SHANTY: Cup and Cross and Crown
A Christian sea shanty, most suitable for Holy Week.
Here’s a sea shanty that celebrates Christ’s covenant, passion, and throne.
It’s set to the tune of “Oak and Ash and Thorn” — if you want a good sense of the song’s “vibe,” you can listen to The Longest Johns’ recording of “Oak and Ash and Thorn” on YouTube.
Cup and Cross and Crown
Jesus Christ was sacrificed one week in Jerusalem-town.
Sinners were saved when everything changed by Cup and Cross and Crown.
Refrain
Sing Cup and Cross and Crown, good sirs,
Tell it the whole world around.
Surely we’ll sing of no greater thing
Than Cup and Cross and Crown.
The bitter Cup was filled to the top with wine for the Passover feast.
“My blood,” Christ said, “My body, this bread. Take, and drink, and eat.”
But one didn’t stay and left to betray, Judas ran to the temple grounds.
Satan wouldn’t’ve dared if he’d been prepared for Cup and Cross and Crown.
Refrain x2
Hammer and nails and cat o‘ nine tails, the Cross and the thorns on His head,
King of the Jews, for me and for you, He suffered, thirst, and bled.
The Son of God died, a spear pierced His side, and blood and water came down.
To die as a man was part of God’s plan for Cup and Cross and Crown.
Refrain x2
A borrowed tomb, the airless gloom, the Devil thought he had won,
But the stone rolled away, and out of that grave shone the light of the risen Son.
After three days, His body was raised, the Father gave Him the Crown.
The Lord Jesus reigns, all glory and praise for Cup and Cross and Crown!
Refrain x4
Play it on Spotify
Many thanks to Michael E. Owens for the arrangement and setting! You can find more of his Christian sea shanty recordings on Spotify: Shanties Reborn, vol. 1 and Shanties Reborn, vol. 2.
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©2026 Josh Bishop, joshbishopwrites.com
This is excellent! I love Oak and Ash and Thorn.