3 Sailor Songs That Went Viral and You'll Love Them

Who knows what sailor songs are and how they ended up going viral recently? Come and learn more about this topic!

Nowadays, there is no shortage of ways for a certain content – such as an image, a video or even music – to go viral.

Every day, we come across a variety of content that, most of the time, was created in a completely unpretentious way. However, due to a series of factors, it ends up becoming a hit and a real success.

And all thanks to all the tools and platforms available and the increasingly democratic access to the internet.

And in addition to the new types of content created daily that end up going viral on the internet – and, depending on the level of success, even outside of it – we also have cases where old content that was released years ago ends up returning to the spotlight, becoming true late hits.

That said, let's talk about one of the hits that happened recently and that, thanks to the internet, made something that already existed become known to the population. 

We're talking about sailor songs!

If you are not familiar with the topic, we will talk more about it throughout the text. In addition to better understanding what these sailor songs are, we will also understand how they went viral and, from one moment to the next, dominated TikTok, one of the most successful apps in history.

The power of viralization

Before we get into the central theme of our text, I think it’s important to provide context – quickly and simply – for those who are not yet familiar with the concept of viralization.

You know those funny videos, perfect dubbing, songs that are on everyone's lips or even funny images that are frequently shared on social media? 

All of this is the result of going viral. At some point – and for a reason that can vary greatly from viral to viral – this content ended up becoming popular on the internet and, as a result, ended up becoming real hits.

The last great example of this type of viralization was the song Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), performed by English singer Kate Bush. 

Despite being part of an album released in 1985 – 37 years ago – the track went viral after being part of one of the most memorable scenes in the 4th season of Stranger Things, one of the most popular series today.

The track was so successful that it went beyond the internet and even reached those who don't watch the series. In fact, I bet you've heard the song at some point in the last few months. 

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What are sailor songs?

Have you ever stopped to imagine what the daily routine of sailors was like during the heyday of maritime transport? At that time, hundreds and hundreds of vessels – such as merchant ships and sailing ships – sailed the 7 seas.

And those largely responsible for the maintenance of these vessels were precisely the sailors.

Activities ranged from cleaning the site to pulling or pushing extremely heavy items, hoisting sails, raising anchors and, in some cases, even rowing.

And as you can imagine, doing all kinds of manual work every day and practically without rest was not the easiest task.

It was precisely during these periods that the so-called sailor songs ended up emerging. 

These songs were sung by the sailor class while they performed their repetitive daily tasks, helping them to become less tiring and making these workers more motivated.

But despite the positive effects these songs had on sailors, they were not known for their happy lyrics. Quite the opposite.

Most of the time, the lyrics were associated with sad feelings, tragedies and heartbreaks.

But, somehow, they were the ones who motivated the sailors, making their routines a little less difficult, as well as bringing a feeling of unity among the class while carrying out the work.

How did sailor songs go viral?

Although it is not as recent an event as the viralization of Kate Bush's song that we mentioned here, sailor songs have made quite a splash on social media. And this started happening at the beginning of 2021, on TikTok.

On the main social network of the moment, a young Scottish man named Nathan Evans published a video singing his version of The Wellerman, a typical sailor's song from the region in the 19th century.

Even without meaning to, Evans was responsible for starting a movement on the internet: that of sailors' songs. And what started with sharing, duets – a tool available on the platform – and even versions that included a choir, Evans even managed to sign a contract and started his musical career.

On the web, you can find thousands and thousands of videos that follow this style by searching for “sea shanties”.

That was how these sailor songs are known.

3 Sailor Songs That Went Viral That You'll Know and Love

If you missed this trend at the time, don't be surprised. Below, we've listed 3 sailor songs that went viral for you to get to know and discover this style that gained a lot of traction on TikTok last year.

Hoist the Colors

You probably remember this song from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, right? After the success of the track in the movie, TikTok brought it back and it was a huge hit there.

Wellerman (Sea Shanty) – Nathan Evans

Remember when we said that the person responsible for starting this movement signed a contract and entered the music world? This is the result of Nathan Evans singing a sailor's shanty

A playlist with only sailor songs

The third and final tip is simply an entire playlist! Available at Spotify, you will be able to explore this style a lot with it!

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