You're sailing. The Jackdaw is cutting through a Caribbean swell, the sun is hitting the water just right, and suddenly, the crew starts. "I thought I heard the Old Man say..." It's immediate. It's visceral. Even if you haven't played the game since 2013, you probably just finished that line in your head with a gruff, rhythmic "Leave her, Johnny, leave her!" Assassin's Creed Black Flag sea shanties weren't just background noise; they were the soul of a game that otherwise could have felt like a lonely sailing simulator.
Honestly, it’s weird how much a bunch of digital sailors singing 19th-century work songs affected the gaming industry. Before Black Flag, collectibles in open-world games were usually just... feathers. Or boring glowing orbs. Ubisoft changed the math. They turned collectibles into music. You’d chase a floating piece of paper across Havana rooftops, risking a desynchronization just to hear "Fish in the Sea." It mattered because the reward wasn't a stat boost—it was atmosphere.
The Real History Behind the Songs
Ubisoft didn't just pull these tracks out of thin air. They did the homework. Sea shanties were functional. They were the metronome for a ship's labor. In the real Golden Age of Piracy, and more prominently in the merchant marine era that followed, these songs coordinated the physical rhythm of pulling ropes or turning the capstan.
Take "Drunken Sailor." Everyone knows it, but in the context of the game, it’s a "stamp and go" shanty. It’s meant for tasks where the crew just needs to walk away with a rope. Most of the songs featured in the game actually date from the 1800s, which is technically a bit later than Edward Kenway’s 1715 setting. Does it matter? Not really. The vibe is what counts. The developers leaned into "folk process"—the idea that these songs change and evolve as they're passed down.
The vocal performances were handled by a group called the Eliza Moore singers and various professional folk musicians. They didn't want it to sound like a polished Broadway choir. They wanted grit. They wanted guys who sounded like they’d been drinking salt water and screaming over gale-force winds for twenty years. That’s why the harmonies aren't perfect. Sometimes a singer is a little flat, or someone’s voice cracks. It’s human.
Why the Shanties Became a Viral Phenomenon
It's actually kind of hilarious how these songs took on a life of their own. Long before "ShantyTok" became a thing in 2020 and 2021, Black Flag was laying the groundwork.
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People were making 10-hour loops of "Lowlands Away" on YouTube. Why? Because the songs tap into a specific type of melancholy. "Lowlands Away" isn't a "yo-ho-ho" pirate romp. It’s a ghost story. It’s a song about a dead lover coming to someone in a dream. It grounds the game. It reminds you that Edward Kenway isn't just a killing machine; he’s a man who left everything behind for a life that is mostly characterized by boredom and manual labor.
The Best Shanties in the Game (And Why They Work)
- "Randy Dandy-O" – This is the ultimate "we're heading out to sea" song. The rhythm is relentless. It makes you want to push the Jackdaw to full sail and hunt down a Man-o'-War.
- "The Dead Horse" – A bit more obscure, but the history is fascinating. It refers to the "dead horse" period where sailors worked off their initial pay advance. Singing it meant they were finally earning "real" money again.
- "Leave Her Johnny" – Usually triggered when you’re nearing a port or finishing a long voyage. It’s the sound of exhaustion and relief.
The mechanics of how these trigger are actually pretty smart. The game recognizes your speed and state. You aren't going to get a slow, mournful ballad while you're in the middle of a frantic broadside battle with a Spanish galleon. The music matches the pacing of the waves.
The Technical Side of Pirate Music
Making music work in an open world is a nightmare. You have to account for the sound of the wind, the creak of the wood, and the literal roar of the ocean. The audio team at Ubisoft Montreal had to mix the Assassin's Creed Black Flag sea shanties so they felt like they were coming from specific points on the deck. If you move Edward to the front of the ship, the voices behind you should sound different.
They used a "call and response" system. One lead singer (the shantyman) starts the verse, and the rest of the crew joins for the chorus. This isn't just a musical choice—it’s how it worked on real ships. The shantyman was often paid more because his ability to keep the crew’s spirits up and their timing in sync literally made the ship faster. In the game, it creates this sense of community. You aren't just a player controlling an avatar; you're a captain responsible for these men.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Music
A lot of critics at the time complained that pirates didn't actually sing shanties like this. And they’re partially right. The "shanty" as we know it didn't fully peak until the mid-19th century. During the actual 1710s, sailors were more likely to sing ballads or popular tavern songs of the era.
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But here’s the thing: accuracy is boring if it kills the mood. Black Flag is a romanticized version of history. It’s the "pirate fantasy." If Ubisoft had stuck strictly to 1715-era music, we would have missed out on "The Rio Grande" or "Whiskey Johnny." The game prioritizes the feeling of being at sea over the literal date on a sheet of parchment.
Also, can we talk about the fact that you can turn them off? I don’t know who would actually do that, but the option is there. Pressing "right" on the D-pad to skip a song you’ve heard too many times is a small mercy, though most players find themselves cycling through just to find "The Worst Old Ship" one more time.
Legacy and Influence
You can see the DNA of these shanties in almost every naval game that followed. Sea of Thieves leaned heavily into the musical aspect, allowing players to play instruments together. Assassin's Creed Rogue and Assassin's Creed Odyssey tried to replicate the magic with North Atlantic songs and Ancient Greek chants, respectively. They were good. They just weren't Black Flag.
There’s a specific magic to the Jackdaw. Maybe it’s the contrast between the brutal violence of boarding a ship and the gentle harmony of the crew singing about "The Maid of Amsterdam" five minutes later. It provides a "blue space" for the player to breathe.
How to Experience the Best of the Soundtrack Today
If you’re looking to scratch that itch without reinstalling the game, there are a few ways to go about it. The official soundtrack is on most streaming platforms, but there are actually two volumes.
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- Volume 1: Mostly the cinematic score by Brian Tyler.
- The Sea Shanty Edition: This is the one you want. It contains the raw, acapella versions of the crew singing.
There are also incredible community-made versions. The "Longest Johns," a real-world folk group, gained massive popularity partly because of the resurgent interest in these specific songs. They even did a "Black Flag" tribute that sounds incredibly close to the in-game assets.
Actionable Tips for New Players
If you're jumping into the game for the first time—maybe on the Rebel Collection for Switch or via backward compatibility—don't ignore the music sheets.
- Focus on the chase: The music sheets move. They fly away as soon as you get close. Use the "Parkour Up" mechanic and don't hesitate. If you miss it, just walk away and come back; it resets quickly.
- Stop and listen: Sometimes, just let the ship idle at "half sail." The shanties sound different when the ocean isn't screaming.
- Check the map: Shanties are marked with a music note icon. Prioritize them early in the game so you have a full playlist for the long hauls between Kingston and Nassau.
- Don't skip "Lowlands Away": It’s tempting to want the high-energy songs, but the slower ones provide the best cinematic moments during sunset voyages.
The Assassin's Creed Black Flag sea shanties represent a rare moment where a game mechanic and an artistic choice merged perfectly. They turned a repetitive travel system into a highlight of the experience. It’s why, even years later, we’re still singing along.
Go find a playlist. Put on "Bully in the Alley." Try not to tap your foot. It’s impossible. The Jackdaw is still out there somewhere, and the crew is still singing.
Next Steps for Your Pirate Journey:
To truly appreciate the depth of the soundtrack, start by collecting the 10 "easy" shanties in Nassau and Havana before heading into the open Caribbean. Once you have a solid library, try sailing from the northernmost point of the map to the southernmost point without fast-traveling. It takes about 15 minutes, but with the crew singing, it's the most immersive experience the game has to offer. You can also look up the lyrics to "The Parting Glass"—while it's technically an end-game song and not a standard shanty, it provides the emotional context for why these songs mattered so much to the men who sang them.