Stamp-n-go Shanty

What are Stamp-n-go Shanty

The Stamp-n-go Shanty (also called a walkaway or runaway shanty. Interestingly, they were the only type of songs, allowed in the Royal Navy. The Stamp-n-go Shanty, was popular in ships with big crews when at halyards; the crowd would seize the fall and stamp the sail up.

This type of shanties is really unusual for many reasons, this is what is unique for me is that fact shanties were necessary because they helped when the crowd on ships was too small, and sailors could synchronize their work by using them. Here we have the opposite situation. The shanties “exclusively” have been used on the boards of the merchant ships, due to a shortage of crew. Well, this type of shanty tends us to change the word “exclusively” to “almost exclusively”. Because according to the definitions given to us by Stan Hugill and others, they can happen exclusively on Royal Navy ships.

Stamp-n-go runaway chorus

Stan Hugill in his “Shanties From The Seven Seas” says:

“Sometimes when hauling a heavy boat up the falls would be ‘married’, and both hauled on at the same time as the hands stamped away signing a rousing tune”;

Stamp-n-go brassarna styvhalas

Purpose of the Stamp-n-go Shanty

Stan Hugill’s explanation from page 26 of the first edition of the “Shanties From The Seven Seas” tells us that Stamp-n-go Shanties were used at braces, etc.

Index Of The Stamp-n-go Shanty

  1. Donkey Riding
  2. Drunken Sailor (A)
  3. Drunken Sailor (B)
  4. Roll The Old Chariot

My private collection of books

Shantyman library –  you will see descriptions and recommendations of positions worth diving into, true sources of knowledge about sea shanties. To gain knowledge about sea shanties is the main ultimate purpose of this library, every book in this library is somehow related to sea shanties and before mast songs.

More involvement in Traditional Sea Shanties

You can find this record here or directly listen below. If you want to discuss the record or share your opinion you can do it in my Facebook forum here.