Fish in the Sea

Some early references to this song refer to it as "Fishes Lamentation" or "Windy Old Weather", while at least one broadside titles it "King of the Sea". Collector W.B. Whall, writing in 1901, dates the song to the 1860s. It has been performed by a wide variety of folk singers, and it would be practically impossible to identify a "definitive" set of lyrics.

Several variants can be grouped into two categories: one with the chorus "Windy old weather, stormy old weather, when the wind blows we'll all go together", the other with the chorus "blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow, we're bound to the south'ard so steady she goes."

The version sung by the Longest Johns generally follows the one used in the video game *Assassin's Creed: Black Flag*, which (per the description on their 360° YouTube video) is the version they heard first. It appears to have been based on an arrangement by Quadriga Consort from their 2011 album *Ship's Ahoy*.

## Lyrics

These lyrics are based on the version performed by the Longest Johns in their livestreams.

>
> Come all you young sailor-men, listen to me
>
> I'll sing you a song of the fish in the sea
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
> And it's windy weather, boys
>
> Stormy weather, boys
>
> When the wind blows we're all together, boys
>
> blow ye winds westerly, blow ye winds blow
>
> jolly sou'wester, boys, steady she goes!
>
>
>
> Up jumps the eel with his slippery tail,
>
> climbs up aloft and reefs the topsail!
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> Then up jumps the shark with his nine rows of teeth,
>
> saying "you eat the dough, boys, and I'll eat the beef!"
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> Up jumps the whale the largest of all,
>
> "If you want any wind, well I'll blow you a squall!"
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

## Recordings

#### Streaming/Purchase

* Amazon Music
* Amazon Purchase
* Anghami
* Apple Music
* Deezer
* Spotify
* Tidal

#### YouTube Videos

* C-Sides version
* 360° at Real World Studios
* All Shanties from AC4 Black Flag Supercut/Playlist

#### Gig Videos

* Shrewsbury Folk Festival (27 Aug 2021)
* Old Songs (25 Feb 2022)
* Le Poisson Rouge, NYC (27 Feb 2022)

#### Full Band Streams

* The Longest Johns Impromptu Singing Stream! (17 Nov 2018)
* The Longest Johns and Friends, April. w/Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith (30 Apr 2019)
* The Longest Johns Early Octobermas (2 Oct 2019)
* Welcome to a New Decade with The Longest Johns (22 Jan 2020)
* We Built This Stream(y) on Shant and Folk (11 Nov 2020)
* All Aboard the Stream Locomotive (2 Jun 2021)
* Nightmare on Elm Stream (27 Oct 2021)
* THE SING ALONG! JINGLE JAM 2021 - DAY 6! w/ The Longest Johns (9 Dec 2021)
* Exstream Close-up (31 May 2022)
* Stream Lantern (27 Sep 2023)

#### Chill Streams

* The Longest Johns - Andy and JD sing some folk songs and shanties! (2 Jun 2018)
* JD & Andy Chilltime - 13/01/2020
* JD and Andy Chilltime - 03/02/2020

#### Gaming Streams

* The Longest Johns Play Sea of Thieves but the servers die and we sing anyway (20 Mar 2018)
* Adventures on the Sea of Thieves with Andy and JD (19 Aug 2018)
* Ocean of Larcenists! - Sailing & Singing with Jd, Andy & Dave (21 Feb 2019)
* Sail and Sing! Sea of Thieves Stream - 18/05/2020
* Sing and Sail 2: Damp Boogaloo - 25/05/2020
* It's sail and sing with special guest KHARITES\_! - 01/06/2020
* Sail & Sing! Lets get damp and sing shanties! - 08/06/2020
* Sea of Thieves Tall Tales Marathon for Charity: Part 1 (24 Jun 2020)
* It's Sea of Sings! Featuring Krotukk! Huzzah! - 28/08/2020
* It's boat time! Sea of Sings! - 21/09/2020
* Sea of Sings! Yarr and all that... - 16/10/2020
* Sailing, Wailing and Failing with Captain Falcore! - 19/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! 3 2 1 SHANT! - 26/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! with AsylumGC8! SHANT! - 31/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! with Captain\_Falcore! SHANT! - 2/11/2020
* Sea of Sings! with KroTukk! SHANT! - 3/11/2020
* Sea of Sings! Welcome to the Shantydome! - 6/11/2020
* Sea of Sings! - 13/11/2020
* Sea of Joviality with KroTukk and KHARITES\_ - 28/11/2020
* Musical larceny on the big blue wet thing - 7/12/2020
* Music and boats and stuff - 13/12/2020
* Let's get piratical! Sea of sings! - 8/01/2021
* Sea of Sings! Pirate malarkey afoot! - 15/01/2021
* Sea of Sings! Yarr? - 01/02/2021
* Game Dev stream! Yarrs for everyone! - 05/02/2021
* Sea of Sings! Let's get splashy! - 06/02/2021
* Sea of Sings with Azuki and HappyKrakenX - 08/02/2021
* Sea of Sings with Teachcourage and TheSneakyBeagle - 09/02/2021
* Sea of Sings! Let's get splashy! - 12/02/2021
* Sea of Sings LIVE | The Longest Johns Sea of Thieves Stream (31 Mar 2021)
* Sea of Sings! Boats and stuff! - 15/02/2021
* Sea of Sings - It's boat time - 22/02/2021
* It's Friday Funtimes! Let's get in the sea! - 26/02/2021
* Sea of Sings! With Dave, JD and @Krotukk - 05/03/2021
* Sea of Sings! With JD, Dave, Robbie and WIREDmag! - 08/03/2021
* Give it away, give it away, give it away now! | Sea of Sings - 15/03/2021
* Sea of Sings with Kharites\_! Let's help her celebrate reaching 7k followers! - 19/03/2021
* Season Two!! New skins, new voyages, same old Kharites\_! - 16/04/2021
* Streamy time sails with friends and song! - 23/04/2021
* It's Monday, Monday, Singing and Sailing on Monday! - 26/04/2021
* It's time to get in the sea and do a music! - 30/04/2021
* Safe and sound at home again, let the waters roar, chat! - 24/05/2021
* Roll on up, roll on down. We all get songs in Streaming Town - 31/05/2021
* Stop blowing holes in my ship! with THE Cpt Jack Sparrow & THE Kharites\_! - 25/06/2021
* Sloop, Sloop, a tasty Sloop, Sloop... Singing and Sailing Monday Style - 28/06/2021
* Sea of Sings! Lets hope the internet is fixed... - 19/07/2021
* Sea of Sings LIVE | The Longest Johns Sea of Thieves Stream (11 Aug 2021)
* \*\*Insert Stream Title Here\*\* - Sea of Sings with SneakyBeagle - 30/08/2021
* Say "A shoddily shod ship" 3 times fast... - 29/10/2021