The Redfern Shanty Club and the Tale of the Essex
The above drawing was done by a survivor of the Essex disaster, the drawing is of the Essex being attacked by a sperm whale, drawn in 1820.
The song that follows was taught to me by the Redfern Shanty Club in Sydney, NSW, Australia, and written by one of its most prominent members, Robert Boddington. If you’re ever down there and looking for something fun to do on a Monday night… go to The Dock from 9-11 (get there a little early if you want a seat) and grab a Guinness.
I took a train, which lets out a couple blocks from The Dock, and got there a little early to snag a seat. The bar seemed like your typical dive bar, and the crowd appeared to be busy in their own private conversations, so I wasn’t totally sure how the night would pan out. There were some folks clustered around that looked like they were in charge. When I asked one if he was leading the event, his response was, “Leading? This is more… a socialist event.” “Socialist?” “Yes, that’s right.”
At 9 o’clock on the dot this youngster got up in front of the entire bar and shouted “AHOY!”, to which the entire crowd responded, “AHOY!” and silenced themselves. The lad (whose name I later learned was Clayton) taught us the lyrics to South Australia, and we all sang along, in a delightfully raucous manner. There was a small group of folks who seemed to be familiar to the crowd and took turns leading sing-along songs, including a woman named Margaret Walters and a man named Tom Hanson (who the ‘not-leader’ affectionately calls “Shanty Clause” presumably because of his long white beard) who make up half of Forty Degrees South (more on them later).
There were many tunes I had never heard before, but the one that stuck out to me the most was the tale of the Essex whaling ship. Now, the Essex was a real ship, and the true story of this ship entwines slightly with the song, but the writer of the lyrics took a few liberties with the story.
The Essex IRL has an incredibly tragic and quite horrifying story involving a real sperm whale that ran into the ship twice, sinking it, a third of a year stranded at sea on rowboats, and… well, cannibalism. It’s pretty horrific, but the Smithsonian has a great recap on the entire sordid affair. Scientists have done research into sperm whales and head-butting, and if that sort of thing interests you you can read all about that here. And yes, if this story sounds familiar to you, it’s because it inspired Herman Melville and was the basis for the story Moby-Dick.
Now the song doesn’t go into all of the real life things that happened once the Essex sank. In the song, all of the crew drowns. The other great difference is the song is sung from the perspective of a shanghaied sailor who just wants to go back to the drink that led him onto the ship in the first place. There is no documented proof that any of the crew of the real Essex was shanghaied.
That doesn’t mean this song isn’t a delightful addition to any shanty sing. If you have one in your area, bring this one in and enjoy.
See the Redfern Shanty Club sing The Essex by clicking here or watching below. Below the video are the lyrics:
THE ESSEX
Robert Boddington (Bod)
Oh, Sea Lad, Oh, Sea Lad
Yes, what is it, Sir?
Where am I? I seem to smell salt in the air
There’s a creaking and roaring coming from the floor
And outside I can hear a watery roar
CH:
Oh no Sir, don’t you know, Sir, it’s a whaler you’re in
The crew are all sturdy folk outside and in
We’ll challenge the reefs and we’ll weather the gales
The Essex will go out in search of the whales
Oh, Sea Lad, Oh, Sea Lad
Yes, what is it, Sir?
There’s been a mistake, how’d I end up in here?
Last night I was raucous, the street was my bed
Perhaps I drank too much and now I am dead
CH
Oh, Sea Lad, Oh, Sea Lad
Yes, what is it, Sir?
There is not a chance you’ve a rowboat to spare?
I’ve been on this ship for a month now I think
I need to go home, I’m in need of a drink
CH
Oh, Sea Lad, Oh, Sea Lad
Yes, what is it, Sir?
There’s a whale all approaching so let us prepare
To turn tail and run for that whale sure is large
This ship would be splinters if it were to charge
CH
Oh, Sea Lad, Oh, Sea Lad
Yes, what is it, Sir?
I think I was right, the whale was coming here
I heard a great crash and we’re on a decline
My feet are all wet and that’s not a good sign
CH
Oh, Sea Lad, Oh, Sea Lad
Yes, what is it, Sir?
Perhaps all this blue means we’re underwater
I think we are drowning, I think we are through
I think it’s the end of the fine Essex crew
CH