Can anyone suggest music appropriate for kayaking, preferably lyrics involving the sea and such, but even just mood music without lyrics would be fine, ie something that evokes the spirit of paddling (and no, not the heavy metal or techno that accompanies some whitewater videos). I'm hoping there are some coastal musicians who have come up with some great melodies that might not be mainstream but would be suitable to accompany kayak related stuff. Thanks in advance!

"Fisherman's Blues", the Waterboys - celtic inspired tune, blues inspired lyrics

"Fogarty's Cove", Stan Rogers - Canadian classic




"Wishful Thinking", Rupa and the April Fishes - a pirate ship as metaphor for love and life



Edit:

Great live performance by the Waterboys:

"Whispers of the North" by Gordon Lightfoot



I'm surprised this song isn't better known. There is the unfortunate use of the word "eskimos" to refer the people now called Inuit, but the song is of its time...

"Farewell to Nova Scotia"



Yeah, I know, wrong coast. But I'm a bluenoser by birth and still sing this to calm myself if I'm caught at sea in hairier conditions than I'd planned on.

I know it's the opposite of what you want, but I can't get jgunther's Widgeon Creek video & music out of my mind:
http://gallery.mac.com/johnagunther#100202

Another Waterboys tune, "This is the Sea".

Great Big Sea is a band who's music naturally ties into a water setting...many songs to chose from.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... g+sea&aq=f


My official song for tinkering on boats is "Building a boat" by Matt Mays &El Torpedo.
Most rock n roll from the Maritimes has a ring that goes with the ocean.

How could I have forgotten another Stan Rogers tune, one so positive and uplifting that it should be on everyone's "songs to sing when I'm scared sh*tless" list? "The Mary Ellen Carter" never fails to lift my spirits and the lyrics are among the finest ever penned by a Canadian.



Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken
And life about to end
No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend.
Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.

Jack Johnson! TO the Sea: 'We've got to get right down to the sea" AND I second Rider's choice of great big sea!

I don't mean to hijack this thread but I just cannot resist suggesting these classic tunes by these great artists:

Beatles:
Neoprene Pam
Eleanor Bungie
Your Rudder Should Know

Rolling Stones:
Raft Me Up
Emotional Self Rescue
Gimme Gelcoat

Neil Young:
Only Love Can Break your Hatch
Tarp of Gold
The Rudder and the Damage Done
Kelpless

Bob Dylan
Towin' in the Wind
Hey Mr. Dramamine Man
You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Roll

(.....sorry.....)

I'm not sure what a Texas cowboy is doing writing a song about the ocean, but Lyle Lovett's 'If I Had A Boat' is a great tune. I was playing it when I finished building my most recent kayak. Seemed appropriate somehow.

Good thread. Lots of stuff I haven't heard before.



Mark
Spokane, WA

If I had a Boat!
One of my faves.

Beach boys , Sloop John B. Also love Great Big Sea, I sing" Excursion around the Bay" when paddling in some sketchy for me conditions. Oh me, Oh my, I think I'm gonna die! Another GBS song " Safe upon the Shore" a sad song, makes me think of my dad.

Downstream by Supertramp -- one of my all-time favourites.

From a live performance in 2010:




A link to a non-live recording:

http://youtu.be/ZN_7mHDknyM

In 2007 I returned from a trip to the Klemtu / Bella Bella area. During those two weeks there were some tunes going through my head. Some were inspired by visual or emotional mood and others were just favorites of mine. When I returned I made some slideshows set to some of those tunes that felt right to me. They included:
"the Ella B" by the Amazing Rhythm Aces which is about the the ride on the Queen of Chilliwack to Klemtu
"If I had a Boat" by Lyle Lovett which just lifts my spirits whenever I hear it.
"Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison which reflects the mood on the day we visited Disju.
"Roll Um Easy" by Little Feat because I love Little Feat (circa Lowell George).
"Might as Well Have a Good Time" by C, S & N just because.
"End of the Line" by the Traveling Wilburys went through my head on the paddle from McMullin Group to Cultus via Goose.
"Can't Find My Way Home" by Blind Faith always goes through my head as a trip is wrapping up.

Links to those shows are below.
"the Ella B":


"If I had a Boat":


"Into the Mystic":


"Roll Um Easy":


"Might as Well Have a Good Time":


"End of the Line":


"Can't Find My Way Home":

Good tunes in this thread -- Chodups, I'm digging your groove...

Another favourite of mine:

I'm Your Captain by Grand Funk Railroad, a true classic...

if your glass is half-full or more - morcheeba "the sea"




if your glass is half empty - Gordon Lightfoot "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

Mike, that's an awesome, awesome song. Man, that woman can sing -- truly a voice like an angel. Always nice to hear something new -- and such a refreshing sound. Thanks. I'll definitely be adding some Morcheeba to my collection.


John, I know that you specifically asked for songs about and of the "sea" but I have to add this song as it always runs through my head as I "Feel the Benefit" while paddling. One of my top ten songs (and bands) of all time (and that's saying a lot). This song has probably had more air time in our car than any other while on the way to and on the way back from paddling trips. Yes, we know all the words and they're sung with passion, belief, feeling,and enthusiasm by all who ride in my vehicle. Excellent song for those who appreciate what life has to give...

Two of my all time favorites, that I learned to sail to, in English Bay, in 1975:

China Grove - Doobie Brothers




Black Water - Doobie Brothers




Both from the album " The Captain And Me"

LOL! Way to go JK!

I am reading the online (Wavelength) Coast & Kayak Magazine. I was thinking what a lovely and relaxing experience it was - especially with the music in the background. Then it dawned on me that the WCP community probably contributed to this effort.

The kayaking community means everything to me. I am proud to say I am a part of it. People who care and people who share. (And people that rescue one another - there is another story not yet told. )

I am going to head back to my 20 minutes of bliss now. Maybe I will leave it open all day and enjoy the tunes too.

Added youtube embedded videos for all the songs listed in this thread (well, except for IanC's list -- oddly enough I couldn't find a single one of those titles).

Here's something I like to sing at the top of my lungs when paddling (especially when solo). It helps take the mind off of a long slog into a headwind. Dave from Courtenay/Delta can attest to this.


Cheers,
Bryan

I can't tell if that's the original with a video over it or a very,very close cover, Last Saskatchewan pirate is an Arrogant Worms song originally.
I'll add to the list the song Perfekte Welle (German) by the band Juli.




And Gods Have Spoken by the Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir




And a song that's hardly related to the ocean,but would make a great soundtrack , Voices by Godsmack.




And opposite,equally unrelated random happy sunny day paddling song, Runrunaway by either Slade



or

Great big sea

Ian Tamblyn -

Hi Rider,
You are right, the Arrogant Worms originally sang (and, I assume, wrote), The Last Saskatchewan Pirate sometime in the mid-nineties. I heard the song first from them in a very small pub in Regina. Then a couple of years later Captain Tractor, a band from Edmonton, covered it on their East of Edson album and had some good success with it too. The latter version is a bit more rock-ish and I first heard it live in a scuzzy rock bar in Saskatoon. The song featured prominently at my wedding over 12 years ago.
Cheers,
Bryan

Dave Hadfield is a canoeist, winter camper, member of the myccr.com community, pilot, musician and brother to astronaut Chris Hadfield. Many of his folk songs relate to paddling, or the bush. It's more "canoe tunes" rather than the "Kayak Tunes" stated in the title of this thread though. So, if you're offended by canoeists, you might just move along now.

You can find a fair bit of his music at http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/DAVE-HADFIELD. It's the sort of thing I really enjoy.

Unfortunately his website http://www.hadfield.ca seems to be down which is too bad because it included a page of "practical bush gear" which had plans for a winter camping stove, wannigan, and other things, most of which would never fit in a kayak.

Cheers,
Bryan