The conversation with @digital-magus (and a subsequent, off-Tumblr conversation with @artcorevelay) about the folk revival origins of "The Wellerman" got me thinking about historical sea songs about the same/similar subjects. This is my favorite version of "Greenland Whale Fisheries", a song which in its earliest form dates back to the early 18th century!

Contemporary musicians also wrote songs about pirates and their feats, occasionally celebratory but more commonly condemning. This was in line with ballads composed for other criminals and thieves, typically after they were caught and executed.

These songs tended to be broadside ballads, simple narrative songs that could be copied on the broadside paper sheets and widely distributed. Broadside ballads, as opposed to traditional ballads, were simple and dealt with common topics like love, drinking, and current events. As was common with songs at the time, the broadsides would only print the lyrics and suggest a known tune that would fit them.

One of the most famous is the Ballad of Captain Kidd, and English song printed in 1701, detailing his life as a pirate, his rejection of God, and his execution speech. A rendition can be heard here.

A small ditty of the London plague. Some call it Aim Not Too High, some Fortune My Foe, some Lord Have Mercy Upon Us.

-tam lin

-outlandish knight/lady isabel and the elf knight

- thomas the rhymer

-maid on the shore

broadside version of the Handsom Cabin Boy printed by James Lindsay, in Glasgow. This image is from the University of Glasgow special collections.

I love fun queer ballads and this one is pretty popular. This ballad really plays with concepts of gender "...our Cabin boy, who was neither maid nor boy" is an especially great line.

The captain sleeping with the cabin boy is also interesting obviously in that he would have been attracted to the male presentation of the 'maid' in her cabin boy dress, and therefore would have been making advances towards the boy.