A Sailor Come Home From the Sea
Most of the songs on our history pages are hundreds of years old, and their writers are long forgotten. ‘Heaven’s a Bar’ is different. It is a modern song, written in the style of the old sailors’ songs, and we know exactly who wrote it.
It is a warm, cheerful song about a sailor’s idea of paradise, and it is a favourite with audiences who like a good sing-along.
The Story of the Song
The song imagines heaven as a pub down by the docks. In this heaven, there is always a welcome for a sailor who has come home from the sea. Old shipmates gather together in the snug, the landlady and her staff look after everyone, and the songs roll around the room until closing time, whenever that might be.
It is a cheerful idea, and it fits the way that sailors really did look at the world. After months at sea, the quayside pub was the first place a sailor headed for, and a song like this captures why.
Who Wrote It?
‘Heaven’s a Bar’ was written by Tim Laycock, a singer and musician from Dorset, and recorded by him with the New Scorpion Band. Because it was written recently, it is still under copyright, so we describe it here rather than print the words.
We have been told that the song was originally part of a folk opera about a ship’s voyage, seen through the eyes of the ship’s rats. In that story it comes at the end, when the ship is sinking and the rats are wondering what heaven might be like. We have not been able to confirm this from the writer himself, so please treat it as a story rather than a fact.
Is It a Shanty?
No, it is not a work shanty. As we explained on our main history page, shanties were sung to keep a crew pulling together. ‘Heaven’s a Bar’ belongs with the songs sung for pleasure, like the fo’c’sle songs we described earlier. It is a new song in an old tradition.
That is how the shanty tradition has always worked. Songs were borrowed, changed and invented, and good new ones joined the old ones. A modern song that sailors would have loved fits right in.
On Record
The song has been recorded by other groups. One example is the Exmouth Shanty Men, who included it on their 2022 album Tall Ships and Tavern Tales, with a landlady singing her part in the pub scene. It is a good sign that a modern song has found its way into other groups’ sets.
Why We Sing It
- The chorus is easy to pick up, so the audience can join in.
- It is a warm, happy song, with no sad ending to worry about.
- It gives a picture of the sailors’ world that anyone can enjoy.
- It shows that new songs are still being written in the shanty tradition.
Come and hear it for yourself. Have a look at our Performances page to see where we will be next, and don’t forget to sing along. If you know more about the song and its history, drop us an email at contact@theselseyshantymen.co.uk!