Glenn Miller - Song of the Volga Boatmen

The "Song of the Volga Boatmen" (Russian: Эй, ухнем!) is a well-known traditional Russian song collected by Mily Balakirev, and published in his book of folk songs in 1866. It is a genuine shanty sung by burlaks, or barge-haulers, on the Volga River.

Balakirev published it with only one verse (the first). The other two verses were added at a later date. The song inspired Ilya Repin's famous painting, Barge Haulers on the Volga, which depicts burlaks in Tsarist Russia.

The song was popularised by Feodor Chaliapin, and has been a favourite concert piece of bass singers ever since. Glenn Miller's jazz arrangement took the song to #1 in the US charts in 1941.