Santianna

"Santianna", also known as "Santiana", "Santy Anna", "Santayana", "Santiano", "Santy Anno" and other variations, is a sea shanty referring to the Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna. The song is listed as number 207 in the Roud Folk Song Index.[1]

The theme of the shanty, which dates from at least the 1850s, may have been inspired by topical events in the news related to conflicts between the armies of Mexico, commanded by Antonio López de Santa Anna, and the U.S., commanded by Zachary Taylor, in the Mexican-American War.

The lyrics are not historically accurate: for example, both the Battle of Monterrey and the Battle of Molino del Rey (different versions refer to one or other) were US victories, not Mexican ones. Some suggest that this tradition was caused by British sailors, who deserted their ships to join Santa Anna's forces.

As with many shanties, there are many recorded variations on the words and tunes, which may have developed on particular shipping lines - and the shantymen who led the shanties would make up their own versions as they went along, many of which were never recorded.

Shantyman and shanty collector Stan Hugill wrote that "Santianna" was originally a pump shanty, but became a popular capstan shanty as wooden ships were replaced by iron in the common call and response form.

Part of one of Hugill's versions is below

The call is in normal type and the response is in italics.

Hugill states that there were many variations in the refrain, including:

First refrain:

Second refrain

Alan Lomax published a completely different version, that he heard from a sailor called J.M. Hunt in 1935

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