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Leave Her Johnny is one of the traditional sea shanties included on the official Windrose Original Soundtrack. A traditional farewell and pumping shanty on the soundtrack. Its content is a complaint against a hard ship or captain, traditionally sung at the end of a voyage.

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 same shantyman who recorded the sea shanties for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Arrangements are by the Kraken Express audio team.

Origin

"Leave Her Johnny" (sometimes "Leave Her, Johnny, Leave Her") is a 19th-century Anglo-American pumping shanty. It was sung as the crew worked the ship's pumps for the last time before leaving the vessel, making it structurally a shanty of farewell and minor rebellion.

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.

Notes

• Sean Dagher has recorded "Leave Her Johnny" multiple times as a solo performer across his career; the Windrose OST version is a fresh take by the studio.

• In the Windrose context, the shanty is often associated with ending a voyage: arriving at a harbor or dropping anchor at base.

• The historical lyrics reference the hardships of sailing life and unpaid wages, a subtle thematic tie-in to the game's mercenary pirate economy.

See Also

• Sea Shanties broader shanty system

• Sean Dagher vocalist

• Naval Combat why shanties pause

• NPC Crew the crew that sings