What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor? Unexpurgated Sea Chanties

Book excerpt: There is nothing like a good sea shanty—or chanty, as it was originally called—to transport one to a different time, place, and mood. After all, few have a more powerful need to relieve boredom, weariness, fear, and loneliness than sailors. And a classic, generations-tested shanty can do just that—with humor, nostalgia, and often lasciviousness all at once. Whether at land or sea, the good fun of shanties is hard to contain. Sing them a few times, and you naturally want to learn more about them. "What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor?" offers not only the lyrics of traditional shanties but the accompanying lore and history as well. Sung for as long as sailors have shipped out to sea, shanties are the collective creative work of seamen needing to ease the hardships of long sea voyages. Generations of sailors adapted the songs to their own needs and culture, forming a link from the age of oar and sail to the nuclear-powered navies of today. Compiled, annotated, and researched by accomplished storyteller Douglas Morgan, a longtime naval officer and author of the acclaimed thriller "Tiger Cruise, What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor?" is a witty, fascinating, and unrestrained collection of more than twenty sea shanties—the perfect book for anyone with a hankering to sing and learn more about classic songs that have soothed generations of struggling souls. With more than 60 illustrations and explanations of naval terms and custom—including some of the bawdier parts of a sailor s life—"What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor?" promises insight into military life and literature and, most important, provides hours of good-humored amusement."