March 4, 2014 — To hear a fisherman’s sea chanty is to hear the roots of gospel music and rhythm and blues. And five former fishermen went back to these roots and the world of fishing at a sea chanty concert in Southport on Feb. 22 as part of Southport’s Black History Month event.
“The songs gave you the spirit to work hard, because it was hard work,” said Willie W. Parker of Southport, one of the chantymen who worked off the coast of North Carolina from 1959 to 1996 as a menhaden fisherman.
Fishing towns on the Carolina coast like Southport and Morehead City employed African-American fishermen who worked on boats fishing for menhaden, a small fish used by manufacturers to make fertilizer and cosmetics.
Menhaden – or pogies, as the locals called them – were caught in huge rope nets manned by dozens of men. The men had to be strong enough to hold the nets taut while thousands of the small fish were scooped up.
The typical chanty was started by a lead chantyman, who directed the tempo and timing of the work. The crew would follow his rhythm. The lines and verses of the chanty followed the task of the job at hand.
“Two white horses side by side
One of those horses I’m bound to ride
Drinking that wine
Drinking that wine.”
“That was our living,” Parker said. “Sing a line, pull the net. Sing a verse, pull it tighter. The songs were sung to the rhythm of work.”