September 25, 2026 Post by : Editorial Beginner Guides

Sea shanties are some of the most welcoming songs in the folk repertoire. The choruses are short, the melodies are sturdy, and the whole point is to get everyone singing together. If you are just starting out, you do not need a huge repertoire. You need a handful of songs that teach you how shanties work and give you something to sing at the next session. Here are five that belong in every beginner's toolkit.

Start with "Leave Her, Johnny, Leave Her." It is often called the sailors' farewell, sung as a ship came into port at the end of a voyage. The chorus is easy to pick up, and the verses are flexible enough that you can invent your own lines about a job, a trip, or anything else that has worn out its welcome. It is a forgiving song, which makes it perfect for learning the call-and-response feel.

Three More to Add to Your List

"Haul Away, Joe" is a classic haul away shanty with a punchy chorus that lands right on the pull. Sing it slowly at first to feel where the work beat falls, then speed it up as you get comfortable. It teaches you how a shanty's rhythm is tied to physical effort, even if you are only pulling a pint glass.

"South Australia" is a capstan shanty, which means it was sung for the long, steady work of raising the anchor. Its verses wander through tales of leaving home and sailing away, and its chorus is one of the most singable in the tradition. It is a good song for practicing the alternation between solo lines and group answers.

"Drunken Sailor" is the shanty everyone seems to know, and for good reason. Its structure is simple, its chorus is repetitive, and its verses invite endless invention about what to do with a sailor who has had too much. Purists sometimes roll their eyes at how often it gets sung, but as a teaching song it is hard to beat.

And One to Grow Into

"Roll the Old Chariot Along" is not strictly a sea shanty in origin, but it has been adopted by shanty singers around the world and fits the call-and-response style perfectly. Its chorus is easy, and its verses can be adapted to almost any topic. Learning it gives you a bridge between maritime songs and the wider folk tradition.

Once you have these five under your belt, you will notice that new shanties come easier. The patterns repeat, the choruses stick, and the joy of singing with a group starts to feel natural. That is the real goal. A shanty singer is not a soloist. A shanty singer is part of a crew, and every crew starts with a few simple songs.

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