The story behind a popular modern maritime folk song
Overview
A Wife in Every Port is a well-known maritime folk song inspired by one of the most enduring sayings associated with sailors. While commonly performed alongside sea shanties at festivals and maritime events, it is not a traditional working shanty. Instead, it belongs to the broader tradition of sea songs and forebitters sung for recreation rather than labour aboard ship.
Origins of the Phrase
The expression “a wife in every port” long predates the song itself. It emerged from the popular stereotype that sailors, spending months or years away from home, formed romantic attachments in the ports they regularly visited. Historical accounts of naval and merchant seafaring life show that women associated with sailors were sometimes referred to as their 'wives', regardless of any legal marriage.
Over time the phrase became embedded in maritime folklore and entered popular culture as a humorous description of the wandering sailor.
The Song
The best-known modern version was popularised by the Scottish folk group Old Blind Dogs on their 1994 album Tall Tails. The narrative follows a sailor who leaves home promising to marry his sweetheart upon his return. After a lengthy voyage he discovers that she has fallen in love with a soldier and started a family. The song ends with a comic twist when the sailor reveals that he too has 'a wife in every port'.
Shanty or Sea Song?
Despite its popularity in shanty circles, the song is not a genuine working shanty. Traditional shanties were sung aboard sailing ships to coordinate physical tasks such as hauling, heaving and capstan work. Because A Wife in Every Port tells a complete narrative story and was intended for entertainment, it is more accurately described as a maritime folk song.
Timeline
18th-19th Centuries: The phrase becomes associated with sailors and maritime folklore.
20th Century: The expression remains common within nautical culture and folk music.
1994: Old Blind Dogs record and popularise the modern song version.
Today: Regularly performed at maritime festivals, folk clubs and sea shanty gatherings.
Legacy
The song remains popular because it combines a memorable chorus, humour and familiar maritime themes. It serves as an example of how modern maritime music continues to draw upon older nautical traditions while creating new repertoire for contemporary audiences.
References
- Old Blind Dogs, Tall Tails (1994).
- Studies of maritime folklore and sea-song traditions.
- Historical accounts of Royal Navy and merchant sailor culture.