Songs and stories about seafaring have a timeless and universal appeal. These songs, drawn from recordings and archives of Maine singers and collectors, tell powerful stories of sailing, fishing, storms, shipwreck, piracy, sea battles, and loved ones left at home. An invaluable resource for scholars, with its detailed notes, bibliography, and source index, this collection is also a treasure for musicians, with melodies, complete lyrics, and historical background for every song.

A profoundly significant and scholarly contribution to the world of folk song, this is a painstakingly collected treasure trove not only of ancient ballads that have migrated from Anglo Europe to Maine and New England but also vernacular songs of the region. In depth and clearly presented, they are expertly and artfully presented in the context of the culture from which they come. Intended not as an archive but as a resource, this book should be read by anyone who is interested in the traditional music and history of rural America.