Bully in the Alley

Bully in the Alley is one of the traditional sea shanties featured on the official Windrose Original Soundtrack. Its driving, call-and-response pace suits the game's action sailing sequences, where the NPC crew picks up the chorus as you cross open water.

Detail	Value
Type	Traditional sea shanty (halyard or capstan)
Era	19th century, public domain
Vocals	Sean Dagher
Arrangement	Kraken Express audio team, produced in house
Where it plays	At the ship's helm while sailing; on the Windrose Original Soundtrack
Trigger	Press B at the helm while under sail

On the Soundtrack

The track appears on the Windrose Original Soundtrack (Steam App 4564200), released alongside the April 14, 2026 Early Access launch. Vocals are performed by Sean Dagher, the Canadian shantyman who recorded the full shanty set for the game. Arrangements are produced in house by the Kraken Express audio team, with no AI vocals or composition used.

Origin

"Bully in the Alley" is a traditional 19th-century halyard or capstan shanty. It describes a sailor courting a girl named Sally in Shinbone Alley, a reference to one of several historical sailor neighborhoods (some sources treat the name as a stock phrase rather than a specific location). The shanty has been recorded by many folk artists over the last century.

In-Game

Triggered at the ship's helm by pressing B while under sail. NPC crew members on deck join the vocals while you steer between islands. Shanties pause when combat begins (naval cannons take priority) and resume once the engagement ends. Like the other shanties, it is purely atmospheric: it has no gameplay effect on wind and sailing speed, and it gives way to the lock-on cues and cannon fire of a sea fight.

Notes

Included on the Windrose OST as part of the complete shanty rotation.
Fits the same traditional-shanty style as the other OST tracks, with Sean Dagher vocals and acoustic Kraken Express arrangement.
Players sometimes note this as a track that is less famous outside the real-world shanty community than the Drunken Sailor or Blow the Man Down entries, but it is a core part of the repertoire.

Part of the Rotation

Bully in the Alley is one entry in the full sea shanties rotation rather than a standalone feature. It sits alongside better-known traditional numbers in the helm playlist:

It is less famous outside the shanty community than those tracks, but it is a core part of the recorded set and shares the same traditional style and live vocal treatment.