrics for sea shanties and sea songs such as Rio Grande, Spanish Ladies, South Australia and Shenandoah alongside Cornish favourites like Trelawny, Camborne Hill and Lamorna.
Not everything in it is a shanty. Cornish singing groups mix sea songs with hymns such as Eternal Father and Will Your Anchor Hold, and with singalong songs from all over, and the songbook follows what's sung.
It's lyrics only: there's no sheet music, chords or audio. It's for personal use, so if you sing in a group, each singer should buy their own copy. Nothing is posted. If you don't know a tune, a quick search usually turns up a recording to learn it from before the session.
If you want the story behind the songs, our guide to Cornish sea shanties covers where they came from and where to hear them sung today, with the full list of sea shanties and other songs in the book. Free lyrics are scattered across the web, a song at a time; this PDF puts the words to all 64 sea shanty songs, lyrics only, in one file that's ready to print. Having the sea shanties lyrics in one place saves a lot of hunting before a session.
Specifications
The details
How to use
In three simple steps
The link comes in your order email.
Print at home or keep it on a phone.
Take it to the next session.
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FAQs
Questions about the Sea Shanty Song Lyrics PDF Download
How many songs are included?
The words to 64 songs: a mix of sea shanties, Cornish songs, hymns and singalong favourites, the kind of songs a Cornish shanty group or pub session sings. The full list of titles is on our Cornish sea shanties guide.
Is a printed book posted?
No. It's a sea shanty book in PDF form, sent as a link in your order confirmation email, and nothing is posted. You can print it at home or read it on a phone or tablet.
Does it include sheet music or audio?
No. It's sea shanty song lyrics only, with no sheet music, chords or recordings. It's meant for singing along at sessions where someone else is leading, rather than for learning a tune from scratch.
Can I copy it for my singing group?
It's sold for personal use, so please don't share the file or print copies for a group. Each singer who wants one should buy their own copy, the same as they would a printed songbook.
Are all the songs shanties?
No. Sea shanties were work songs sung on sailing ships, and the songbook has the best-known ones, such as Rio Grande and South Australia, but Cornish groups also sing hymns, local songs and popular singalongs, so those are in here too.
Are these the original words?
Traditional songs have no single original, and the words change from one singer or village to the next, so your local version may differ in places. Use the songbook as a starting point and sing it your way.
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