Listening to this sea shanty that’s been in my life since I was a little girl I suddenly thought who is John Kanaka? What famous sailor is he? A criminal? A bit like Robin Hood? Did he discover something a placed? Do something famous? No but the history is interesting.

This was a “long haul” chantey, used for timing in hoisting up the sails by sailors. There were a lot of Hawaiians working aboard ships that sailed the Pacific, and were renowned for their excellent seamanship. English-speaking sailors often had difficulty pronouncing their names, however and so called them by the Hawaiian name “Kanaka,” which means “Hawaiian Man.” The lyrics “tu lai-e” also come from the Hawaiian language, and are a remnant of the chantey singing tradition of combining the music and language of different seafaring cultures.hoisting up the sails. Many Hawaiians worked aboard ships that sailed the Pacific, and were renowned for their excellent seamanship. English-speaking sailors often had difficulty pronouncing their names, however and so called them by the Hawaiian name “Kanaka,” which means “Hawaiian Man.” The lyrics “tu lai-e” also come from the Hawaiian language, and are a remnant of the chantey singing tradition of combining the music and language of different seafaring cultures.

From the HYDE STREET CHANTEY SINGERS