The 2021 sea shanty revival and what shanties actually were

The 2021 sea shanty revival started with a Scottish postman named Nathan Evans. In December 2020 he posted a clip of himself singing ‘Wellerman’ (properly ‘Soon May the Wellerman Come’) on TikTok, and by January 2021 it had become a viral trend, a UK number one, and a brief, strange moment when everyone from metal drummers to church choirs was harmonising over a nineteenth-century whaling song. But the shanties themselves were not written for TikTok, or for concerts, or for nostalgia. They were work songs, sung on the decks of merchant sailing ships to make hard, repetitive labour go faster and safer.

What is a sea shanty, exactly?

A sea shanty is a work song used on board sailing ships, particularly in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The word itself is uncertain in origin, possibly from the French chanter (to sing). What matters is function: a shanty was not sung for entertainment but to coordinate group effort. Hauling a rope, raising a sail, working the capstan or pumping out bilges all required several men to pull or push at the same moment. A song with a strong, regular beat did that job.

Shanties were not used on every ship. They were most common on merchant vessels. Naval ships often had their own traditions, and the Royal Navy banned singing during work, as it was thought the noise would make it harder for the crew to hear commands. The shantyman, the lead singer, was often a skilled improviser who could make up verses on the spot.

How did the call-and-response structure work?

The core structure of a shanty is call-and-response: the shantyman sings a line (the call), and the crew sings a short chorus (the response) while pulling or pushing. The rhythm of the response matches the physical action. For a short haul, the chorus might be a single syllable; for a long haul, a longer phrase.

There are two main types:

• Short-haul shanties (also called short-drag shanties) for quick, sharp pulls. The chorus is short and the beat is fast. Example: ‘Boney Was a Warrior’.
• Long-haul shanties for heavier, slower work like raising sails or working the capstan. The chorus is longer and the beat more deliberate. Example: ‘Rio Grande’.

A third type, the pumping shanty, was used for the monotonous work of pumping water out of the hold. These often had a more regular, almost hypnotic rhythm.

The lyrics were often improvised or adapted, with verses about women, drink, home, and the sea. Many shanties were not suitable for polite company. The point was not lyrical sophistication but a strong beat and a chorus the crew could learn quickly.

Why did ‘Wellerman’ become the one?

‘Wellerman’ is a whaling song, likely from New Zealand, referring to the supply ships of the Weller brothers’ whaling station at Otago in the 1830s and 1840s. The song’s origin is unknown; it was documented in 1966 from a man who had learned it from his uncle. It has a simple, repetitive chorus and a narrative about waiting for the supply ship to arrive. That structure made it perfect for TikTok: easy to learn, easy to harmonise with, and short enough to fit in a video.

Nathan Evans’ version was not the first recording, but it was the one that caught the algorithm. The trend exploded in early 2021, with duets and remixes, and a version jointly credited to Evans and remixers 220 Kid and Billen Ted that reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. It was a strange moment: a work song from the age of sail, sung by a postman, topping the charts in the age of the smartphone.

What did shanties actually sound like?

We have recordings from the mid-twentieth century onwards, but the original sound is lost. What we know comes from written accounts, collected lyrics and later performances.

Shanties were sung without instrumental accompaniment. The shantyman’s voice was the lead, and the crew’s response was rough and loud. The tempo was dictated by the work, not by musical taste. There was no audience except the sea and the officers.

How did the 2021 revival relate to folk punk and DIY?

The revival was not a folk punk phenomenon, but it shared some DNA: DIY distribution, a disregard for polished production, and a song that anyone could join in with. The shanty tradition is also a reminder that music has often been functional – for work, for protest, for football terraces. That connects to the way punk has always used songs as tools rather than just entertainment. If you are interested in how folk music and punk collide, our piece on sea shanties, folk punk and the drinking song tradition goes deeper.

The TikTok revival also showed how quickly a niche tradition can be flattened into a meme. That is not necessarily a bad thing – more people now know what a shantyman was – but it is worth remembering that ‘Wellerman’ is one song from a huge repertoire, and that most shanties were not about waiting for a supply ship. They were about the grind of the work itself.

What happened after the revival?

The viral moment faded, as viral moments do. Nathan Evans released albums, and the shanty trend gave way to other sounds. But the revival left a few things behind: a wider awareness of the tradition, a spike in interest in shanty groups and folk clubs, and a reminder that a good chorus can travel a long way. The songs themselves are still sung, on ships, in pubs, and occasionally on TikTok. The work they were written for is mostly gone, but the structure – call, response, pull – still works.

For more on how music functions in working-class spaces, see our piece on Oi! and the terraces and Celtic FC and Irish folk punk.

FAQ

What was the first sea shanty to go viral in 2021?

'Wellerman' (often called 'Soon May the Wellerman Come') was the breakthrough, posted by Nathan Evans on TikTok in December 2020. It reached number one in the UK in early 2021.

Were sea shanties actually sung while working?

Yes. Shanties were work songs used on merchant sailing ships to synchronise tasks like hauling ropes or raising sails. The shantyman sang the call and the crew answered in chorus.

What is the difference between a shanty and a sea song?

A shanty is a work song with a specific function (hauling, pumping, capstan work). A sea song is any song about the sea, often sung for entertainment ashore. Not every sea song is a shanty.

Who was Nathan Evans?

Nathan Evans is a Scottish singer from Airdrie, a former postal worker with the Royal Mail, who became known for posting sea shanties on TikTok. His version of 'Wellerman' sparked the 2021 revival.