Music Book Review: The Pocket Shantyman: 130 Songs of the Sea edited by Gary Coover

The Pocket Shantyman: 130 Songs of the Sea
by Gary Coover (Music 781.62 Coo)

Sea Shanties have been all the rage during the COVID pandemic. Maybe they remind us of freer times, when we could all gather together for singalongs, or maybe they remind us of those simpler days when people were still exploring for the limits of the seas. It could simply be how catchy they are, and how compact the song structures can be, perfect for TikTok videos.

 

Whatever the case, if you’re in need of a sea shanty or two for your next singalong or ukulele practice, the Polley Music Library has you covered with The Pocket Shantyman: 130 Songs of the Sea. Unlike most previous collection of sea shanties, this book gets right to the music, with no historical introductions to the songs. What you get is exactly what the title suggests: 130 incredibly catchy melodies that are mostly great practice for singing in natural minor keys, and lyrics that extend these tunes out anywhere between 2 and 14 verses. There was a lot of time on the high seas to discover extra verses, you see. You can sing them, you can play them on any instrument you’d like, but most importantly, you can let the music transport you to faraway places and times, just like a good book.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Sailor Song: The Shanties and Ballads of the High Seas by Gerry Smyth or The Oxford Book of Sea Songs by Roy Palmer.)

 

Recommended by Scott S.
Polley Music Library

 

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Check out this, and all the other great music resources, at the Polley Music Library, located on the 2nd floor of the Bennett Martin Public Library at 14th & "N" St. in downtown Lincoln. You'll find biographies of musicians, books about music history, instructional books, sheet music, CDs, music-related magazines, and much more. Also check out Polley Music Library Picks, the Polley Music Library's e-mail newsletter, and follow them on Facebook!