Description
| It's 1800, out on the open ocean. The night is pitch black, and no one's watching but the stars. Out here in the unknown, where monsters lurk and anything can happen, what does a crew of young sailors do to stay sane? They pump their leaky ships to the tune of a bawdy sea shanty. The strong and consistent rhythm of these songs keeps the men coordinated in their strokes. The lyrics are shrewd, crude, often lewd – humor for a randy crew.
In The Kraken's Out to Play, the lead singer titillates the crew with tales of the mighty Kraken, an enormous sea creature of Norse legend, probably inspired by the giant squid. The Kraken terrified and fascinated the popular imagination in the 19th century, and you can see why – here's a primal creature seemingly without emotion or rationality, yet a frigate with all its manufacture and all its defenses stands no chance against it. It's raw hunger, with freaking tentacles! Optional accompaniment parts are available for harmonium, piano, double bass, trombone, and percussion. |