In putting together some teaching material, I came across an old Sea Shanty called The Leaving of Liverpool. It is a song I had played years ago with a folk band and decided to look more into it’s roots. This song dates from around the 1880s if not earlier during the Gold Rush days. It was sung as an off-watch song or “forebitter,” rather than a sea shanty. A lovely insight to the role music and songs can play in everyday life, whether you find yourself on a ship, a plane or even just at home.
