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Folk Song Subject & Master Index

Thesaurus

 
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Results

Subject term Newfoundland and Labrador

Click on the Roud Number to
search for variants of the song
  • Roud No
    V44812 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Sailors / Schools / Families / Pride & praise of place / Homesickness / <Ships>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A Newfoundland sailor sails far and wide around the world, but always thinks of his home in St. John's. He recalls his school days, and thinks longingly of his family. A “wandering son” toasts Newfoundland. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 28-29.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    St. George, Edward
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44813 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Advertising / Merchants / Lawyers / Praise of local men
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song of praise for all the St. John's, Newfoundland, merchants, lawyers and others who are sponsors of the songbook in which the song is published. Each stanza describes, in glowing terms, a specific sponsor's business. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 35-54, 65-67.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44814 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / St John's (Newfoundland) / Fires (disasters) / Hard times / Fishing industries / Agriculture
    Subject date
    1846-06-09 / 9 June 1846 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    Newfoundland is struck by a fire that devastates its capitol, St. John's, and a general failure of the fishery that causes an economic depression. St. John's will rise successfully from the ashes, but the narrator calls on islanders to diversify their economy through agriculture, so that Newfoundland might become self-sufficient. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1912). Old songs of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 3.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    First published in the Morning Post and Shipping Gazette, 1848 (GEST, no date).
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    1848 (GEST, no date).
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'After the fire of '46'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/34/fire.htm
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    6353 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Green Island (Newfoundland) / Rejected suitors / Rivalry / <Boats> / <Guns> / <Watches> / <Beds> / Courtship / Fights / Love / Sexual euphemisms
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Johnny courts his sweetheart, but she rejects him. He boasts of his boat, gun, feather bed, and watch, and asks her to marry him and live with him in Robinhood, Newfoundland. He warns that if Bill Hookey tries to win her, he'll “leave him in his gore.” She rejects him, pointing out his short legs and his inability to stand the cold. She would rather marry a weasel. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1923). Songs their fathers sung, for fishermen: old time ditties. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 5.
    Characters
    Males (Adult) x 1 / Females (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    29060 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Petty Harbour Maddox Cove (Newfoundland) / Ferryland (Newfoundland) / Fishermen / Sea captains / Grandmothers / Cod / Fir trees / Arches / Marching bands / Seal hunting / Whaling / Clothes / Muskets / Boats / Ships / Hearths (domestic) / Bread / Celebrations / Shooting / Bravery / Nostalgia
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A reminiscence of life in Newfoundland in past times: the clothes worn by fishers and sealers, the bravery of the old-time sealing captains and their crews, and the sealing muskets and powder horns. Gone are the Petty Harbour whaleboats and the Ferryland boats, and their skippers. Gone is the ship, Ellen, and its captain, Stephen Kane, carrying a load of codfish. Gone is the open fireplace, where grandmother used to bake bread. Gone are the celebrations in St John's, Newfoundland, when arches were made of fir branches, Bennett's Band played for society marches, and guns were shot off in celebration. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 21A Track 6
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Elderly) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/21A-06_51.htm
  • Roud No
    4518 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Canada / Political movements & parties / Elections / Taxes / Patriotism
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A political song urging Newfoundlanders not to join in confederation with Canada. The Canadians promise to remove sales taxes, but what will Newfoundlanders exchange for that benefit? The narrator urges Newfoundlanders not to give up their independence in return for Canadian gold. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1940). The old time songs and poetry of Newfouindland. 2nd ed. St. John's: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 69.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/69812
  • Roud No
    4554 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Plate Cove (Newfoundland) / Political movements & parties / Elections / Class difference (romantic couples) / Curses / Fighting / Patriotism / Local characters
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song written against Newfoundland joining with Canada in a confederation. On the day of the vote, those for confederation, carrying a flag, are met by those opposed. A fight breaks out, the flag is trampled, and several pro-confederation voters are thrown into a mud pool. Another pro-confederation voter is pelted with mud, until his own mother doesn't know him, and the narrator curses “fair Jenny” for her “pro” stance. The narrator concludes that the “pros” that came to Plate Cove from the city were taught a good lesson, and praises Plate Cove citizens for their love of freedom. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 37, 39.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 8 / Female (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Walker, Mark (Hiscock, 2003, p. 7)
    Date composed
    1869
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Hiscock, P. (2003). 'Ten things to consider about "The Star of Logy Bay"'. Canadian Folk Music 37(2), pp. 7-11. [http://www.canfolkmusic.ca/index.php/cfmb/article/view/274/268 [Accessed 2018-06-9]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    V44817 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / France / England / USA / Calling for help / Protection / Rejected suitors / International relations
    Subject date
    1890
    Synopsis
    The narrator calls on England's aid as the French encroach on Newfoundland territory. He reminds England of the loyalty that Newfoundland has always shown the Mother Country, and asks for protection. Metaphorically portraying France as an unwanted suitor, Newfoundland asks that England use the island's “dowry” to pay off the French, which would be cheaper than stationing a fleet off the shore. The narrator implies that, if England does not help, Newfoundland will ask for aid from America. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 35-36.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44600 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Seal hunting / Ships / Sea captains / Praise of local men / Returning
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song of praise for the captains and crews of the sealing ships, Grand Lake and Virginia Lake, returning to St. John's, Newfoundland, from hunting seals on the northern ice floes. Both ships are heavy-laden with seal pelts and fat. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 21-22.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44831 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Babies / <Local characters> / Competitiveness / <Flirting> / <Promises> / Competitions
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator describes a baby contest held in a park in St. John's, Newfoundland. The babies come in all shapes and sizes, including Mrs. Cushin's two sets of twins. Mrs. Page compliments the babies, and the narrator wishes that she had seen him when he was a baby. Betsy Brennan brings her two babies, but is disgusted when she doesn't win a prize, and vows never to enter her babies in a contest again. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1926). Burke's Christmas songster Xmas 1926. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 15.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    4542 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Badger (Newfoundland) / Woods / Rivers & streams / Loggers / Factory managers / <Newspapers> / Praise of local trades
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator praises the loggers and logging company of Badger, Newfoundland. The chorus mentions the logger's equipment used on log drives. He praises the company manager, Billey Dorothey, as kindhearted and a good boss. Londoners, when they read the Times, never think of the wood cut by the loggers that made the paper possible. The narrator praises the river boss, Ronald Kelley, and wishes success to the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company, and to its managers, Mr. Dorothey and Mr. Cole. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 17.
    Characters
    Males (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Devine, John V.
    Date composed
    1912 (Ashton, 1994)
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Ashton, J., (1994). 'The Badger drive: song, historicity and occupational stereotyping'. Western Folklore 53(3) pp. 211-228.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    18252 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Gloucester (Massachusetts) / Grand Banks of Newfoundland / Bay of Islands (Newfoundland) / Dutch people / Fishermen / Sea captains (fishing) / Ships / Rowing boats / Sea storms / Death at sea / Searching
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A fishing vessel from Gloucester, Massachusetts, sets sail for the Grand Banks off of Newfoundland. At Bay of Islands, Newfoundland, they buy bait from the ship, Peerless, captained by a Dutchman, and sail on to the Banks. There, they lower the dories and begin fishing, but a storm arises, and twelve fishermen disappear when their dories capsise. The captain searches all day, but to no avail. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 15 Track 4
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 14
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/15-04.htm
  • Roud No
    4434 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Fishermen / Boats / Ships / Danger / Sea-going operations
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator describes the perils of open-sea fishing on the Banks of Newfoundland. Every spring, the fishermen sail to the Grand Banks, enduring high seas, winds, and fog. They risk being run down by large ocean liners at night. They look forward to the end of the fishing season and their return to sweethearts and wives. [MET]
    Source
    Peacock, K. (1965). Songs of the Newfoundland outports. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. pp. 108-109.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    National Museums of Canada
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/01/banks2.htm
  • Roud No
    V44822 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Exiles / Pride & praise of place / Homesickness / Nostalgia / <Hunting> / <Angling> / Bay of Islands (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An exile from the Bay of Islands, Newfoundland, praises his home community. He recalls its beauty, and the hunting and fishing in the area. His nostalgic fretting only makes him sadder, as he will never see the Bay of Islands again. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 54-55.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    7289 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Hens / Theft / Curses
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator buys a hen, but it is stolen. The narrator rains down a number of humorous curses on the head of the thief, and vows to search “from Boston to Dover” to recover her hen. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1926). Burke's Christmas songster Xmas 1926. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. [4].
    Characters
    Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Female
    Song history
    Notes

    Another branch of this song (England 1924, pp. 130-131) includes other curses on the thief.

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    England, G. A. (1924). Vikings of the ice. Reprinted 1969 as The greatest hunt in the world. Montreal: Tundra Books.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    12530 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / St Pierre and Miquelon / Oceans & seas / Sailors / Ships / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Cowardice / Leaving / Praise of local men / Rescuing / Enticements / Blessings
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Betsey Mealy is persuaded to go aboard a boat bound for Branch, Newfoundland, but is left stranded at sea. At first, she is reluctant to leave her friends and parents in St. Johns, but her prospective employer claims that he has a fine boat, and that there will be other women aboard to keep her company. She is impressed with the boat and crew, and is soon off to Branch. A storm arises, which sets the boat adrift. When another ship comes to the rescue, the crew rushes aboard the rescue ship and leaves Betsey behind. Betsey accuses the Branch men of cowardice. She drifts for three days before being rescued by a French vessel, whereupon she is taken to St. Pierre (French territory). She calls on God and the angels to protect the “gallant-hearted” Frenchmen. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1912). Old songs of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 5-6.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male / Female
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Quill, John
    Date composed
    1849
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    4435 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Fishermen / Sexual relations / Infidelity / Revenge / Sexual euphemisms
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Through the use of euphemism, the narrator describes the sexual activities of people in a Newfoundland fishing village. Bill has an adulterous liaison with Patience, whose husband, alerted by a neighbour, tears down Bill's fish-drying platform (“flake”). Another couple hears the commotion and proceeds to make love. Liza has a sore throat, while Tom milks a goat. Liza is caught in the wind, which leaves her exposed. All of this activity takes place in the fictional community of “Hiscock Bay.” [MET]
    Source
    Peacock, K. (1965). Songs of the Newfoundland outports. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. pp. 40-42.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3 / Female (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    National Museums of Canada
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/22/wiseman.htm
  • Roud No
    528 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Laws K29
    Subject terms
    At sea setting / Newfoundland and Labrador / England / <Peru> / Sea captains / Pirates / Sailors / Ships / Princess Royal (ship) / Black flags / <Letters> / <Shooting> / <Drinking> / <Cheerfulness> / Sailing / <Showing> / <Fear> / First mates / <Megaphones> / <Top sails> / <Top masts> / <Grog> / <Mizzen masts> / Heaving-to / Pursuing / Success
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A pirate ship overtakes the Princess Royal, which is on her way from England to Newfoundland. The captain ignores a request to heave to, supposedly for the delivery of mail, and safely outraces the pirate ship [Laws 1957, p.155].
    Source
    The Bold Princess Royal [sleeve notes]. In: Bob Hart, 1998. A Broadside [CD]. Stroud: Musical Traditions Records. MTCD301-2, Pp.18-19.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3 / Male (Adult) x 1 +
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Starting with Catnach (1813-1838), 19th century broadside versions were plentiful, as were 20th century oral versions. See Roud and Bishop (2012, pp. 375-376). [PRW]
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Laws, G. M. (1957). American balladry from British broadsides. Philadelphia: American Folklore Society / Roud, S. and Bishop, J., eds. (2012). The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. London: Penguin Classics.
    Indexer
    RAS
    Example text
    URL
  • Roud No
    5206 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland / Railway construction personnel / Fees / Cheats / Company stores / Grocers' shops / <Kettles> / <Sewing> / <Flour> / <Milk> / <Pork> / <Molasses> / Complaining / <Coal mining>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator sees labourers working on a Newfoundland railway line, and asks an old man how the workers like dealing with the railway company. The old man complains that the company charges for everything from boiling a kettle to sewing clothes on their property. The company store sells flour and water as milk, and the pork, molasses, and flour are all of worst quality. The narrator decides to go back to his work as a miner. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 10 Track 13
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Male (Elderly) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Also known as The Shoal Harbour Line, Riverhead Line, and The North Shoreman’s Line

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/10-13_51.htm
  • Roud No
    7290 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Bonavista (Newfoundland) / Building trade personnel / Local characters / Harbours / <Sweethearts> / Proverbs
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A slightly satirical description of the building of a harbour in Bonavista, Newfoundland, which involves the removal of a mountain. Various members of the Canadian construction team are described, as well local people, who have to repair fences that were removed during construction. The narrator invokes the biblical phrase, “faith can move mountains” to describe the work. The driller has a sweetheart, who leaves town, because she doesn't care for “a guy that uses dynamite.” The work is finished, but the narrator expects that continued repairs to the harbour will be needed in subsequent years. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 17-18.
    Characters
    Males (Adult) x 11 / Females (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Little, Stewart (Guigné 2016 p.68)
    Date composed
    1944 (Guigné 2016 p..68)
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Guigné, A. K. (2016). The forgotten songs of the Newfoundland outports: as taken from Kenneth Peacock's Newfoundland field collection 1951-1961. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://books.google.ca/books?id=7WM-DwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcove...
  • Roud No
    V44820 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Retailing / Advertisements / Clothes / Shoes
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An advertising song for Bowring's Store in St. John's, Newfoundland, where customers can buy clothing, shoes, and household items. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1923). Songs their fathers sung, for fishermen: old time ditties. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. [19].
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44824 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Children / Theft / Pork / Regret / Pain / Poisoning / Boat racing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A boy attending the annual St. John's, Newfoundland, boat race, sees a tent selling spirits. The tent's owner, Jane Kenny, sets out a plate of pig's feet, and the boy steals one. He is found later writhing in pain, regretting his theft, and soon dies. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 73-74.
    Characters
    Male (Child) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    29053 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Branch (Newfoundland) / Young women / Fishermen / Pride & praise of place / Enticement / Work / Ships / Ships' passengers / Sea storms / Warning
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A young woman meets a fisherman from Branch, Newfoundland, who praises his hometown and persuades her to take a job there. The fisherman says that he has a fine boat and already two other women passengers. The woman views his boat and crew and thinks everything is fine. They set sail, and are blown off course to such an extent that she never does reach Branch. She warns others that if they ever meet this fisherman, they should throw him overboard. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 15 Track 3
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Female
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/15-03_51.htm
  • Roud No
    V44577 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Fruit picking / Money / <Flour> / Parents / Advertisements / Retailers / Whisky / Films (motion pictures) / Bilberries
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator urges all in St. John's, Newfoundland, to go into the countryside to pick blueberries. Job's Store is buying all that it can get, and is offering a hundred dollar prize for the best blueberries. The money can be used to take Sophia to the movies, or to buy some scotch whiskey for father and mother. The song also advertises flour on sale at another store. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 12.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    29052 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Sea captains / Praise of local men / Ships / Seal hunting / Hunt suppers / Table manners / Good fortune
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song of praise for Newfoundland seal-hunters. The narrator invites the crew to a hearty meal of seal meat, and never mind the table manners. The narrator praises the sealing ship, Ranger, and its captain, Henry Dawe, and wishes the sealers good luck. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 2 Track 2
    Characters
    <Male (Adult) x 1>
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/2-2_51.htm
  • Roud No
    18197 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Burnt Islands (Newfoundland) / Port aux Basques (Newfoundland) / Cape Ray (Newfoundland) / Sea captains / Sailors / Ships / Complaining / Reefing sails
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A ship picks up some crew members in Burnt Islands, Newfoundland. After leaving, the crew begins to complain. At Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, the ship takes on more crew members. The ship then goes to Cape Ray, Newfoundland, but does not stay long. The captain orders the crew, including the night watch, to haul down the foresail and reef the jib. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 17 Track 12
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/17-12.htm
  • Roud No
    V44808 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Cabot, John, -1498? / Discoveries (geographical) / Pride & praise of place
    Subject date
    1497
    Synopsis
    A song in praise of Newfoundland and its discovery by John Cabot in 1497. The narrator describes the first gaze of Cabot's crew upon the wonders of the island, and that over the centuries, Newfoundland has remained as beautiful as ever. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 10-12.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    12532 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Sea captains / Ships / Seal hunting / Punishments / Abandonment
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A humorous song about Captain Ryan leaving a recalcitrant seal hunter, Terry, on the ice. Aboard the ship Esquimaux, Terry “thought to do the devil and all.” The ships, Mary Joyce and Osprey become stuck in the ice, and Terry is left behind to look after himself. While Terry is part of the Esquimaux crew, another sealer named Dawe is with the ship, Lion. The ships, Wolf, Lion and Panther make good time returning from the ice, but Terry is left behind by Captain Ryan. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 65.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    29051 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Gibraltar / Sailors / Sea captains / <Sweethearts> / <Wives> / Ships / Sea storms / <Shipwrecks> / Sea-going operations / Pumping ship / Reefing sails / Ships' wheels / Compasses / Hunger / Complaining / Food / Bread / Pity / Prayer / Grief / Names
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Captain Larkins orders his ship out of St John’s, Newfoundland. While at sea, a storm hits the ship, taking away its roundhouse and wheel. The crew reef the sails, pump water, and secure the helm. After repairs are finished, another storm hits the ship. The ship is swamped, the wheel is broken once again, and the compass is smashed, among other damage. But the crew makes repairs, and the ship safely passes Gibraltar. Throughout the voyage, the crew is given very little to eat, but they do not complain until starvation forces them to claim their rightful rations. The captain gives the crew one pound of bread a day, each, which is far from a legal ration. The chief officer pities the crew for the way Captain Larkins treats them. The crew resolves not to complain any further. For want of education, the sailors are forced to go to sea, leaving wives and sweethearts to mourn. The narrator prays that God grant them safe return. The narrator, who is the composer of the song, gives cryptic alphabetical clues to his name. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 10 Track 3
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3 / <Male (Adult) x many>
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Loss of Andrew Sheehan (Roud 4420)
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/10-03_51.htm
  • Roud No
    29062 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Sea captains (fishing) / Fishermen / Loggers / Chefs / Capelin / Cod / Rowing boats / Quays / Bunkhouses / Attraction / Hunger / Work / Bailing (boats) / Caulking / Peat cutting / Songwriting
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song about the various jobs that need to be done by a Newfoundland fishing crew. Captain Power orders his crew to shovel peat from a peat bog. The captain then asks Jim Bulger to caulk a boat. The narrator and several other crew members accompany the carpenter, Bill Bone, in a dory to cut some wood to build a wharf. The dory must be bailed the entire trip. They work all day without any food. Ellen Ryan, the cook, is attracted to Jim Butler. The next task is to gather the capelin (a small fish) that gather in schools at the shore. The crew then goes cod fishing, but catches only a few. Finally the crew can rest in the bunkhouse, and bid Captain Power adieu. The narrator names himself as the composer of the song. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 19A Track 6
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 5 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/19A-6_51.htm
  • Roud No
    6349 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Labrador / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Rescuing / Heroes / <Beaches>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    While on a beach on the coast of Labrador, during a raging storm, Captain William Jackman hears the shouts of sailors and sees a ship wrecked on a reef off-shore. He swims to the wreck and takes one sailor back to shore. Then he ties a rope to himself and swims back to the ship and secures the rope, so that he can rescue another sixteen men, one at a time. Standing exhausted on the beach, he is told that there is a woman still on board, but the townspeople, now gathered on the beach, warn him not to chance another swim to the ship. He ignores their advice, swims to the ship, and saves the woman. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 44-49.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/34/hero.htm
  • Roud No
    7291 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Ships / Sea captains / Seal hunting / Praise of local trades
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A listing of the ships, their owners, and captains, setting sail from St. John's, Newfoundland, on the annual seal hunt. [MET]
    Source
    Peacock, K. (1965). Songs of the Newfoundland outports. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. pp. 865-866.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/10/captains.htm
  • Roud No
    18200 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Channel (Newfoundland) / Port aux Basques (Newfoundland) / Sea captains / Sons / Ships' passengers / Sailors / Townspeople / Second World War (1939-1945) / Sea & ocean accidents / Ferries (ships) / Lifeboats (shipboard) / Rafts / Torpedoes / Sinking a ship (sea battles) / Death at sea / Funerals / Grief / Prayer
    Subject date
    1942-10-14 / 14 Oct 1942
    Synopsis
    The ferry, Caribou, is torpedoed off the coast of Newfoundland. The passengers struggle to swim, and board lifeboats or rafts. The townspeople of Channel, Newfoundland (the home port of the Caribou), grieve for their loved ones. The bodies of the captain and his two sons are among those brought back to Channel, and there is a large funeral for all the victims. The narrator prays for God to have mercy on their souls. Many of the doomed crew are from Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 17A Track 5
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/17A-05.htm
  • Roud No
    V44578 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Local characters / Assault / Insults / Census taking
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Casey is charged with taking the census, and goes to the houses of various local characters in St. John's, Newfoundland. He is not received kindly, and people throw cups and tomahawks at him. When he asks if all family members are of sound mind, he is told that he is worse than any of them. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1926). Burke's Christmas songster Xmas 1926. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 4-5.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 10 / Female (Adult) x 9
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    6343 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Ships / Fishermen / Seal hunting / Berries
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    In a humorous account, the crew of the Neta C. from Change Islands, Newfoundland, leave from home in hopes of catching fish, seals, or collecting berries. On the trip, they talk about what they will catch and the money they will make. Stopping at various places along the coast, however, they never manage to catch any fish or seals. They finally arrive at a cove where they collect three cases of berries, but all are spoiled in an attempt to can them. The song ends with the naming of the boat and her crew. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 250-251.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 5
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    The song was composed by members of the crew.

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/34/change.htm
  • Roud No
    26194 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    At sea setting / Sailors / Young women / <Sea captains> / Ships / Unrequited love / Sexual relations / Curses / Taunting / Salmon Cove (Newfoundland) / Smokey Run (Labrador)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A young man recounts his first sailing voyage from Salmon Cove, Newfoundland, to the coast of Labrador aboard the ship, Sebastian. Besides Captain Dennis Flynn, the ship's crew comprises eight sailors and there are several young women on board as passengers. The young man is attracted to one woman, Katie Flynn, although he claims he does not love her, but is only interested in 'a lark.' Another sailor, however, makes love to Katie, and the young man curses him, and Katie, who is so loose with her virtue. The other women taunt the young man for putting his faith in any young woman going to Labrador. The ship docks in Smokey Run, Labrador, where the young women disembark. He wishes the women well. [MET]
    Source
    Ryan, M. P., ed. (1957). Ryan's favorites: old songs of Newfoundland. Colliers, Newfoundland: M. P. Ryan. pp. 33-34.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / <Male (Adult) x 7> / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/1...
  • Roud No
    18203 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Church Cove (Newfoundland) / Burin (Newfoundland) / Cape Broyle (Newfoundland) / Kidd, William, -1701 / <Africans> / <Dogs> / Buried treasure / <Pickaxes> / <Shovels> / Ghosts / Digging / <Beards>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A humorous song about the pirate, Captain Kidd, burying his treasure at Church Cove, Newfoundland. Many have become crazy digging for the treasure. Some see the ghost of a black man guarding the treasure. A crew from Burin, Newfoundland, digs up the treasure, which proves so heavy, that they become humpbacked when trying to carry it. The spot where the treasure is buried is so scary that a dog turns inside out, and the white beard of a man from Cape Broyle, Newfoundland, turns red. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 6A Tracks 6 and 8
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/6A-06.htm
  • Roud No
    18204 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Heaven / Hell / Coaker, W. F. (William Ford), 1871-1938 / Damned souls / Peter, the Apostle, Saint / Satan / Passwords / Elections / Defeat / Punishments / Ovens / Dreams
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator dreams that Newfoundland union organizer, William Ford Coaker, has died and gone to heaven. St. Peter asks Coaker for his password, which he doesn’t have, so St. Peter throws him out of heaven. The Devil takes Coaker to hell, where Coaker says that he served the Devil on earth and he would like to serve him in hell. The Devil puts Coaker in charge of hell, while he is away, and Coaker proceeds to hold an election among the damned to see who should rule. Coaker loses to the Devil, and when the Devil returns, he asks the damned what should be done with Coaker. The damned shout that he should be thrown in the furnace, but the narrator wakes up before that can happen. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 17 Track 2
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/17-2_51.htm
  • Roud No
    6345 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Sea captains / Sailors / Ships / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Seal hunting / Sea-going operations / <Toasting (with drink)>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The sealing ship, Daniel O'Connell, leaves Tilton Harbour, Newfoundland, and is almost lost in a storm. The storm breaks their tow line, and Captain William Burke orders the crew to let go of the topsail halyards, which frees the ship from the ice. The next morning, the crew discovers that their topmast is overboard, causing the ship to drift for two days in rough seas. Fearing that they will not survive, the crew rigs some jury masts and clears the wreckage on the ship. After a few more days, they spot land. They thank Providence and, now on dry land, drink to one another. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 15.
    Characters
    Males (Adults) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    1833
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    7592 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Bonne Esperance / Loggers / Fishermen / Sweethearts / Suitors / Rejected suitors / Unemployment / <Clothes> / Printed media / Insults
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    With no work in Newfoundland, the narrator and other Newfoundlanders sail to Bonne Esperance, Quebec, for work. First they collect wood and bark, and then they fish for cod. The men come from all over Newfoundland, and dress in their finest on Sunday to meet their sweethearts. The narrator mentions the names and home towns of several of the men and women, including John Penney, who when spurned by Lucy Heffers, takes up with Lizzie Seaward. The narrator concludes by planning to print his song when he returns to St. John's, and disparaging Newfoundland women, who “can't mend their own clothes.” (MET)
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 59.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4 / Female (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    7575 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Ships / Cooks (domestic) / Sea captains / <Sons> / Seal hunting / Complaints / Food / Torbay (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator signs aboard the ship, Ellen, to hunt seals. The captain complains that the cook has not prepared more than two meals, and the cook refuses to cook again because of the insufficiency of the galley. The cook's son tends to the crew. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. p. 303.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Male (Child) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://books.google.ca/books?id=eyc7bW84kPYC&pg=PT132&lpg=PT132...
  • Roud No
    V44791 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Young women / Insults / Prejudice / Curses / Beauty
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator calls down curses upon a man who refers to a Newfoundland young woman, the narrator's sweetheart, as a “copper coloured native.” The young woman is described as a great beauty, a paragon of Newfoundland womanhood. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1912). Old songs of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 3.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    First published in the Carbonear Sentinel and Conception Bay Advertiser, 10 July 1840
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    1840-07-10 / 10 July 1840
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    6344 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Fishermen / Sea captains / Industrial disputes / Shipwrecks / Ice floes / <Liver (meat)> / Cod liver oil
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Seven sharemen (fishermen taking a share of the catch) ship out on the fishing schooner, Morris, bound for the Straits of Belle Isle, Newfoundland. They are stuck in the ice for eight days, and the captain decides not to share the cod livers from their expected catch with the sharemen. The captain mishandles the ship and its main mast breaks, forcing the ship to head for shore for repairs. When they reach the fishing grounds, the dispute over the cod livers (valuable for their oil) continues, and the sharemen tell the captain that they will not unload the livers when they reach their home port. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 240-243.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 8
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Mitchell, John Campbell (GEST, no date).
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'A crowd of bold sharemen'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/15/crowd.htm [Accessed 12 November 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/15/crowd.htm
  • Roud No
    18205 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / <Canada> / <USA> / Elderly women / Widows / Husbands / <Military personnel> / Marriage difficulties / <Cosmetics> / <Cigarettes> / <Clothes> / Alcoholic drinks / <Sports & games> / <Aeroplanes> / <Tractors> / <Submarines> / Searching / Inability to find a partner / Yearning / <Burials>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    In a humorous song, a woman laments that she cannot find a man. She likes the military men, but they ignore her. She doesn’t wear make-up, smoke cigarettes, or wear suggestive clothing. She only drinks homemade brew, and she doesn’t like sports. She’ll take a man of any size, from Canada, the United States, or Newfoundland. He can drive an aeroplane, tractor, or submarine. She is six feet four inches tall. She had money in the bank and a house of her own. The first night they are married, her husband will get a bottle of screech (Newfoundland rum). She has buried four previous husbands, and she is only sixty-two. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 10 Track 1
    Characters
    Female (Elderly) x 1
    Song voice
    Female
    Song history
    Published earlier as a broadside by John Jones, St John’s, Newfoundland, 1944. (GEST, no date)
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Darn the man that I can get'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online] Available at: http://gestsongs.com/11/darntheman.htm [Accessed 2019-05-17]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/10-01.htm
  • Roud No
    V44792 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Renews-Cappahayden (Newfoundland) / Sailors / Mothers / Germans / Accidental death / Burials / Grief / Loss at sea (person) / Corpses / <Tattoos>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A dead body, unrecognisable, washes up on the shore at Renews, Newfoundland. The narrator wonders where the man is from and what language he spoke. By a tattoo on his chest, the narrator thinks that the body might be German. The narrator imagines the loved ones awaiting the sailor's return, and a mother saying a prayer for her missing son. The body is buried in a canvas sheet. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 16-18.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Devine, M. A.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44579 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Labrador / Buying / Selling / Poverty / Working dogs / Underwear / Winter / Political representatives / Local characters / Nostalgia / Fishing / Grady Harbour (Newfoundland) / Chaplin, Charlie, 1889-1977 / Rumours
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Bride Kinsella says that she heard that, because Newfoundland is broke, Labrador has been sold to a Canadian for thirty cents. One rumour is that the buyer is Charlie Chaplin. The buyer says that he will need some heavy underwear to brave the winters in Labrador. He loves Labrador, and pities the hard life of the huskies. Bride recalls with nostalgia her childhood in Grady Harbour, fishing for cod. She wants to know who is responsible for selling Labrador, and suspects four politicians. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 21.
    Characters
    Male(Adult) x 5 / Female (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Female
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    26368 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Pride & praise of place / Nostalgia / <Travel> / Ferryland (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    In a fit of nostalgia, the narrator praises his home community of Ferryland, Newfoundland. He recalls his childhood there and the beauty of the land. He has travelled to many places, but none can compare with Ferryland. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 23-24.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Green, Thomas
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44601 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Fathers / Sons / Seal hunting / Ice floes / Rescuing / Accidental death / Praise of local men / Flatrock (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    1894-03-24 / 24 March 1894
    Synopsis
    Richard Parsons, of Flat Rock, Newfoundland, and his two sons walk out on the shore ice to hunt seals. The wind shifts and the ice floe moves away from the land. With other sealers, Parsons and his son race for shore, but his son begins to falter from the cold. Parsons takes off his clothing to wrap his son against the cold, and carries him back to shore. There, he learns that his younger son, whom he thought safe on shore, has perished on the ice. The father's love and sacrifice will be rewarded by God. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 13-14.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Male (Child) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Dyer, P. J.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    26306 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / First World War (1914-1918) / Soldiers / Potatoes / Seduction / Miserliness / Insults / Newfoundlanders / Nova Scotians / Tobacco / William II, German Emperor, 1859-1941
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An insult song aimed at Newfoundlanders by soldiers from Nova Scotia, who are shipping out to fight in the First World War. Two Newfoundland women search for “a beau” among those aboard American liners. The men from Sydney and Louisburg, Nova Scotia, will beat the Kaiser when they get to Flanders. The Newfoundlanders grow small potatoes and eat them “skins and all.” They chew tobacco in a sloppy manner, and are stingy about sharing a chew with the Nova Scotians. [MET]
    Source
    Dirty Newfoundlanders, The (1927?). [manuscript]. Held at: St. John's, Newfoundland: Memorial University Libraries. Centre for Newfoundland Studies. M 1678 G4 c.2
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Doyle, G. S., 1927. The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland: songs of folklore, humor, tragedy and history from the days of our forefathers. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    7293 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Bonavista (Newfoundland) / County Wexford / Sailors / Sea captains / Native Americans / Historical persons / Irish people / Turks / Ships / <Canoes> / Sea-going operations / Discoveries (geographical) / Narratives
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A humorous account of the discovery of Newfoundland by the Irish ancestors of Pat O'Dady. The narrator describes a peaceful evening in 'Cabot Landfall' (St. John's, Newfoundland), noting the Centennial Memorial, whistling plovers, and steamers entering and leaving the harbour; and Judge Prowse (a Newfoundland historian) thinking about the St. John's radio signaling station. That same evening, Pat O'Dady complains that history is wrong, that his ancestor sailed on the Matty out of Wexford, Ireland. The crew were Irish, except for O'Rourke, who was a Turk, and who was punished by Captain 'Boney-fist' (Bonavista) for some infractions. In June, the crew spot land and some Beothics (Newfoundland aboriginals) in a canoe. The sailors shout a Gaelic greeting to them. They call this land Cape Boney-fist (Cape Bonavista). O'Dady complains that his ancestors have been erased from history and John Cabot has taken all the credit. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 41.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 5
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    26314 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Labrador / Fishermen / Merchants / Civil servants / Customs officers / Letters / Taxes / Unemployment benefits / <Foxes> / <Cows> / <Dogs> / Poverty / Theft / Hunger / Complaints
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song of complaint about the poor way that fishermen are treated by the merchants and government officials. The officials refuse to help, and the merchants steal the fisherman’s money. The fishermen ask the welfare commissioner for white flour, but the answer is no. They write to Commissioner Sir John Hope Simpson, stating the poor conditions and hunger of the people on the Labrador coast. If they catch a fox, the customs officials think they must have grown the fox from seed. If they are given enough welfare money for tea and toast, the government will tax their cows to get the money back. The government taxes people’s dogs to buy polish for the buttons of the Newfoundland Rangers. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 2 Track 4
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/2-4_51.htm
  • Roud No
    7294 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Fathers / Daughters / Suitors / Parental opposition (to courtship or marriage) / <Houses> / Familial approval (of courtship or marriage)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A father angrily confronts his daughter's suitor, claiming that they will never wed. The father has in mind a merchant from Bonavista, Newfoundland, for his daughter. The suitor claims he will wed Eliza, whether her father approves or not, and will build her a fine house away from her home community. The father relents, saying that the suitor is the bravest fellow around, and that he won't have to leave the community after he weds his daughter. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 21.
    Characters
    Males (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Walker, Mark (?) (GEST, no date).
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Down by Jim Long's stage'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/06/stage.htm [Accessed 14 November 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/06/stage.htm
  • Roud No
    4428 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    France / St John's (Newfoundland) / First World War (1914-1918) / Battles / <Battle of Vimy Ridge (1917)> / Soldiers / Nurses / Mothers / Sweethearts / Letters / <Bibles> / <Photographs> / <Bridges> / Engagement to marry / Parental opposition (to courtship or marriage) / Patriotism / Nostalgia / Homesickness / Love / Death in battle
    Subject date
    1914-1918
    Synopsis
    A Red Cross nurse stands beside a dying Newfoundland soldier on a First World War battlefield in France. He requests that she send a letter to his mother telling of his love for her, and how he clasped her photograph during the battle of Vimy Ridge. He also requests that the nurse return the Bible that his mother gave to him. He asks that she convey his patriotic love for Newfoundland and his fond memories of growing up in St. John's. He finally asks that the nurse convey his love to his sweetheart, remembering the bridge over the Rennie's Mill River in St. John's where he proposed marriage. He then dies. [MET]
    Source
    Bugden, R., ed. (1918). 100 local poems. [St. John's, Newfoundland]: Richard Bugden? p. 31.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    At least one variant (Leach (2004, NFLD 1 Tape 7 Track 4 ) adds that the father of the soldier's sweetheart does not approve of their engagement. For further notation on this song, see Guigné (2016, p. 116).

    Comparative songs
    Bingen on the Rhine (Roud 3517)
    Author / Composer
    Murphy, James
    Date composed
    c. 1918
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Guigné, A. K. (2016). The forgotten songs of the Newfoundland outports: as taken from Kenneth Peacock's Newfoundland field collection 1951-1961. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press. / Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the Songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. Available at: http://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/7-04.htm [Accessed 16 June 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/160006
  • Roud No
    30149 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Greenland / Baffin Bay / Arctic Ocean / Fishermen / Sea captains (fishing) / Ships / <Polar bears> / <Walruses> / Whaling / Ice floes / Icebergs / Homecoming / Praise of local men / Blessings
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The Newfoundland ship, Eagle, has returned from the ice floes and iceberg-filled waters off of Greenland. The narrator praises the crew and captain, and welcomes their return from their voyage to the north, where they hunted bears, walrus, and whales. He prays that God will protect them on their voyages. He wishes all the crew a safe return to their parents, wives and sweethearts. He wishes the crew health and wealth on their forthcoming trip to Baffin Bay. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 2 Track 3
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/2-3_51.htm
  • Roud No
    V44798 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Elections / Political representatives / Praise of local men / Deception / Trinity (Newfoundland) / Political corruption
    Subject date
    1848
    Synopsis
    The narrator celebrates the victory of Mr. Job over Mr. Brooking in the 1848 elections in Trinity, Newfoundland. Job is praised as a saviour of the people of the fishing ports, while Brooking represents deception, treachery, political corruption, and special interests. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1912). Old songs of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 7.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    7295 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Fishing industries / Road building / Tunnels / Nostalgia / Praise of local women / <Street musicians> / Smallwood, Joseph R., 1900-1991 / Social change / Parades
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A nostalgic and patriotic anthem to Newfoundland and Labrador. Those who have left the province are drawn back by its history and fishing traditions. The narrator imagines a conversation in which a returnee asks a local about changes in the outport, and learns about new music, new construction, and a new road that brings car and truck traffic. The narrator recalls the women cleaning fish and digging potatoes, the Orangemen's parade in Kelligrews, and the marching band. The premier, Joey Smallwood, promises a tunnel from Newfoundland to Labrador. The fundamentals of the province, however, have not changed. (MET)
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1966). Old-time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. 4th ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 13.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    McGrath, J. W.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
  • Roud No
    V44875 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Pride & praise of place / Bridges / Lakes / Sunset
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator praises the scene on Quidi Vidi Bridge in St. John's, Newfoundland, at sunset. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 89.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    McGrath, James J.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44833 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Exile / Christmas / Homesickness / Families / Prayer
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An exiled Newfoundlander yearns to be home at Christmas. He thinks of past celebrations with his family, and cries as thoughts of home surround him in his lonely room in a foreign land. He asks the wind and seas to send a Christmas greeting to Newfoundland, and prays to Dame Fortune to send him home. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 33-34
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V45451 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Exile / Leaving home / Friendship / <Schools> / Nostalgia
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The Newfoundlander in exile thinks nostalgically of his homeland, his childhood days and school days. He recalls leaving behind friends as his ship sailed away from Newfoundland, and his last look at the receding land. He works all day in a foreign land, but thinks constantly of his homeland. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 68-70.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44834 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Exile / Homecoming / Pride & praise of place / Nostalgia / <Letters> / Friendship / Hunting / Fishing / Football (soccer) / Graves / Hockey
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator receives a letter from his friend, an exiled St. John's man, who writes that he will be returning to the island. He has become wealthy abroad, but longs for his homeland. He recalls the places of his boyhood, where they fished and hunted. Although he knows that St. John's now has professional football and hockey teams, he is nostalgic for the rough and ready games of his youth. He asks that, before he arrives home, his friend plant a flower on the grave of a loved one. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 38-40.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Nichols, James H.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    4418 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Labrador / Seashores / Sweethearts / Fighting / Rivalry / Warnings / Love / Jealousy / Social standing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator spies his sweetheart being embraced by a rival, whom he challenges to a fight on the bawn (rocks or a beach where fish is dried). The narrator asks his rival whether he is from Bonavista, a fair-sized community, or from "the Bay," meaning a small fishing village. His rival replies that he is from "T of C" (Tickle Cove) where the seas are rough enough to level a house. They fight, and the narrator is badly beaten. The narrator warns that a bay man is tougher than he appears. He names his sweetheart and where both she and he are from, and curses the bay man. He warns all against courting, as it leads to jealousy, envy, and a good beating. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 10-11.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    The writer of the song is believed to be Mark Walker (Hiscock, 2003, p. 7).

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Walker, Mark
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44778 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Army officers / Saying goodbye / Praise of local men / Battle of Waterloo (1815) / Battle of La Corunna (1809) / Law, Robert, 1788-1880
    Subject date
    1859
    Synopsis
    A song of praise and farewell for Colonel Robert Law, commandant of the garrison in St. John's, Newfoundland, upon his return to England in 1859. Law is a veteran of the Battle of Corunna, as well as the Battle of Waterloo. The narrator wishes him good fortune and a long life. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1912). Old songs of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 8.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    7296 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Wells / Priests / Loggers / Discoveries (geographical) / Road building / Curses / Salmonier (Newfoundland) / Sacred wells / Commercial exploitation
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator tells the history of Father Duffy's Well, a spring well-known to anglers in Salmonier, Newfoundland. Father Duffy discovers the spring, and blesses it as holy ground. When the path to the well is widened to a road, an axeman spares the sacred site. Others keep the sacred place clean and adorned. The narrator invokes a curse on anyone who would commercialise the site. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1966). Old-time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. 4th ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 88.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Devine, P. K.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/06/well.htm
  • Roud No
    12534 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Hauling Point (Newfoundland) / Lakes / Lake accidents / <Fishermen> / Fathers / Sons / Boats / Accidental death / Praise of local men / Rescuing / Prayer
    Subject date
    1896-11-09 / 9 Nov 1896
    Synopsis
    A father and his son are left in a the middle of a deep lake after their boat sinks, and the father struggles to swim to shore holding his son. As he grows weaker, he prays for enough strength to reach shore, and when his feet touch the lake bottom, he heaves his son forward to safety. The effort, however kills him. The narrator praises the “simple fisherman” for his brave deed. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 6-7.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Male (Child) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Dyer, P. J,
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    4427 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Bonavista (Newfoundland) / Cat Harbour (Newfoundland) / Fortune (Newfoundland) / <St Pierre and Miquelon> / Sweethearts / Fishermen / Fathers / Alcoholic drinks / Illegitimacy / Sexual relations / Sexual euphemisms / <Churches> / Dancing / Anger
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The song begins by stating that there are lots of fish in Bonavista Harbour, which may be a euphemism for lots of eligible girls in the outport, but then goes on to describe Sally from Cat Harbour. She drinks with the local boys, and goes to church for the sole purpose of seeing the Feller from Fortune (a town in Newfoundland) who is visiting the harbour. She is made pregnant by the visitor, and the baby is accepted by her father because of his regard for the Feller from Fortune. Uncle George, however, is so angry that he rips his only pair of trousers. The chorus includes “swing-your-partner”-type instructions, which make the song fitting for square dances. [MET]
    Source
    Peacock, K. (1965). Songs of the Newfoundland outports. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. pp. 53-54.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4 / Female (Adult) x 1 / Unspecified (Child) x 1
    Song voice
    unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    The song is also known as Lots of Fish in Bonavist' Harbour

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/01/lotsofish.htm
  • Roud No
    V44781 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Ferryland (Newfoundland) / Sea storms / Lighthouse keepers / Young men / Sailors / Danes (people) / Shipwrecks / Accidental death / Cliffs / Rescuing / Burials / Bravery / Praise of local men
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A Danish ship founders on the rocks outside of Ferryland, Newfoundland, harbour. A lighthouse keeper alerts the town, and four young men risk their lives lowering themselves on ropes down the sea cliffs to retrieve the bodies of the Danish sailors. The sailors are buried in Ferryland, and the narrator praises the bravery of the four young men. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 9-11.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44602 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Seal hunting / Ships / Sea captains / Praise of local men / Returning
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song of praise for the captains and crews of the sealing ships, Aurora and Walrus, returning to St. John's, Newfoundland, from hunting seals on the northern ice floes. Both ships are heavy-laden with seal pelts. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 23-24.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44581 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Sea captains / Seal hunting / Ice floes / Ships / Homecoming / Praise of local men
    Subject date
    1912
    Synopsis
    The first arrival in St. John's, Newfoundland, from the 1912 seal fishery is the ship, Fogota. The ship catches seals at various locations on the northern ice floe, and returns to St. John's when the captain decides that the ship can carry no more seal pelts. Crowds greet the ship as it sails into the harbour, and the narrator praises the captain and crew for their success. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 20-21.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    18208 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Glen Cove (Newfoundland) / Renews-Cappahayden (Newfoundland) / Fishermen / Sea captains (fishing) / Ships' pilots / Ships / Sea storms / Anchors (boats & ships) / Reefing sails / Coastlines / Shipwrecks / Foundering / Safety
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A fisherman from Renews, Newfoundland, recounts a fishing trip. The crew drop anchor and begin to fish, when a storm arises. The captain orders the crew to reef sails. But despite their efforts, the ship begins to founder. The captain recalls that he sighted Glen Cove yesterday, and they head there. The foreshipman steers the ship through the breakers, which wrecks the ship, but all are saved, thanks to the proximity of Glen Cove. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 11A Track 2
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/11A-02.htm
  • Roud No
    V44603 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Sons / Sweethearts / Ships / Seal hunting
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A fisherman's son boards a sealing ship to hunt seals on the ice. The hunt is successful and the ship heads for its home port of St. John's, Newfoundland. The sealers look forward to seeing their sweethearts. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 18-19.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V45486 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Labrador / Fishermen / Families / Ships / Saying goodbye / Sea storms / Prayer / Poverty / Homecoming
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The fisherman bids a fond and tearful farewell to his wife and children as he boards a ship for another season on the dangerous seas off of Labrador. All the fishermen must leave behind their sweethearts and families to brave the storms at sea. As summer nears its end, and the fishing has been successful, the fisherman thanks God for keeping him from poverty for another year. When the ship reaches its home port, the fisherman has a joyous homecoming with his family. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1923). Songs their fathers sung, for fishermen: old time ditties. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 16-17.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Hunt, Charles Edward (1885-1954) (GEST, no date).
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'The fisherman'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/34/fisherman.htm [Accessed 8 January 2019]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    26392 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Patriotism / Flags
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A patriotic anthem to the flag of Newfoundland and Labrador. The narrator outlines the significance of the flag's colours, and proclaims that the flag will fly, no matter what the circumstances. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 5-6.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Howley, Archibishop
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    18209 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Flatrock (Newfoundland) / Landscape / Childhood / Friends / Sweethearts / Elderly people / Churches / Shops / Bridges / Parties (celebrations) / Dancing / Pride & praise of place / Toasting (with drink) / Nostalgia / Exile
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator nostalgically recalls his childhood memories of Flatrock, Newfoundland. He recalls the landscape, church, and general store; the garden parties and his friends; the older generation, who spent their entire lives in Flatrock; the village dances, held on the bridge. He recalls the bridge, where he held hands with his sweetheart. He acknowledges all those who left their homes to find fortune in America, but whose hearts remain in Flatrock. He wonders why he left, and toasts the people of Flatrock, and hopes he will live long enough to see his hometown again. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 3A Track 4
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Dodd, Jack
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/3A-4.htm
  • Roud No
    1821 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Laws D23
    Subject terms
    <Quebec City> / Brothers / Ships / Sea captains / Rowing boats / Sea storms / Sea & ocean accidents / Rescuing / Praise of local men / Prayer / Torbay (Newfoundland) / <Hospitals>
    Subject date
    1888-04 / April 1888 (Anon., 2002)
    Synopsis
    Two fishermen adrift in a dory suffer from exposure for six days before being rescued unconscious by a coal ship, the Jessie Maurice. The captain nurses them faithfully and takes them to a hospital in Quebec. [Laws 1964, p.172]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 14-16.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Also known as Fishermen of Newfoundland; or, the good ship Jubilee (Greenleaf and Mansfield 1933, pp. 285-287).

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (Anon., 2002)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Laws, G. M. (1964). Native American balladry. Revised edition. Philadelphia: American Folklore Society / Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    18210 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Scotland / <England> / Loggers / Fishermen / Sea captains / Ships' passengers / Young women / <Wives> / <Sweethearts> / <Friends> / <Germans> / Ocean liners / Second World War (1939-1945) / Voluntary enlistment / Leaving home / Farewells / Railway stations / Dancing / <Lunches> / <Tea> / Homesickness / Songwriting
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    During the Second World War, Newfoundlanders are enlisted to go overseas to cut wood. They leave from Bay Bulls, Newfoundland, on a passenger liner bound for England, and all the passengers cheer them and note the communities that they come from. A young fisherman from Fermuse, Newfoundland, bids his friends adieu. Captain Taylor from St John’s, Newfoundland, also comes aboard. Then more loggers from the northern bays and Torbay board. The loggers are cheered on with thoughts of cutting trees in Scotland. As they approach their destination, they keep an eye out for Germans, and land safely, dancing on the beach. At the train station, young women give them lunch and tea, and generally look after them. After six months, they are ready to go home to their wives and sweethearts. The composers of the song identify themselves as coming from Cape Broyle, Newfoundland. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 9 Track 2
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Carew, James / Carew, Pat
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/9-02.htm
  • Roud No
    V44785 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Tilt Cove (Newfoundland) / Swansea / Philadelphia / Ships / Sailors / Sea storms / Foundering / Shipwrecks / Rescuing / Telling tales
    Subject date
    1875-09-25 / 25 September 1875 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    The Jura, on route from Tilt Cove, Newfoundland, to Swansea with a crew of ten Newfoundlanders and loaded with lead and copper ore, founders in a storm at sea. By manning pumps, throwing copper ore overboard, and cutting away the rigging after the topsail comes crashing down, the ship stays afloat long enough for the crew to be rescued by the ship, Albatross. They are taken to Philadelphia. When the narrator gets back to Newfoundland, he will tell tales of rough seas, but will go to sea no more. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 12.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 10
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Foundered at sea'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/34/foundered.htm [Accessed 25 December 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    26417 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St Mary's Bay (Newfoundland) / St John's (Newfoundland) / Members of Parliament / Local characters / Police officers / Civil servants / Unemployment / Poor relief / Clothes / Blankets / Threats / Death by stabbing / Heart
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Freddy Watson, from St. Mary’s Bay, Newfoundland, goes to St John’s, Newfoundland, to find a job from Public Works, but the clerks throw him out. He goes to a police officer to complain, but thinks better of it. Instead, he visits his local member of parliament, Billy Walsh, to ask for a donation of clothing. Walsh calls Lady Anderson, who supplies Watson with clothes and a blanket to be used as a sail. Watson returns home and gives away the clothes and blanket to others in the community. The song ends with the narrator threatening to cut out the heart of someone named Daly. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 16A Track 7
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Waltz, R. B. and Engle, D. G. (2018). 'Freddy Watson'. The ballad index. [online]. Available at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/ML3FreWa.html [Accessed 2021-04-04].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/16A-07_51.htm
  • Roud No
    26431 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Old Perlican (Newfoundland) / Glace Bay (Nova Scotia) / <Boston (Massachusetts)> / Murderers / Taxi drivers / Parents / Police officers / Juries / Judges / Friends / Families / Religious personnel / Lawyers / Prison guards / <Coal mines> / Prisons / Leaving home / Murder / Robbery / Sentencing / Execution / Advice / Warnings / Prayers
    Subject date
    1930-12-31 / 31 Dec 1930
    Synopsis
    George Alfred Beckett, from Old Perlican, Newfoundland, leaves his parents to work in the coal mines of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. While there, he robs and kills a taxi driver, and then flees back home to Newfoundland. The police arrest him and take him to the jail in St John’s, Newfoundland, and from there back to Glace Bay to stand trial. The jury finds him guilty and the judge sentences him to death. He bids adieu to his parents, siblings, wife, and children. He thanks his friends, the clergymen, and lawyers involved in his case, as well as the jail warden. He advises all not to murder, or they will end up like him. He repents killing the cab driver, and bids all take warning from him. He prays that God have mercy on his soul. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 18 Track 8
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Male (Elderly) x 1 / Female (Elderly) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Penney, Phil (GEST, no date).
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Waltz, R. B. and Engle, D. G. (2019). 'Galveston Rose, The'. The ballad index. [online]. Available at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/ML3GalRo.html [Accessed 2019-05-25].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/18-08.htm
  • Roud No
    4414 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Bishop's Falls (Newfoundland) / Woods / Loggers / Economic problems / Poor working conditions
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator describes the poor wages and bad working conditions in a lumber camp near Bishop's Falls, Newfoundland. He and others are recruited by foreman, Gerry Ryan, and driven thirty miles to the camp. The next morning, the loggers find nothing but scrub spruce and bog, and little chance to make any money cutting such poor wood. To make matters worse, the company deducts money from the loggers' wages for various expenses. The loggers have no complaints against the foreman, but they are treated like yoked cattle by the company. [MET]
    Source
    Peacock, K. (1965). Songs of the Newfoundland outports. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. pp. 748-749.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    The song is attributed to a Mr. Butt (see Lehr, 1985, p. 104).

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Butt, Mr.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    National Museums of Canada
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/16/gerry.htm
  • Roud No
    30127 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Harbour Buffet (Newfoundland) / Porto (Portugal) / Sailors / Sea captains / Ships / Cod / Navigation / Pumping ship / Swabbing the deck / Keeping watch / Reefing sails / Sea storms / First World War (1914-1918) / Submarines / Sleeping / Salt
    Subject date
    1917-10/11 / Oct/Nov 1917
    Synopsis
    A crew of six Newfoundlanders on the ship, Gigantic, leaves Harbour Buffet, Newfoundland, with a load of cod, bound for Oporto, Portugal. The narrator mentions various navigation points as the ship sails along the coast of Newfoundland. A storm arises, and the captain orders the sails reefed. During the storm, the crew has many tasks, including checking the lanyards, and pumping. The storm does not relent for days, and the crew keeps watch for land, as well as for German submarines (the voyage occurs during the First World War), and finally spot the lights of Oporto. When they reach Oporto, they wash the ship down, and then take a long sleep. The crew unloads the cod, and takes on a load of salt, and starts the return voyage to Newfoundland. The narrator names all the members of the crew and which fishing villages they are from. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 10 Track 9
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 6
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Best, William (GEST, no date).
    Date composed
    1917 (GEST, no date).
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Gigantic'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online] Available at: http://gestsongs.com/20/gigantic.htm [Accessed 2019-05-26]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/10-09_51.htm
  • Roud No
    V44580 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Strangers / Sweethearts / Urban environment / Food / Socks / Fogo (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator meets a woman from Fogo, Newfoundland, recently arrived in St. John's. He shows her the marvels of the city. She becomes his sweetheart, and she supplies him with various comical foods and a pair of her father's socks. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1926). Burke's Christmas songster Xmas 1926. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 13.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    26442 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / <Scotland> / Soldiers / Sweethearts / Parted lovers / Films (motion pictures) / Regret / Beauty / First World War (1914-1918) / Patriotism / <Battle of Waterloo (1815)> / <Siege of Sebastopol (1854-1855)>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A Newfoundland soldier, bound overseas in the First World War, thinks of his sweetheart, left broken-hearted, in St John’s, Newfoundland. Her beauty outshines the girls from Scotland or Boston, and he fondly recalls taking her to the movies. As a Newfoundland soldier, he will do his patriotic part in the war, as his forefathers did at Waterloo and Sebastopol. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 6 Track 3
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    The bouncing girl of Fogo (Roud 2800)
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/6-03_51.htm
  • Roud No
    9938 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Barbados / Bahia (Brazil) / Bay Bulls (Newfoundland) / Sailors / Sea captains / Family members / Teachers / Ships / Sea-going operations / Anxiety / Sea storms / Ships' flags / Death at sea / Grief / Prayer
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Jim Harding sails from his home in Newfoundland aboard the ship, Golden Hind, bound for Barbados (or Bahia, Brazil). The ship is overdue on its return, which leads to anxiety among those in its home port. The ship meets rough weather, but land is spotted, and Harding imagines being on land and going to Bay Bulls, Newfoundland. The captain tries to make port in St John's, Newfoundland, but a storm arises, which drives the ship out to sea. Good weather finally comes, and the ship sails into port, but it is not flying its flag. The news from the ship is that Harding died in the storm. He leaves a grieving wife, parents, children, sisters and brothers. He also leaves his mentor, who taught him seamanship. The narrator prays that Harding's soul find eternal rest. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 9 Track 3
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/9-03.htm
  • Roud No
    V44767 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Summer / Sweethearts / Poverty / Angling / Drunkenness / Fashion / Beards / Boat racing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A wry remembrance of summertime misadventures in Newfoundland. The narrator recalls taking dates to the hotel, but discovering that he had no money. He recalls fishing in a local lake, but catching nothing but an old man's boot. He recalls setting up a tent at the annual Regatta boat-races, but drinking so much, he never saw the races. He recalls the fashion of growing beards in the summertime, although courting men shave theirs. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 30-31.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Probably a parody of In the Good Old Summer Time (Roud 17274)

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    26460 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Maine / Hills / Nostalgia / Old / Graves / Death / Sledges
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An exile from St. John's, Newfoundland, living in Maine, fondly recalls his childhood days sledding down Granny Bates' Hill. Now he is old and can envision his grave in the churchyard, but his memories of youth lift his spirits. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 58-59.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Devine, M. A.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    4426 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Bonavista (Newfoundland) / Long Beach (Newfoundland) / Sweethearts / Oceans & seas / Floods / Tsunamis / Clothes / Economic activities / Unrequited love / Leaving home / <Flour> / <Fish>
    Subject date
    1755-11-01 / 1 Nov 1755
    Synopsis
    The narrator recounts, in a humorous way, a tidal wave that hit Long Beach and Bonavista, Newfoundland, possibly the tidal wave of 1 November 1755. It causes Grannie Snooks to lose her speech, and it floods the Keough's front parlour. The song then switches to first person: a young woman begs her mother for new clothes because her frock and boots are torn, and she wants to make a good impression on Georgie Snooks. But because the price of fish is low and flour is high, Georgie can't (or won't) have her. He will have her in the autumn, or she will leave Cannaille, an area of Bonavista where she lives. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1940). The old time songs and poetry of Newfouindland. 2nd ed. St. John's: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 27.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/01/beach.htm
  • Roud No
    V44584 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Firefighters / Fires (disasters) / Bonnets / Hair / Linseed oil / Taunting
    Subject date
    1892-07-08 / 8 July 1892
    Synopsis
    A comical account of the great fire that devastated St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1892. The narrator's meal is interrupted by a mother and child telling him of the fire. He grabs what he assumes is his hat and rushes outdoors. All the neighbours laugh at him, because he has grabbed his wife's bonnet. Being parched, he drinks from a jug, but it is linseed oil. The firemen train their hose upon his head, which nearly kills him. Every hair on his face and head is burnt off, and all the women and girls taunt him because of that. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 15-16.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930 (Burke 1926. pp. [4]-[5])
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Burke, J, ed. (1926). Burke's Christmas songster 1926. St. John's, Newfoundland: J. Burke.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    30128 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    New Bay (Newfoundland) / Mothers / <Sweethearts> / Exile / Prayer / Yearning / Nostalgia / True love
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An exiled Newfoundlander thinks longingly and nostalgically of his home in New Bay, Newfoundland. His mother prays for his safety, and longs for the day he returns. The love of a mother is more lasting than that of a sweetheart. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 8A Track 2
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/8A-02_51.htm
  • Roud No
    4080 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Laws dD34
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Seal hunting / Ships / <Sea captains> / Ice floes / Sea storms / Accidental death / Prayer / Grief
    Subject date
    1898-03-21 / 21 March 1898 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    Forty-eight men from the sealer Greenland die in a storm on the ice. (Laws 1964, p.264) The sealing ship, Greenland, sets out from St. John's, Newfoundland, and is, at first, highly successful at hunting seals. When the men return to the ice to hunt more seals, a storm blows up, stranding them on the ice floes. Although they pray for rescue, all forty-eight sealers perish in the storm, with only twenty-five bodies recovered. The narrator mentions, in particular, two lost sealers. The narrator asks all to pray to God to comfort those left to grieve. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 299-300.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Walsh, Bridget (Mrs. John Walsh)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Laws, G. M. (1964). Native American balladry. Revised edition. Philadelphia: American Folklore Society / GEST (no date). 'The Greenland Disaster'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/34/greenland.htm [Accessed 2018-11-29].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/34/greenland.htm
  • Roud No
    V44771 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Running (athletics) / Competitiveness / Victories / Praise of local men / Priests / Halifax (Nova Scotia) / Boston (Massachusetts) / Toronto / Foot racing
    Subject date
    1926
    Synopsis
    A praise song for the Newfoundland runners who win a marathon race in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Competitors come from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Toronto, and Boston, and the narrator names several notable runners. The narrator also commends the Newfoundland Marathon Committee, the manager, trainers, and a Catholic priest. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1926). Burke's Christmas songster Xmas 1926. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 18.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 8
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    12529 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Harbour Grace (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Sailors / Wives / Sweethearts / Holidays / Pleasure boats / Death by illness or disease / Uniforms / Burials / Courtship
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    In a humorous account, the narrator goes on a ship excursion to Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, along with his wife. Sailors drag the narrator's protesting wife aboard. One passenger, Matt Strange, is wearing “regimentals,” to everyone's amusement, and he is sure to be laughed at by the people in the outports. The narrator's wife becomes sicker, and none of the shops in Harbour Grace can supply a cure. She dies on the return trip, and is buried with a Union Jack. The narrator is now single and looking for a “pretty face.” There's a woman in Harbour Grace that will have him. (MET)
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1926). Burke's Christmas songster Xmas 1926. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. [10].
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    First published in: Burke, J. 1894. The St. John's advertiser and fishermen's guide: a racy little song and joke book. St. John's, Newfoundland: The Prescott Street Auction Mart (Kirwin, ed., 1982, p. 145).
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    The Prescott Street Auction Mart
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Kirwin, W. J., 1982. John White's collection of Johnny Burke songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Harry Cuff Publications.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    7297 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Harbour le Cou (Newfoundland) / Sailors / Sweethearts / Infidelity / Warnings / Anger
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A sailor rows ashore at Harbour le Cou, Newfoundland, and meets a young woman. He accompanies her as they walk on the beach, and pledge their love to each other. The sailor thinks of his wife in Torbay, Newfoundland, and how “she'd kill me if she only knew.” They meet a man who knows the sailor, and who asks after his wife and children. The young woman turns on the sailor “like a she-cat” and flees in anger. The sailor warns others to beware of old comrades and young women that they meet in Harbour Le Cou. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 24.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    To Hear the Nightingale Sing (Roud 140)
    Author / Composer
    Dodd, Jack (GEST, no date).
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Harbour Le Cou'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/25/lecou.htm [Accessed 15 November 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/25/lecou.htm
  • Roud No
    12525 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Rocky Brook (Newfoundland) / Boats / Boatbuilding / <Flour> / Scaffolding / Falling / Construction accidents / Cruelty
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song about the building of a boat, and the mishaps that occur. Harry agrees to build a boat, although it would be better “for him if he cut his throat.” The builders go to Rocky Brook, Newfoundland, but can find nothing better there than a “charity house.” Martin Dewling does more work than any of the others. They build the scaffold so high that one worker falls and breaks his thigh. When the spars are set on the boat, it was “maggoty flour for two pound ten.” The chorus states that Harry, Joe and Jim are cruel men. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 27, 29.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 5
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    7298 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Harbour Main (Newfoundland) / Historical persons / Heroes / Judges / Loggers / Courts of law / Verdicts / Rail transport / Train crashes / <Political systems>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Jim Hawco, from Harbour Main, Newfoundland, leads a simple life of fishing and growing a garden, and earning a small income by building a road to his garden and acting as a poll clerk at election time. When cutting wood for the winter, Hawco temporarily piles the wood on the railroad track, making sure that the train has already passed. On time, however, he miscalculates, and works valiantly, at the risk of his life, to clear the track before the train arrives. He is arrested for impeding the railroad, and stands trial. He hopes for Judge Prowse, whom he knows, but he is tried by Judge Conroy, who pronounces Hawco a hero, but nevertheless compares him to Herostratus, who burnt down the Temple of Diana, and to Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, who burnt down St. John's in 1696. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 73-77.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    The figures, Herostratus and d'Iberville, are identified in GEST (no date)..

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Devine, Maurice A.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Hawco the hero'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/33/hawco.htm [Accessed 30 June 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    26492 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / California / Homesickness / Nostalgia / Natural beauty
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The homesick narrator in California longs for Newfoundland. Despite California's natural splendours, the narrator recalls youthful memories and yearns for the sea and landscape of Newfoundland. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the Songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 7A Track 6
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Entitled 'Youthful memories' in the MacEdward Leach collection.

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Carroll, Dan (Doyle, 1978. p. 9)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1978). Old-time songs and poetry of Newfoundland: songs of the people from the days of our forefathers. 5th ed. St. John's: Gerald S. Doyle.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/7A-06_51.htm
  • Roud No
    V44775 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / USA / Exile / Homecoming / Boat racing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator welcomes home exiled Newfoundlanders that have come back for a visit from the United States during Old Home Week. The splendours of the USA cannot compare with the pleasure of seeing St. John's, and the returnees will enjoy the annual Regatta boat race. The narrator mentions some of the boats that race every year. The narrator hopes that some will return permanently to their homeland. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 3-5.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44774 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Running / Victories / Homecoming / Praise of local men / Halifax (Nova Scotia) / Foot racing
    Subject date
    1929-09-28 / 28 Sept. 1929
    Synopsis
    A song of praise and welcome for the St. John's, Newfoundland, team of runners returning from the Halifax, Nova Scotia, Marathon after a successful competition. Although a Nova Scotian runner came in first, the St. John'smen took the other top spots in a field that included runners from all over Canada. The narrator describes the race, and also praises the managers and trainers of the team, as well as those who raised the funds to send them to Halifax. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 10.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 9
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    30129 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Poland / Second World War (1939-1945) / Hitler, Adolf / Aeroplanes / Threats / <Patriotism>
    Subject date
    1941
    Synopsis
    Adolph Hitler invades Poland, and then plans to invade Newfoundland. Despite the blackout, Hitler’s aeroplanes will have no trouble finding the island. Hitler is to invade in June, but he never arrives. He is waiting for fuel for his aeroplanes. When he gets the fuel and invades Newfoundland, he will return to Germany with his aeroplanes in bits. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 2A Track 1
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/2A-1_51.htm
  • Roud No
    4416 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Sweethearts / Beauty / Dancing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator describes a dance that he attended in a community that he calls "Hole in the Wall." The young people assemble in a "saddle roof house" and, being a stranger, the narrator is led there by a friend. The dance is full of good-looking women, and the narrator chooses Flora to be his dance partner for the evening. At the end of the evening, all depart, although some of the men are too fainthearted to accompany the women home. One woman arrives too late to serve tea to the men. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the Songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 5 Track 7
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    See Guigné (2016, pp. 182-184).
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Leonard, Peter
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Guigné, A. K. (2016). The forgotten songs of the Newfoundland outports: as taken from Kenneth Peacock's Newfoundland field collection 1951-1961. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/5-07_51.htm
  • Roud No
    V44776 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Exiles / Homecoming / Pride & praise of place / Nostalgia / Towers / Forests / Angling / Visiting / Boat racing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator welcomes home exiled Newfoundlanders who are returning for a visit. He imagines their nostalgia for the days of their youth, and their sadness at the thought of those who have aged, or who are dead and gone. But the island, itself, is not changed. Cabot Tower in St. John's still stands, and the Quidi Vidi Regatta is still an annual event. The forests of Topsail are still there, and there is still good fishing in nearby lakes and streams. The narrator welcomes all guests to the island, and hopes that the returning exiles will rebuild their homesteads. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 66-68.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Breathes There a Man with Soul So Dead (Roud V44465)
    Author / Composer
    Thorburn, Robert
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44777 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Pride & praise of place / Exile / Homecoming / Fishing industries / <Gold (metal)>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator calls on Newfoundlanders in foreign lands to come home to friends and family. He praises the beauty of the land, and claims that there is more wealth in the fishing industry than in Klondike gold. He calls on the strength of Newfoundlanders to fight against all adversity. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 22-23
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Wood, Fred B.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    12522 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / <Oceans & seas> / Women / <Fishermen> / Homes / Praise of local women / Pride & praise of place
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator praises the women and home life of Newfoundland. Newfoundland fishers brave the treacherous seas for the sake of island homes and women. Newfoundland homes harbour “generous hearts and friendly hands,” and children's “merry prattling.” The narrator concludes by describing the allures of Newfoundland women. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 18-19.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Brown, T. M.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44583 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Running / Embarassment / Trousers / Underpants (male) / Foot racing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    During a foot race in St. John's, Newfoundland, the lead runner is Tapper, but he loses the race when the buttons come off his trousers, which fall down. In the next marathon, he will run in starched underpants glued to his back. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1926). Burke's Christmas songster Xmas 1926. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 15.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    4415 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Huntingdon Shore (Newfoundland) / Round Island (Newfoundland) / Fishermen / Fishing vessels / Sea storms / <Food> / Drunkenness / Flirting / Revelry
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator sails aboard merchant Goodridge's fishing vessel destined for Huntingdon Shore on the Labrador coast. The ship is well-provisioned with each seaman given 30 shillings for gear and four meals a day. On the first day at sea, a storm hits the ship, and all on board long to reach Huntingdon Shore. The trip continues without incident until they reach the fishing grounds, where the fishers put out their lines. On the way back, the ship stops at Round Island (Labrador), where the local women flirt with three of the fishermen. The narrator spends most of the money that he earned on the trip drinking and carousing. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1923). Songs their fathers sung, for fishermen: old time ditties. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 3.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Doyle, Mr.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Lehr, G., ed. 1985. Come and I will sing you: a Newfoundland songbook. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44762 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Canada / Military personnel / Sports & games / Rifles / Praise of local men
    Subject date
    1912
    Synopsis
    A song of praise for the Newfoundland Cadets who go to Canada to participate in military competitions. Despite using new, unfamiliar rifles, the shooting team does well. Forty nations compete, and the Newfoundland Cadets place third. The narrator urges everyone to give the Cadets a big homecoming welcome. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 11-12.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    V44761 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / St Pierre and Miquelon / Consuls (diplomats) / Fishing industries / Political systems / Pride & praise of place / <Smuggling>
    Subject date
    1904
    Synopsis
    Rejoicing over a treaty between Newfoundland and France concerning fishing rights in coastal waters. Peace will reign, and an English Consul on the French island of St. Pierre will look after Newfoundland's right and prevent smuggling. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 7-8.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44763 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Advertisements / Music shops / Musical instruments / Sound recordings / Sheet music
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An advertising song for Hutton's Music Store in St. John's, Newfoundland, where all kinds of recordings, musical instruments and sheet music are available. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 11.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    4432 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Fishermen / Boats / Fish / Food / Sea-going operations / Dancing / Kissing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator describes a fisherman's work and play. The narrator mentions building boats, sailing, catching fish, bringing the fish home to Lizer, curing fish, food, rotten fish, taking Lizer to a dance, and spying Sammy Oliver kissing Susan White. The chorus gives square dance instructions using Newfoundland place names. [MET]
    Source
    Peacock, K. (1965). Songs of the Newfoundland outports. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. p. 64.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Waterloo Music Ltd.
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/23/itb.htm
  • Roud No
    6347 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Ireland / Sailors / Sea captains / Parents / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Lifeboats (shipboard) / Bravery / Accidental death / Leaving home / Grief / Praise of local people / St Peter's (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An Irish boy leaves home and grieving parents to go to sea. He sails on a ship that strikes a rock during a storm. Twenty-four sailors get into a lifeboat and row until they reach the Newfoundland coast, but there is no safe harbour, only steep cliffs, and only twelve of the crew reach the shore. The Irish sailor is one of them, and the ship's captain is another, whom the sailor praises for his bravery. They walk down a path until they reach St. Peter's, Newfoundland, where the townsfolk feed them and put them on a ship bound for Ireland. The sailor praises the Newfoundlanders. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the Songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 15 Track 2
    Characters
    Male (Adolescent) x 1 / Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    An earlier, shorter version is in Greenleaf and Mansfield (1933, pp. 258-259).

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/15-02.htm
  • Roud No
    4541 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Indian Harbour (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Fishermen / <Jonah (Biblical prophet)> / Ships / Sea storms / Being swept overboard / Whaling / Whales / Humour / Tall stories
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Jack is a tall tale character, born on his father's ship, and twenty-four years a whaler, who goes to Indian Harbour (Labrador, Newfoundland) to fish. During a storm, he is swept overboard, and is swallowed by a whale. Jack turns the whale inside out. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 252-253.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Every Inch a Sailor (Roud V646)
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
  • Roud No
    7299 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Fishermen / Sea captains (fishing) / Fishing vessels / Death by shooting / Imprisonment with hard labour / Prayer
    Subject date
    1903-07-04 / 4 July 1903 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    Among the bravest of Newfoundland fishermen is John Yetman from St. Mary's Bay, Newfoundland. He ships on board an American fishing schooner. While celebrating American Independence Day, the captain shoots and kills Yetman. The captain is arrested and sentenced to fifteen years of hard labour. The narrator asks all who toil on the sea to pardon Yetman's soul. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 30.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Young Yetman'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/21/yetman.htm [Accessed 16 November 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/21/yetman.htm
  • Roud No
    30135 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Trepassey Bay (Newfoundland) / Elderly men / Drivers (road vehicles) / Praise of local men
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song in praise of an elderly man, possibly a taxi or bus driver, from Trepassey, Newfoundland. He is jolly, neat, of good heart, and popular. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 10A Track 16
    Characters
    Male (Elderly) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/10A-16_51.htm
  • Roud No
    V44652 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Women / Women's clothes / Short hair / Barbers / Marriage / Boat racing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator laments that women today do not dress with the same modesty as they once did. Even old women dress in the new style and cut their hair short (i.e., bob their hair). They are seen at the annual St. John's, Newfoundland, boat races (the Regatta), where the racers are bobbing in the lake. The racers bob for no money, while the barber, Fred Brown, makes money by bobbing half the heads in town. The narrator assures the young women that they will find men to marry, although their prospects might not appear to be bright. (Note: Julia Harding is not mentioned in the song.) [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1918). Burke's Christmas songster 1918. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 3.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    30136 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Soldiers / Germans / Capture of Beaumont-Hamel (1916) / Bravery / Praise of local men / Death in battle / Battle wounds / Heaven
    Subject date
    1916-07-01 / 1 July 1916 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    A song in praise of the First Newfoundland Regiment that is virtually annihilated at the battle of Beaumont Hamel in the First World War. Eight Hundred Newfoundlanders bravely charge the German lines, and almost all die or are wounded. Those that died are in Heaven. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 3A Track 1
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'The July drive'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online] Available at: http://gestsongs.com/20/july.htm [Accessed 3 June 2019-06-03]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/3A-01_51.htm
  • Roud No
    18218 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Assumption Day / Salmonier (Newfoundland) / St Mary's Bay (Newfoundland) / <St John's (Newfoundland)> / Sea captains / Sailors / Mothers / Ships / Men-of-war (ships) / <Sleeping> / Shipwrecks / Death at sea / Praise of local people / Corpses / Grief / Wakes (for the dead) / Burials / Prayer / Forgiveness of sins
    Subject date
    c. 1850
    Synopsis
    The Newfoundland ship, Kate of Branch (or Kate O’Branch) is run down by a British Man-o’-war, The Royal, on its way to St John’s, Newfoundland. Captain Butler of The Royal is not to blame, as it was at night, and all the crew of the Kate of Branch were asleep. The body of one crew member is found a fortnight later by someone from St. Mary’s, Newfoundland, and the people of St. Mary’s are praised for returning the body to Salmonier, Newfoundland, where the dead sailor’s aged mother grieves. The sailor is waked at the house of his father, and buried on Assumption Day. The narrator asks all to pray for the absolution of the sailor’s sins. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 10A Track 8
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3 / Female (Elderly) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Daley, Maurice / Ryan, Father
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/10A-08.htm
  • Roud No
    4430 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Kelligrews (Newfoundland) / Local political representatives / Historical persons / Local characters / Clothes / Food & drink / <Carriages> / <Muskets> / Balls (dances) / Dancing / Fighting / Revelry / <Joking> / <Boxing>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator describes a ball that he attended in the town of Kelligrews, Newfoundland. He borrows various articles of clothing from several St. John's town characters. He arrives at Betsey Snook's house, where the ball is being held, and which is already blocked with attendees' carriages. Betsey makes fun of his top hat. The narrator describes his dancing partners and the wild dancing that takes place during the Saratoga Lancers, accompanied by the brandishing of muskets by one of the dancers. A dancer then strikes the fiddler and a general brawl breaks out, during which the narrator's top hat is flattened and his vest is ripped. Using Newfoundland dialect terminology, the three choruses describe the dishes served, and in a later (1912) branch, some distinguished attendees, including prize fighters and American politicians. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's]: Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 26-28.
    Characters
    Female (Adult) x 5 / Male (Adult) x 28 / Unspecified (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Although the basic plot of this song has remained the same through many performances and printings, the choruses, which list foods and people, have varied over the years. There are two main branches to this song: the songbook version in 1904 (Anon., 1904), and the sheet music version in 1912 (Taft, 1990), in which Burke replaced some of the references to local foods and St. John's personalities with internationally-known American politicians and prizefighters. Post-1912 versions often mix the foods and personalities in novel ways (see Mercer, 1974).

    Comparative songs
    Clara Nolan's Ball (Roud 4480)
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Mercer, P., 1974. The ballads of Johnny Burke: a short anthology. [St. John's, Newfoundland]: Newfoundland Historical Society. Taft, M., (1990). 'The bard of Prescott Street meets Tin Pan Alley: the vanity press sheet music publications of John Burke'. Newfoundland Studies, 6(1), pp. 59-60. Available at: https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/nflds/article/view/895/1248 [Accessed 2020-11-24]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44606 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Fishermen / Seal hunting / Pride & praise of place / Praise of local men
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Newfoundland cannot boast of its natural splendours, history, or great names, but it does boast of its brave fishermen and sealers. The narrator wishes bountiful fortune for Newfoundland's toilers on the sea. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 19.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Peace, Margaret Sharp
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    7300 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Historical persons / Cabot, John, -1498? / Local characters
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A humorous and fanciful argument among several Newfoundland local characters about their acquaintance with John Cabot, who discovered Newfoundland. Most remembrances place Cabot and his family in an unflattering light. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 71-72. / Burke, J, (1960?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland?: John White. pp. 32-33.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 8 / Female (Adult) x 6
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    The version published in Doyle, except for the first stanza, has completely different 'reminiscences' from the version published in White, and may well be a parody of Johnny Burke's song, written by someone else.

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    1897 (GEST, no date).
    Printer / Publisher
    Johnny Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'The landfall of Cabot parody'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/29/cabotparody.htm [Accessed 2 July 2018]]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    7301 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Cape St Mary's (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Fishing / Sea storms / Death / Burials / Nostalgia / Pride & praise of place
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A nostalgic anthem for the Cape St. Mary's area of Newfoundland. The narrator wishes once again to be in his boat fishing, braving the weather and the seas, and viewing the rugged shore. In metaphorical terms he hopes to “reach that last big shoal” and to be taken back to his native soil for burial. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 33.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Kelland, Otto P.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/24/mary.htm
  • Roud No
    V44753 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Labrador / Native Americans / Exploration & discovery / Hunger / Accidental death / Rescuing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Leonidas Hubbard and two others set off to explore Labrador, but because they do not plan their provisions properly, they run out of food. One of their number reaches Grand Lake, Labrador, and four Indians set out in search of Hubbard, but he dies before they reach him. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 57-58.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 7
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44754 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Sailors / Sea captains / Ships / Sea storms / Accidental death / <Telegraph services> / Pernambuco (Brazil)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The cargo schooner, Dorothy Baird, outbound from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Pernambuco, Brazil, is hit by a storm, during which seaman, Ebenezer Pike, is washed overboard. The captain turns the schooner to search for Pike, but without success. When the ship reaches port, the captain telegraphs the sad news back to Newfoundland. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 21.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    V44756 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Fishermen / Brothers / Wives / Children / Sea storms / Rowing boats / Drowning / Grief / Merasheen (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Two brothers from Merasheen, Newfoundland, set out in a rowboat to their herring nets, when a storm blows up. They try to row back to shore, but just before reaching land, their boat sinks and they drown. The wife of one brother helplessly watches them drown from the shore, and she and her children are left to grieve. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 12-13.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    V44755 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Renews-Cappahayden (Newfoundland) / St John's (Newfoundland) / Fishermen / Mothers / Sea storms / Accidental death / Grief
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Three fishermen, two from Renews, Newfoundland, and one from St. John's, Newfoundland, drown during a storm at sea. Pender, from St. John's, leaves a mother to mourn. The narrator thinks about the friends and family who mourn those lost at sea, and all must trust in God. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 68-69.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44759 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Ships / Sea captains / Wives / Sons / Sailors / Loss at sea (person) / Seal hunting / Prayer / Greenock
    Subject date
    1912-02-28 / 28 February 1912 (Anon., n.d.)
    Synopsis
    Newfoundlanders from St. John's make up the crew aboard the sealing ship, Erna, bound from Greenock, Scotland, for the Newfoundland ice fields. Aboard are the captain's wife and young son. There has been no word from the ship in about two months, but the crew's friends and family still hope the ship will appear. The narrator prays to God for good news. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 11.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Male (Child) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Anon., n.d., Wreck Site. [online] https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?139476 [Accessed 27 December 2018]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    4420 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Sea captains / Sailors / Fathers / Mothers / <Sisters> / Ships / Lifeboats (shipboard) / Sea storms / Prayers / <Bread> / Sea-going operations / Grief / Falling overboard / Loss at sea (person) / Accidental death
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Andrew Sheehan is lost at sea during a storm. On the thirty-first day sailing in rough seas, with the crew limited to rations of one pound of bread per day, the captain decides to heave to for the night. At daylight, land is spotted and the captain gives orders to make sail. In the process, Andrew Sheehan falls overboard. The crew launch a life boat, and in rough seas, almost lose their own lives in an unsuccessful attempt to reach Sheehan. Sheehan's aged parents grieve terribly. The narrator urges them to mourn no longer, but that everyone, including Sheehan's three sisters, should pray for Sheehan's soul. (MET)
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1902). Songs and ballads of Newfoundland, ancient and modern. St. John's, Newfoundland: Milligan's Print. pp. 14-15.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    This song is also entitled Bold Larkin, Bull Yorkens, and Harkin's Voyage.

    Comparative songs
    Captain Larkins (Roud 29051)
    Author / Composer
    Grace, John
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Milligan's Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://134.153.184.110/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns2/id/312...
  • Roud No
    9940 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Titanic (ship) / Ships' passengers / Shipwrecks / Icebergs / Lifeboats (shipboard) / <Emigration> / Irish people / Italians / Sea captains / Sailors / Wealth / Loss at sea (person) / Bravery / Praise of local men / Cape Race (Newfoundland) / Southampton
    Subject date
    1912-04-15 / 15 April 1912 (Anon., 2018)
    Synopsis
    The passenger liner, Titanic, sails from Southampton with three thousand aboard, including a number of New York millionaires. The passengers also include emigrants from Italy and Ireland, among other places. Off of Cape Race, Newfoundland, the ship hits an iceberg and begins to sink. The crew loads women and children into the lifeboats. The millionaires step aside and bravely face their deaths. The narrator praises Captain Smith and his crew for the lives that they save. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 13.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Anon., 2018. RMS Titanic. Wikipedia [online]. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS Titanic [Accessed 28 December 2018]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    9937 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Shipwrecks / Sailors / Sea captains / Ships' passengers / Lifeboats (shipboard) / Ice floes / Accidental death / Loss at sea (person) / Rescuing / Channel-Port aux Basques (Newfoundland) / Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia)
    Subject date
    1911-03-24 / 24 March 1911 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    The steamship, Bruce, leaving Port au Basque, Newfoundland, bound for Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, founders in heavy ice. The captain orders all to the lifeboats, and in the process, one sailor loses his life. The other five seamen risk their lives to get all passengers safely to shore. The Bruce is a total wreck. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 16.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 7
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'The loss of the Bruce'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/16/bruce.htm [Accessed 29 December 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    V44659 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Brazil / Newfoundland and Labrador / Shipwrecks / Reefs (sea) / Sea captains / Sailors / Lifeboats (shipboard) / Safety / Bravery / <Barbados>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The Newfoundland ship, Gladiola, outbound from Barbados, founders on a reef off the coast of Brazil. At the captain's orders, all abandon ship onto a lifeboat and row for shore. In Brazil, they are cared for by the British Consul, and their passage back to Newfoundland are paid for. The narrator praises the bravery of the captain and crew. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 24-25.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    4405 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Cut Throat Island (Newfoundland) / Bonaventure (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Sea captains / Fishermen / Fishing vessels / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Accidental death / Grief / Loss at sea (person)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The fishing vessel, Susan, is wrecked in a storm off the coast of Cutthroat, Labrador, with the loss of all four crew members. Amid fond farewells, the Susan, under the command of Captain Miller, sails from its home base in Bonaventure, Newfoundland, to fish off of Labrador. On the return trip, the Susan is hit by a violent storm and is wrecked. The news soon reaches Bonaventure via telegraph. The narrator notes that every year such disasters happen, leaving friends and family to grieve. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J. 1912? Burke's Ballads. [St. John's, Newfoundland]: s.l. P. 23.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny?
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/62620
  • Roud No
    V46741 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Cape Race (Newfoundland) / Southampton / Ships' passengers / Titanic (ship) / Shipwrecks / Icebergs / Telegraph services / Loss at sea (person) / <Emigration> / Rescuing
    Subject date
    1912-04-15 / 15 April 1912 (Anon., 2018)
    Synopsis
    The Titanic leaves Southampton with three thousand emigrants, and hits an iceberg near Cape Race, Newfoundland. The ship's telegraph operator sends a message to Cape Race, and three ships change their courses to attempt a rescue. Until more news comes in, no one knows how many lives are saved. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 15.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    'RMS Titanic'. (2018). Wikipedia [online]. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS Titanic [Accessed 2018-12-28]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    V44658 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Ships / Sea captains / Sailors / Shipwrecks / Reefs (sea) / Lifeboats (shipboard) / Rescuing / Homecoming / Pernambuco (Brazil)
    Subject date
    1912-05 / May 1912
    Synopsis
    The Devonia from St. John's, Newfoundland, founders on a reef off of Pernambuco, Brazil. The narrator gives a history of the ship, naming three captains, and the original name and place of construction of the ship. The captain and crew safely make shore in lifeboats, and all are eagerly awaited back home. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 17.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    4424 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / St Mary's Bay (Newfoundland) / Riverhead (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Sea captains / Sailors / Singers / <Sweethearts> / <Sisters> / <Sons> / Ships / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Birds as omens / <Telegraph services> / Loss at sea (person) / Grief / Accidental death
    Subject date
    1925-12-18 / 18 Dec 1925
    Synopsis
    This disaster ballad recounts the loss of the ship, Eliza, which set sail from St. John's, Newfoundland, with a cheerful crew. Seabirds overhead portend disaster, and a storm hits the ship in St. Mary's Bay. The able crew, led by Captain James Ahearn, have weathered many storms, and fight to keep the Eliza on course. A woman in Riverhead in St. Mary's Bay, the sweetheart of one crew member and the sister of two others, fears for the ship, and awaits reports from the telegraph office. The news is that the ship has been dismasted and is adrift. Captain Welsh of The Thrasher is the last to see the lights of the Eliza. The people of Riverhead mourn the loss of the crew, which includes Peter, a local singer, and Captain Ahearn's son, Jack, on his first cruise, who had been entreated not to go to sea. The narrator prays that God help the mourners of Riverhead.
    Source
    Peacock, K. (1965). Songs of the Newfoundland outports. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. pp. 944-947.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 6 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Waterloo Music Co.
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/09/eliza.htm
  • Roud No
    4413 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Brooklyn (Newfoundland) / St John's (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Sea captains / Ships / Shipwrecks / Accidental death / Seal hunting / Grief / Loss at sea (person)
    Subject date
    1896-11-07 / 7 Nov 1896
    Synopsis
    The sealing ship, Maggie, leaves Brooklyn, Newfoundland, and enters St. John's harbour, where it collides with the steamer, Tiber, with the loss of thirteen of the twenty-three crew of the Maggie. The narrator describes how the crew anticipated the money that they would receive in St. John's for the seals they had on board. Captain Blunden spies the Tiber, but despite shouts from the crew, the Maggie is hit. The narrator will never forget that day, and the name of the Tiber will reverberate in the minds of the people of Brooklyn like a “funeral drum.” [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 5-6.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    4372 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    King's Cove (Newfoundland) / Goose Bay (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Sea captains / Sailors / Ships / Shipwrecks / Sea storms / Marine salvage / Sea ice / Rescuing
    Subject date
    1866-12-25 / 25 Dec. 1866 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    On Christmas day, the ship Ellen Munn sails from King's Cove, Newfoundland, to Goose Bay (Bonavista Bay), but is caught in rough weather and sinks, leaving its crew on the sea ice. During the storm, the ship takes shelter in a cove and then resumes sailing the next day. It begins to take on water, and the captain orders all the crew onto the sea ice. The next morning, they are rescued and brought to Plate Cove. The Holloway family salvages supplies from the wreck. The narrator warns against sailing close to “new made ice” that can destroy a boat, nor to sail on Christmas day. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1940). The old time songs and poetry of Newfouindland. 2nd ed. St. John's: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 6.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 6
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Flynn, 'Young Jimmy' (GEST, no date).
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'The loss of the Ellen Munn'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://www.gestsongs.com/11/ellenmunn.htm [Accessed 3 July 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/69812
  • Roud No
    V46742 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Titanic (ship) / Ships' passengers / Musicians / Shipwrecks / Lifeboats (shipboard) / Rescuing / Bravery / Grief / Prayer / Cape Race (Newfoundland) / Astor, John Jacob, 1864-1912 / Straus, Isidor, 1845-1912 / Hays, Charles Melville, 1856-1912 / Stead, W. T. (William Thomas), 1849-1912 / Hymns
    Subject date
    1912-04-15 / 15 April 1912 (Anon., 2018)
    Synopsis
    As the ship, Titanic, sinks near Cape Race, Newfoundland, Colonel Astor places his wife and servants into the lifeboat, and then bravely awaits his death. Likewise, Straus, Hays, and Stead also stay on board, as do the band playing hymns to calm those that remain on board. The narrator prays that the brave souls on the ship will find a 'brighter land', and that God and time will lighten the grieving of loved ones. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 17-18.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Anon., 2018. RMS Titanic. Wikipedia [online]. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS Titanic [Accessed 28 December 2018]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    7316 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Pouch Cove (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Fishermen / Ships / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Praise of local men / Rescuing / Medals
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The schooner, Water Witch, founders in a storm off of Pouch Cove, Newfoundland, with three lost, and the others saved by men from that village. The crew clung to a rock at the bottom of a sea cliff, while the fishermen of Pouch Cove gathered to rescue them. The men lowered Alfred Moores, who was able to throw a safety line to the crew on the rock. He then was lowered again to save one woman stranded on a rock. For their heroic deed, the men of Pouch Cove received a medal from the Humane Society of Liverpool. The narrator praises and blesses the men. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 24-26.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / <Male (Adult) x 6 / <Female (Adult) x 1>
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    1985-11-29 / 29 Nov 1875 (GEST, no date).
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'The Water Witch'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/33/hawco.htm [Accessed 1 July 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    26746 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Sea captains / Fishermen / Ships / Shipwrecks / Sea storms / Lifeboats (shipboard) / Cliffs / Rescuing / Praise of local men / Bravery / Drook (Newfoundland) / Seal Cove (Newfoundland) / Galveston (Texas) / Le Havre
    Subject date
    1908-02 / Feb. 1908 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    The ship, S. S. Tolesby, bound from Galveston, Texas, to Havre, France, founders in a snowstorm off of Little Seal Cove, Newfoundland. As the ship strikes the rocks, the captain orders the crew into lifeboats, which in turn, are smashed upon the rocks. All the crew manage to swim ashore, and spend the night below steep cliffs, burning wreckage from the ship to keep warm. In the morning, fishermen from Drook, Newfoundland, spot the crew, and Joe Perry is lowered down the cliff to save them. The narrator praises the brave Newfoundlanders who saved all twenty-two members of the Tolesby's crew. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1923). Songs their fathers sung, for fishermen: old time ditties. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 13.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 23
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'The wreck of the Tolesby'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/21/tolesby.htm [Accessed 8 January 2019]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44847 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Fishermen / Widows / Ships / Lifeboats (shipboard) / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Loss at sea (person) / Rescuing / Grief / Prayer / Channel-Port aux Basques (Newfoundland) / Sydney (Nova Scotia)
    Subject date
    1911-11-19-20 / 19-20 November 1911 (Dicks, 1999)
    Synopsis
    The Newfoundland fishing schooner, Heroine, returning from Sydney, Nova Scotia, founders on the coast near Channel, Newfoundland, during a storm. Only wreckage is found, and there is no trace of the crew members. The narrator hopes that the crew boarded lifeboats and was rescued by a passing ship, but there has been no news, so far. The narrator prays that God lighten the sorrows of grieving widows. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 19-20.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Dicks, D., 1999. The History of Burgeo. [online] http://www.angelfire.com/ny/diondicks/History.html [Accesed 30 December 2018]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    9816 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Sailors / Mothers / Sea captains / Farewells / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Death at sea / Corpses / Condemnation / Burials
    Subject date
    1846-09-19 / 19 Sep 1846 (GEST, no date)
    Synopsis
    Tom Fewer, a Newfoundland sailor, bids adieu to his mother before boarding the ship with his friend, James Rourke. The mother pleads with the captain not to leave port, because a storm in coming. Against the consent of the crew, the captain orders the ship to sail. The ship sinks with the loss of all on board. The narrator condemns John Nolan for not retrieving the bodies when he had a chance, but does not curse him, for the mothers would receive no comfort from burial on land. Tom Fewer served three years with Captain James Murray aboard the ship, Shamrock, before it went down. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 19A Track 1
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Shamrock'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/21/shamrock.htm [Accessed 2021-06-19]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/19A-1_51.htm
  • Roud No
    V44837 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Ships / Shipwrecks / Lifeboats (shipboard) / <Sea captains> / Trepassey Bay (Newfoundland) / <Barbados> / <Molasses>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The St. John's, Newfoundland, cargo ship, Helen Isabel, outbound from Barbados with a load of molasses, founders on Mistaken Point in Trepassey Bay. Captain Laurie and his crew abandon the ship and row ashore in lifeboats. The ship has plied its trade for thirty-five years before wrecking off the coast. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 55-56.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    26743 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Fishermen / Widows / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Loss at sea (person) / Grief / Prayer / Orphans
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The Newfoundland fishing vessel, Golden Arrow, sets out to sea and is not heard from again. Every day, Newfoundland fishermen risk their lives on the stormy seas, while their loved ones anxiously wait for their return. The loss of the Golden Arrow leaves widows and orphans to grieve and to look to God for relief. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 22-23.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    4419 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    New Harbour (Newfoundland) / <Rose Blanche Bank (Newfoundland)> / Oceans & seas / Sea captains / Fishermen / Fishing vessels / Boats / Sea storms / Sea-going operations / Grief / Loss at sea (person) / Accidental death / Livelihoods
    Subject date
    1926-12 / Dec 1926
    Synopsis
    The fishing boat, Danny Goodwin, and its crew of six is lost in a winter storm. Under the command of Captain Lafosse, the ship leaves New Harbour, Newfoundland, to fish on Rose Blanche bank. After the fishing dories were lowered onto the water, a fierce winter storm comes up, and the Danny Goodwin is never seen again. Another fishing captain believes that the dories might have made it back to the ship, and the Danny Goodwin might even have made it to some portion of the land, but it is just as likely that the ship drifted out to sea. The ship and its crew are never seen again, leaving relatives to mourn. The crew lost their lives while earning a living and providing for their families. [MET]
    Source
    Peacock, K. (1965). Songs of the Newfoundland outports. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. pp. 942-943.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 7
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    National Museums of Canada
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Hiscock, P. (2003). 'Ten things to consider about "The Star of Logy Bay"'. Canadian Folk Music 37(2), pp. 7-11. [http://www.canfolkmusic.ca/index.php/cfmb/article/view/274/268 [Accessed 2018-06-9]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://disastersongs.ca/the-loss-of-the-danny-goodwin/
  • Roud No
    V44848 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    <Sweden> / Russians / Sailors / Ships / Rowing boats / Sea storms / Reefs (sea) / Shipwrecks / Cliffs / Rescuing / Bravery / Ferryland (Newfoundland) / <Miramichi (New Brunswick)>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The Russian ship, Alku, sails from Sweden for Miramichi, New Brunswick, but is wrecked in a series of storms, and eventually founders on a reef near Ferryland, Newfoundland. All fourteen crew members manage to reach the cliffs, and are rescued by brave locals in rowboats from Ferryland. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 60-61.
    Characters
    Male (Adults) x 14
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    4408 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Northern Bay (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Sailors / Ships / Rafts / Shipwrecks / Sea storms / Rescuing / Accidental death / Grief / Loss at sea (person)
    Subject date
    1911-11-19 / 19 Nov 1911
    Synopsis
    The ship, Riseover, heavily laden with lumber, sinks during a storm. The Riseover leaves Northern Bay, Newfoundland, in calm seas, but after a few hours, a blizzard and heavy seas cause the ship to founder. The crew fashions a raft out of some of the lumber and head for shore, but the raft splits and two of the crew, John Pomroy and Spracklin, are separated from the others. The remaining crew reach shore and watch as their comrades are swallowed by the sea. The ship, Fogota, puts to sea to rescue the lost sailors, but cannot find them. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J. 1912? Burke's Ballads. [St. John's, Newfoundland]: s.l. P. 19.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny?
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/62620
  • Roud No
    4407 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Bonavista (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / <Labrador> / Sailors / Ships / Fishing vessels / Shipwrecks / Sea storms / Rescuing / Accidental death / Bravery / Grief / Loss at sea (person)
    Subject date
    1907-09-19 / 19 Sep 1907
    Synopsis
    A great storm descends on the town of Bonavista, just as a fleet of fishing boats is returning from Labrador, and as the cargo vessel, Snorre, from Norway, has docked. The ships, Harold F, Olive Branch, and Reliance, as well as many small fishing boats are destroyed. Wharves and moored boats are smashed by the storm. The Snorre bursts her chains and is adrift, and the crew sends out a distress signal. Four men on shore risk their lives to get a line to the ship, and manage to rescue four crew members, but two others are lost: a thirteen year-old boy and an able-bodied seaman. The narrator imagines the the boy's tearful leave-taking from his mother in Norway, and the grieving of the seaman's aged parents. The narrator hails the four rescuers as heroes. [MET]
    Source
    Lehr, G., ed. 1985. Come and I will sing you: a Newfoundland songbook. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Pp. 170-172.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 5 / Male (Child) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    University of Toronto Press
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/23/snorre.htm
  • Roud No
    6471 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Ships / Tug boats / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Rescuing / Loss at sea (person) / Grief / Prayer
    Subject date
    1910-09-23 / 23 October 1910 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    The Newfoundland ship, Regulus, leaves Bell Island and is caught in a storm, which disables her. A tug boat is dispatched from Cape Race, and manages to attach a line to the ship, but in the storm, the line breaks and the Regulus founders on breakers near the shore in Petty Harbour Bay. The tug boat cannot re-establish contact, and the Regulus is never seen again. The tug boat reports the news in St. John's, and the narrator prays that God lighten the sorrows of grieving family members. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 15-16.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'The loss of the Regalis '. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/16/regalis.htm [Accessed 29 December 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    30138 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Trepassey Bay (Newfoundland) / Fermeuse (Newfoundland) / Chance Cove (Newfoundland) / Calvert (Newfoundland) / Sea captains / Sailors / <Brothers> / <Sisters> / <Mothers> / Ships / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Death at sea / Grief / Last judgment
    Subject date
    1934-12-04 / 4 Dec 1934
    Synopsis
    The ship, Guernsey, sails from Trepassey, Newfoundland, carrying fish and oil, and commanded by Captain Thomas Devereaux. A light wind slows the ship’s progress; in a stronger wind the ship would have made safe harbour in Fermeuse, Newfoundland, but it is caught in a storm near Chance Cove, Newfoundland. The ship might have headed for Ferryland, Newfoundland, but foundered on the shore. Wreckage from the ship is found near Calvert, Newfoundland. The narrator names the three crew members, all from Trepassey, who are lost at sea. Together, they leave brothers, sisters, and an elderly mother to grieve. The narrator asks for prayers for the men, who will be met again on Judgment Day. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 15 Track 1
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3 / <Female (Elderly) x 1>
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/15-01_51.htm
  • Roud No
    1828 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Boats / Food / Fishermen / Sweethearts
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A humorous song about a boat owned by a Newfoundland fisherman named Lukey, describing its characteristics. Lukey provisions the boat with food for a voyage, and once out on the water, spies his sweetheart and “old Jennie” on the land. His wife is dead, but he plans to have another “in the spring of the year.” [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 254-255.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    An earlier fragment appears in England (1924, p. 127).

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Kean, Virtue (Anon. 2002)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    England, G. A. (1924). Vikings of the ice. Reprinted 1969 as The greatest hunt in the world. Montreal: Tundra Books.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/01/lukey.htm
  • Roud No
    30154 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Red Indian Lake (Newfoundland) / Loggers / Pine trees / Axes / Singing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song dedicated to the loggers of Newfoundland. Their axes make music among the pines on the banks of Red Indian Lake, and in the evening around the fire, they sing songs. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 8 Track 5
    Characters
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/8-05_51.htm
  • Roud No
    4412 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Batteau (Newfoundland) / Sweethearts / Classical gods & goddesses / Flowers / Precious stones / Beauty / Love
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator praises his sweetheart. She is fairer than any flower or gem. He recalls first meeting her in Batteau, Labrador, and her beauty surpasses that of women from other lands. He concludes by mentioning the chaste goddess Diana, who disdained Hymen, the god of marriage. He hopes that his sweetheart will share his love. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 81-83.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Song history
    Notes

    The song is attributed to a Captain Duers or Jewers (Lehr 1985, p. 124).

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Duers or Jewers, Captain
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Lehr, G., ed. (1985). Come and I will sing you: a Newfoundland songbook. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44614 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Young women / Marriage / Poverty / Wealth / Jealousy / Cars / Circuses / Alcoholic drinks / Boston (Massachusetts)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    All the young women in St. John's, Newfoundland, are at the hotel, trying to win a sedan (or trying to marry a rich man who owns a sedan). Mary Ann wins the sedan (or marries Jerry, a rich man from Boston who owns the sedan). The townsfolk, who live in poverty, are jealous of Mary Ann's newly acquired wealth. Mary Ann, the narrator, Jerry, and three local women pile into the sedan and go to the circus. One of the women marvels at the circus attractions, especially the high wire act, but Jerry says that he could walk the wire if he had the proper clothing, and enough booze. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 7.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    V44587 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Berries / Harvesting / Money / Clothes / Food / Alcoholic drinks / Cars / Fathers / Drunkenness
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Mary Joe and others are urged to harvest blueberries in the Newfoundland countryside, now that the season has arrived. The rush for the wild berries is compared to a gold rush, with everyone dreaming of making enough money to buy clothes, food and drink, and automobiles. Mary Joe's father, in bed from too much drink, will be happy with a better brand of alcohol gained from the blueberry harvest. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 4.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    4423 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Ships / Ice floes / <Icebergs> / <Omens> / Death / Seal hunting / Nostalgia
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    As the sealing fleet prepares to leave St. John's, amid cheers and the blowing of ships' horns, an old and dying sealer thinks back to his days on the seal hunt. He recalls how fleet of foot and how sharp his eye was during the hunt. He cries as he hears the cheers go up for the departing fleet, and he recalls how he always knew, through observing the winds, currents and omens, where to find the seals on the ice floes. In his mind's eye he sees the icebergs, the northern lights, and the lode-star above shining on the sealing ships. He dies with this vision in his head. [MET]
    Source
    Carroll, D. (1907). 'The Master-Watch'. Newfoundland Quarterly, 7(3), p. 12.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Carroll, Dan
    Date composed
    1907
    Printer / Publisher
    John J. Evans, Sr.
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/quarterl...
  • Roud No
    26239 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Ferryland (Newfoundland) / Police officers / Wives / <Taxi drivers> / Townspeople / St Patrick's Day / Gambling / Alcoholic drinking / Dancing / Fighting / Trials (legal procedures) / Witness statements / <Belts (clothes)> / <Clubs (weapons)>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    On St. Patrick’s Night, two Newfoundlanders, McCarthy and Toole, go on a spree, drinking and playing cards, and then going to the dance hall. They get into a fight with Dickie Costello, the local policeman, and his wife. Later, Costello summons them to court in Ferryland, Newfoundland. Costello hires a man to drive a witness to the court, but some of the locals hire another man to drive them to attend the court. There, they all give statements favouring McCarthy. The narrator advises all to keep clear of policemen and courts, and advises Costello that, when he retires, he should give his belt and billy club to his wife. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 22 Track 2
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3 / <Male (Adult) x 2> / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/22-02_51.htm
  • Roud No
    18225 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Salmonier (Newfoundland) / Eagle Cove (Newfoundland) / Trepassey Bay (Newfoundland) / Fog / Sea captains / Sailors / Sons / Townspeople / Shipwrecks / Masts (boats & ships) / Death at sea / Searching / Corpses / Coffins / Praise of local men / Prayer
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Captain Mike McDonald of Salmonier, Newfoundland, sets sail in thick fog. He orders the ship to head out from shore, but the ship founders on Johnson’s Point in Trepassey Bay. A mast serves as a bridge for the sailors to reach shore from the wrecked ship. The captain waits until all the crew are safe, but is swept overboard before he can join them. The crew, including the captain’s sons, cannot save him, and make their way to Eagle Cove. The crew return and, on the third day, retrieve the captain’s body. The people of Eagle Cove prepare the body, supply a coffin, and ship him back to Salmonier. The narrator praises the captain, and prays that God have mercy on his soul. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 5 Track 4
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/5-04.htm
  • Roud No
    17749 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Merchants / Fishermen / Robbery / Dishonesty / <Poverty> / Praise of local men / Complaints / Fogo (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song of complaint against Newfoundland merchants who rob and cheat fishermen. One merchant, in particular, is a thief and an absconder. The exception are the Hodge Brothers, merchants who treat fishermen fairly and extend them credit, and never look down on them because they are poor. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 304-305.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
  • Roud No
    7302 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Fishermen / Merchants / Government / Poor relief / Hell / <Clothes> / <Horses> / Divine punishment
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator complains about his treatment by the merchants and government of Newfoundland and Labrador. After the end of the fishing season, he finds himself on the dole. The merchants will not help the him, and the government tells him to sell his cattle before asking for a loan. He cannot get a job on a ship, because the ship owner is not available. The narrator has no use for those who govern Newfoundland, nor for Canadian authorities, who care more for the King than for him. The merchants promise to hand out warm clothing for the winter, but the narrator receives only a pair of useless gloves. God will judge the merchants and government officials and send them to hell. The narrator is getting old, but when he dies he will not have to face God as a robber. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1966). Old-time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. 4th ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 51-52.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Dover, Paddy (Anon., 2002)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'The merchants song'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/21/merchants.htm [Accessed 21 November 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/21/merchants.htm
  • Roud No
    30140 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Calvert (Newfoundland) / Burnett Cove (Newfoundland) / Fishermen / <Townspeople> / Strong / Caulking / <Threshing> / Rowing / Songwriting / Sea sickness / Oceans & seas
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Mike Bolin from Calvert, Newfoundland, joins two other fishermen in preparing their boat for fishing. He is strong and able, a good fisherman and hay cutter. He carries the boat’s engine on his back. They caulk the boat, but it still leaks, so they bring it ashore and caulk it some more. The first day fishing, the skipper hauls fifty tons of fish, and Bolin twenty-nine. In a heavy swell, the three fishermen feel unwell, and lay down in the boat. After waking, there is no fish to catch, and they run out of petrol, so they row to Burnett Cove, Newfoundland. With sweaty faces, it takes them an hour and twenty minutes, much to the merriment of the townspeople. The narrator announces the composers of this song as himself, Tom Ghaney, and his son, John. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 21A Track 5
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Ghaney, Tom / Ghaney, John
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/21A-05_51.htm
  • Roud No
    V44666 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Noblewomen / Widows / Young women / Class difference (romantic couples) / Loss at sea (person) / Sea storms / Searching / Inheritance / Beauty / Placentia (Newfoundland) / Descendants
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator tells of Molly Tucker who lived in Placentia, Newfoundland, many years ago. She abandons an aristocratic life in England to live with a local, who perishes in a storm at sea. Scholars search for records of this woman's existence, but the narrator discovers a woman living in Placentia whose beauty marks her as a descendant of Molly Tucker. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 40-42.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Carroll, Daniel
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44843 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Complaints / Cats / Guns / Shooting / Guilty verdicts / Street personnel / Judges
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    In a comic song, the narrator complains of Mr. Brookin's cat, which disturbs his sleep. The cat is ugly, and the narrator decides to buy a gun. He fires at the cat, but kills a street sweeper instead. He is found guilty of murder, and the judge sentences him to three months for keeping a firearm in the city.[MET]
    Source
    Burke, J, (1960?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland?: John White. pp. 6-7.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John White
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44672 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Young women / Murderers / Strangling / Insanity / Grief / <Work> / Botwood (Newfoundland) / Boston (Massachusetts)
    Subject date
    1912-05-23 / 23 May 1912
    Synopsis
    Lillian Jewer, a young woman from Botwoodville, Newfoundland, travels to Boston, Massachusetts, for employment, and is strangled to death, leaving friends at home to mourn. Although some arrests have been made, it is uncertain who the murderer is. The narrator speculates that the murderer is insane to kill Jewer without reason, and hopes that he is soon brought to justice. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 18-19.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    17750 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Siege of Sebastopol (1854-1855) / Sevastopol / Wars & conflicts / Victories / Stabbing / Condemnation / Grief / Bereavement
    Subject date
    1855
    Synopsis
    During celebrations in St. John's, Newfoundland, at the news of the victory at Sebastopol, a fight breaks out, and Dennis Somers is stabbed to death. The narrator condemns the murderer, who should feel guilty over the grief he has caused Somer's family. The narrator urges Somers's friends and family to cease their grieving. [MET]
    Source
    Peacock, K. (1965). Songs of the Newfoundland outports. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. pp. 823-824.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    An earlier, fragmentary version appears in Greenleaf and Mansfield (1933, p. 313).

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/16/somers.htm
  • Roud No
    4411 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / <Canada> / Sweethearts / Parents / Ships / Letters / Promises / Leaving / Unhappiness
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A man must leave Newfoundland to find employment in Canada, and has a tearful parting with his sweetheart before boarding a ship in St, John's. The woman tries to persuade him to stay, and to think of his aging parents. That failing, she asks that he not forget her and remember his promise to marry her. He promises to return to her. They kiss and he promises to write every day. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 314-315.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    See Guigné (2016, pp. 188-190).
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Guigné, A. K. (2016). The forgotten songs of the Newfoundland outports: as taken from Kenneth Peacock's Newfoundland field collection 1951-1961. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://www.gestsongs.com/21/bound.htm
  • Roud No
    4422 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Fathers / Sons / Fishermen / Sou'westers / <Squid> / <Sea storms> / <Death> / Nostalgia
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator recalls his father's sou'wester, a fisher's waterproof hat with a broad brim, and the memories that it evokes. His father would throw the hat to him as his boat came into the dock. His father wore the hat every day of the week and on all occasions. If the hat could talk it would tell of the raging seas his father experienced, as well as the happy times when fishing for squid. His father's last request before he died was that his son wear the sou'wester for his father's sake. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 35-36.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    The song was written by William Hollett in 1934 for the radio variety programme, Irene B. Mellon, broadcast on station VOGY in St. John's, Newfoundland, and first performed on that programme by Jim Ring on 6 February 1940 (Hiscock, 1986).
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Hollett, William
    Date composed
    1934
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Ring, Jim
    Named venue
    Irene B. Mellon radio programme, station VOGY, St. John's, Newfoundland
    Bib. ref(s)
    Hiscock, P. (1986). Folklore and popular culture in early Newfoundland radio broadcasting: an analysis of occupational; narrative, oral history and song repertoire. [thesis]. St. John's, Newfoundland: Memorial University of Newfoundland.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/02/souwest.htm
  • Roud No
    V44668 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Sailors / Sweethearts / Praise of local women / Toasting (with drink) / Beauty / Singing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A seaman praises and toasts his Newfoundland sweetheart, especially her eyes and voice. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1912). Old songs of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 8.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    First published in a St. John's, Newfoundland, newspaper in 1861.
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V45453 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Trees / Wells / Houses / Mothers / Nostalgia / Rail transport / Brigus (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator thinks back to his happy childhood in Brigus, Newfoundland. He recalls a tree that he used to climb, an old well, and the house that he lived in. The tree and well are gone, and the house is no longer there since his mother died. Progress has changed Brigus with the coming of the railroad, but he still has his memories. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 56-58.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Walker, Rev.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    26347 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Exiles / Children / Parents / Pride & praise of place / Seal hunting / Leaving home / Work / Political movements & parties / Nostalgia / Prayer / Boston (Massachusetts) / Parties (celebrations) / Picnics / Boat racing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An exile from St. John's, Newfoundland, praises his homeland. He must live in Boston to make a living, but fondly recalls his childhood in St. John's, especially the picnics and parties. He recalls waiting for the sealing ships to return, and the good times at the annual Regatta. Newfoundlanders are forced to go to Boston to find work, their parents bidding a sad farewell. The narrator hopes that his homeland will prosper in the future, perhaps through confederation with Canada, since Newfoundlanders are equal to all others in arts and science. He prays that future generations of Newfoundlanders will find employment at home. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 59-60.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V45454 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Woodpeckers / Praise of local scenery / Forests / Loggers / Gambo (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song in praise of the Newfoundland woodpecker. The narrator describes the beauty and serenity of the woods of Gambo Valley, Newfoundland, and how the evening sound of the woodpecker calms the weary logger. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 13-15.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Devine. M. A.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44850 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / <Hunger> / <Poverty> / Charity / Christmas / Praise of local men / Higgins, Edward J., 1864-1947 / Salvation Army
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song of welcome to General Edward John Higgins of the Salvation Army on his and his wife's visit to St. John's, Newfoundland. The song describes the good work that the Salvation Army does: feeding the hungry, especially at Christmas, and comforting the poor. The narrator wishes success and a long life to Higgins. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 9.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    12535 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Sailors / Fishermen / Navy ships / Seal hunting / Praise of local trades
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song in praise of Newfoundland's sailors, sealers, and fishers. The narrator praises the sealers who support the trade of the island, sometimes at the cost of their lives; the Southwestern fishers who brave storms out at sea; and the inshore fishers who toil all day to support their families. The narrator then praises the sailors of the navy, who brave the dangers of the coastal waters. All are happy to be Newfoundlanders and are guarded by Providence. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 70-71.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    V44849 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Sailors / Oceans & seas / Spring (season) / Leaving home / Pride & praise of place / Homesickness
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator describes St. John's, Newfoundland, in the springtime, when the ocean beckons him, and he thinks of far-off ports. He imagines sailing towards the ports of the Old World, but also thinks about the happiness of returning to his island home. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 30-31
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    MacDonald, Robert Gear
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    7303 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Young women / Fish / Clothes / Rum / Bribery / Government agents / Fish grading
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Maud Muller spreads out her father's catch of fish to dry, in expectation of the government agent who would come to grade the quality of the fish. Because of the damp weather, she knows that the fish are of low quality, and she despairs of buying new clothes this year. The agent arrives by boat and hints that he is dry. Maud brings him a jug of Jamaican rum, which the agent praises, and grades the fish highly. Unfortunately, when the fish reaches St. John's, Newfoundland, its grading is adjusted to low quality. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1966). Old-time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. 4th ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 73.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Devine, M. A.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
  • Roud No
    12521 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Railway personnel / Railway companies & lines / Mining & quarrying industries / Wages / Political systems / Pride & praise of place
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song in praise of the Newfoundland railway and the benefits that it will bring. It will raise worker's wages and increase copper mining. Praise to those who supported its construction, and blame to those opposed. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 11.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Dearin, Dr.
    Date composed
    1885
    Printer / Publisher
    Terra Nova Advocate
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    V44825 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Sailors / Sea captains / Shipwrecks / Ice floes / Seal hunting / Sea-going operations / Praise of local men
    Subject date
    1907-03-20 / 20 March 1907
    Synopsis
    The sealing ship, Nimrod, is caught in the ice off the coast of Newfoundland. Fearing that the ship will be crushed by the ice, the crew collects clothes and provisions, and climbs onto the sea ice. The deck master cuts the mainsail from the mast, so that the crew has some cover while on the ice. The wind shifts, and at the captain's orders, the men re-board the ship, which has sustained some damage, but is still seaworthy. The narrator names several members of the crew and commends Captain Barbour, and wishes him better success on future voyages. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1925). Songs sung by old-time sealers of many years ago. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 1-3.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 11
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    4530 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Ships / Seal hunting / Sea captains / Praise of local trades / Food
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator describes the annual seal-hunting voyages in Newfoundland. Four sealing ships and their captains are named. The sealing ships return to St. John's, Newfoundland, and share out the seal flippers. The narrator praises the sealers and their captains, and hopes that the sealing traditions will not be abandoned as Newfoundland modernizes. Newfoundlanders will always want flipper pie and cod. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 12-13.
    Characters
    Males (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/07/noblesealers.htm
  • Roud No
    6346 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Labrador / Oceans & seas / Sea captains / Merchant ships / Battleships / Shipwrecks / <Coal (fuel)> / Wrecking (ships) / <Rescuing>
    Subject date
    1922-08-08 / 8 Aug 1922
    Synopsis
    The steamer, Nordfeld, with a load of coal, runs aground off the coast of Labrador, and despite the captain's efforts, the contents of the ship are stripped by locals, just as the British battleship, Raleigh, also aground on the Labrador coast, had been stripped. While all on board are helped ashore by locals, the coal on board the Nordfeld is taken through holes chopped in the ship's deck. This supply of coal will help the Labradorians, who otherwise would have had to haul wood for their winter fuel. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 288-289.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Williams, George
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://www.gestsongs.com/34/norfeld.htm
  • Roud No
    7304 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Patriotism / Seasons / Ancestors
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An anthem to Newfoundland, praising the land in summer and winter, and invoking past generations of Newfoundlanders. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 4.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Boyle, Cavendish
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44856 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Ships / Sea storms / Sailors / Seal hunting / Ice floes
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The sealers of Newfoundland go out to sea in March, when others avoid the northern ocean. Through icy storms, they mount the masts to reef the sails, and when the ship reaches the ice floes where seals are to be found, the sealers begin their hunt. Afterwards, the ship is homeward bound with sealers full of hope. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 20-21.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Webber, Mr.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44676 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Homesickness / Pride & praise of place / Exile
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A homesick Newfoundlander praises the beauty of his native home, where there is no ambition and strife. He wishes that he could go home again. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 21-22.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Lodge, Barrington
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    17751 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Pride & praise of place / Exile / Cricket / Angling / <Clothes> / Nostalgia / Parades / Boat racing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A Newfoundlander in a foreign land fondly recalls his younger days in St. John's, Newfoundland. He recalls the clothes he wore, the games of cricket, the military parades, sports fishing, and watching the Regatta boat races. He thinks sadly of the Newfoundlanders who must toil for a living on foreign shores, and hopes that Newfoundland will prosper in the future, so that its natives might return. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 52-53.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44746 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Pride & praise of place / Praise of local trades / Fishermen / Families / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Loss at sea (person) / Accidental death / Grief / Loss (emotion)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator praises Newfoundland and its fishermen. They hurry back home to their wives and children after a day of fishing, eager to unload their catch. But when a sea storm arises, the fishermen are lost, and their families grieve for them. The narrator urges all to think on the drowned fishermen. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 42-43.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Rogerson, Isabella
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44684 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Patriotism / Freedom / Dictators / Pride & praise of place
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A patriotic anthem to Newfoundland and Labrador. The narrator praises the beauty of the land and the freedom of its people, who will never be ruled by a tyrant. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 19-20.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44685 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Pride & praise of place / Exile / Homesickness
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An anthem to Newfoundland and Labrador. No matter the lure of foreign lands, Newfoundlanders always long to return to their native home, and no matter how well Newfoundlanders do abroad, they are not happy away from their home country. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 25-26.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Devine, P. K.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    6354 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Sea captains (fishing) / Fishermen / Clothes / Food & drink / Honesty / Kindness / Dialect / Dancing / Singing / <Swearing (bad language)> / Nostalgia / State of the times
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator laments modern times and the demise of the “planter” (fisherman-skipper) in Newfoundland, a figure as long gone as old-time outport clothing, food and drink. Neither he nor his daughters were sophisticated, but “truthful, honest, kind and good.” The planter has been replaced by a slick crowd that dresses well and has a lot of useless education. The planter mended his nets and went fishing, and always paid the priest or parson. His simple house was a gathering place for singing and dancing. He wasn't a saint; he drove his men hard, but worked as hard as they did. He drank and cursed, and sometimes sold bad molasses and flour. But the planter will find his place in Heaven. The song is written in Newfoundland dialect. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1923). Songs their fathers sung, for fishermen: old time ditties. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 6-7.
    Characters
    Males (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Devine, Maurice A.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44590 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Merchants / Searching / Wives / Fishing / Sewing / Card games / Dancing / Milking / Goats
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A rich, widowed merchant from an outport in Newfoundland comes to St. John's to find a wife. He wants a woman who can fish for cod, mend his clothes, play cards, dance, and milk a goat. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1918). Burke's Christmas songster 1918. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 18.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    31125 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Exile / Leaving home / Homesickness / Nostalgia / Mothers / <Sons> / Prayer / <Sailing>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A Newfoundlander sails away from the island, never to return. As the shoreline recedes, he thinks of his boyhood's happy home. He will only see Newfoundland again in his dreams. His mother prays that her son be protected in his foreign home, a son that she will never see again. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 70-71.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Tilley's Farewell to Bonavista (Roud 12520)
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44851 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Advertisements / Retail trades / Butchers' shops / Meat
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An advertising song for Peter Joy's butcher shop in St. John's, Newfoundland. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1925). Songs sung by old-time sealers of many years ago. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 11.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    4410 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Petty Harbour Maddox Cove (Newfoundland) / Oceans & seas / Sailors / Sea captains / Ships / Shipwrecks / Sea storms / Rescuing / Accidental death / Loss at sea (person) / Grief
    Subject date
    1852-06-08 / 8 Jun 1852
    Synopsis
    While on a trip from St. John's to Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, the ship is wrecked by a storm. Although the seas and sky were, at first, calm, the weather quickly changed just as the ship arrives near Petty Harbour. Captain John French and first mate Nick Sulivan, as well as four other crew members are lost. Jacob Chafe launches a boat from shore and is able to save “young Menchion.” When the news reaches St. John's, there is great lamentation. The narrator concludes by urging all to put their faith in God, whether on land or sea. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 26-28.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 7
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Grace, John
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    4409 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / <Baltimore> / <Ireland> / Prisons / Sailors / Prisoners / Judges / Ships / Trials (legal procedures) / Guilty verdicts / Perjury / Homesickness / Despondency
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A sailor from the British ship, Peregrine, sailing from Baltimore, arrives in St. John's, Newfoundland, where he is arrested for an unspecified crime. At his trial, Dan Hagerty gives false testimony, and Judge Carter sentences the sailor to six months in the Newfoundland penitentiary. There, he finds plenty of “comrades,” perhaps undesirable, which makes him regret his arrival in Newfoundland. He dreams of his home in Ireland, and is despondent. He sings in his cell, and looks out on a pond where the young folk “sport and play.” He concludes by giving his name, Johnny Doyle, and the fact that he served with the Black Ball Line prior to his imprisonment. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the Songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 7A Track 7
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Doyle, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/7A-07.htm
  • Roud No
    V44678 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Young women / Rowing boats / Weather / Clothes / Swearing (bad language) / Food & drink / Boat racing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The annual St. John's, Newfoundland, Regatta boat-race is coming soon. A new regulation means that all racers must wear coats. The narrator mentions a number of boats and their builders that will be in the race, and hopes that the weather will be fine, since the townsfolk will be dressed in their finest. If it rains, there will be “fancy swearing” from Julia in her new blouse. The narrator wishes luck to all the racing crews, and hopes that there will be good things to eat and drink at the concession tents. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 23-24.
    Characters
    Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    V44679 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Exile / Pride & praise of place / Seasons / Christmas
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An exiled Newfoundlander praises his homeland, recalling the natural splendor of the island in all seasons, and remembering the happy Christmastimes there.[MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 36-37.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Bright, Arthur
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44680 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Portugal Cove-St Philip's (Newfoundland) / Bell Island (Newfoundland) / Strangers / Irish people / Roman Catholic Church / Walking / Winter / Accusations / Prejudice / Curses / Hell / Hospitality
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator, a man from Ferrins Town, Ireland, looks for shelter from the winter as he walks from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Portugal Cove. He enters the house of Mr. Picco, who asks about his background. When he replies that he is Irish Catholic, Picco throws him out into the cold. The narrator eventually finds hospitality with Paddy Neary. The next morning, he sails for Bell Island, where he finds more hospitality. He wishes that Picco become a porter at Hell's door, guarding it with a pitchfork against any Irishman who might want to enter. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1912). Old songs of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 2.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Published previously in the St John's Evening Telegram, 24 Dec 1891. (GEST, no date).
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Quigley, Johnnie
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Quigley And Picco'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/34/quigley.htm [Accessed 1 January 2019].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    30142 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Kilbride (Newfoundland) / Local characters / Raffles / Drunkenness / Dancing / Fighting / Mares / Eating / <Gates> / <Fences> / <Trousers>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    In a comic song, the narrator and some friends arrive drunk at a raffle in Kilbride, Newfoundland. The narrator dances with one of the women, and then the raffle begins. There is a tie in the bidding and a fight breaks out. The narrator’s friend wins the raffle and the prize is an old mare, which eats a picket fence and an iron gate. It almost eats the narrator’s trousers. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 2 Track 1
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 5 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/2-1_51.htm
  • Roud No
    12527 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Joe Batt's Arm (Newfoundland) / <Fiddles> / Goats / Gambling / Fighting / Dancing / Raffles / Local characters
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator is invited to a goat raffle in Joe Batt's Arm, Newfoundland, where there is lively dancing and a free-for-all fight. The narrator and Mr. Grace attend the raffle, where there is a game of dice for the goat. Accompanied by a fiddler, there is lively dancing by several named local characters. After further gambling, a fight breaks out and there's a general melee. One man breaks his wrist, and another attacks the fiddler. Kennedy loses his father's coat and no one wins the goat. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 45.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 10 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Originally published in: Oliver, G. T., and J. Burke, eds. 1900. The people's songster, buyers guide and gems of poetry and prose. St. John's, Newfoundland: George T. Oliver & Johnny Burke.

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    George T. Oliver & Johnnie Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    V44751 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Exile / Friends / Homecoming / Nostalgia
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator recalls with nostalgia his friends from childhood, now scattered in foreign lands. But they are coming home to Newfoundland, and will be welcomed with open arms. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 51.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Carroll, Daniel
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    9809 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Riverhead (Newfoundland) / <Boston (Massachusetts)> / Fishermen / Sea captains (fishing) / Local characters / Singers / Customs officers / Magistrates / <Kings> / Boatbuilding / Launching (boats & ships) / Sea shanties / Cheering / <Houses> / Good fortune
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    People from various communities in Newfoundland, including a custom-house officer and a magistrate, attend a launching at Riverhead, Newfoundland. Among them is Billy Hanlon, well known as a singer, who sings shanties as the boat is hauled into the water. When the boat is afloat, cheers go up for the King. The narrator praises the boat’s captain, and his three sons, who have fished out of Boston, have built their own houses, and have paid their own way. The narrator wishes the best of luck to the boat. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 16 Track 4
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 10 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/16-04_51.htm
  • Roud No
    6362 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Crimean War (1853-1856) / Boer War (1899-1902) / Egypt / Palestine / Sailors / Fishermen / Praise of local men / Travel / Spanish-American War (1898) / Polar regions / Exploration & discovery
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator contemplates all of the places around the world where Newfoundlanders have traveled, fought, and fished. They were in the Crimean War and traveled on polar expeditions. They fought in the Boer War, and one Newfoundlander lost his life aboard the American ship, Maine, in the Spanish-American War. They have sailed the Mediterranean and have been to Egypt and Palestine. They have fished all of the fishing grounds around Newfoundland. The narrator concludes by identifying himself as a native of Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 369-370.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/02/roving.htm
  • Roud No
    21113 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Sailors / Fishermen / Sea captains (fishing) / Sweethearts / Fathers of the bride / Boats / Clothes / Jewellery / Houses / Marriage / Dancing / Singing / Toasting (with drink) / Boasting / Pipes (smoking)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Sailor, fisher and boaster, Bob Pittman, plans to get married. He sails on the Ino, captained by Tim Brown, and is adept at all work on a fishing boat, as well as singing and dancing. If the fishing is good in the Autumn, he'll have enough money for a ring, a priest, wedding clothes, and a marriage feast. He lists a number of possible brides, but his favourite is Biddy from Toslow, Newfoundland. He bids farewell to all other women, and if he doesn't marry Biddy, he'll be shot by her father. He has bought a house and household items, some jewelry for his various sweethearts, and a meerschaum pipe for himself, which melts in the heat. He goes to a dance in Fox Harbour, where there are plenty of women, including one chewing gum. He toasts all the women, but can't marry them all without landing in jail. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1912). Old songs of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 6-7.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3 / Female (Adult) x 9
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    This song is also known as We'll Rant and We'll Roar

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    LeMessurier, H. W.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44738 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Joe Batt's Arm (Newfoundland) / Sailors / Sweethearts / Ships / Medical procedures / Royal Navy / Fights / Courts of law / Judges / Verdicts / <Alcoholic drinks> / <Cigars> / Halifax (Nova Scotia) / Governors (public officials) / Boat racing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A humorous song about a young fellow from Joe Batt's Arm, Newfoundland, who leaves home for a job on a ship. The captain shakes his hand and the Governor (of Newfoundland?) gives him a drink. He goes ashore, spends his money, adoring the young women. He has a medical examination and joins the navy. His ship sails as the band plays, and he misses his sweethearts and the annual boat race, the Regatta. He gets in a fight in Halifax, Nova Scotia, hits a policeman and lands before the judge, who dismisses him as a Newfoundlander “too green to burn.” He returns to Newfoundland, greeted by the band, given cigars by the Governor, and his sweetheart tells him that he won the boat race. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 8-9.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44704 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Fires (disasters) / Local characters / Theft / Teapots / Firefighters
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator wakes up to see a fire at the Labour Union Hall in St. John's, Newfoundland. While firemen put out the blaze, local women (whom the narrator names) loot a store of its teapots, so that it seems that every woman in St. John's is walking around with a teapot. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1926). Burke's Christmas songster Xmas 1926. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. p. 13.
    Characters
    Female (Adult) x 8
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    12526 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Cooking & serving utensils / Ships / Clothes / <Spectacles> / Seal hunting / <Polar bears> / <Taxidermists>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator outlines the specialized equipment and clothing of seal hunters. The sealers have their own cutlery and cooking equipment, as well as glasses to protect their eyes from the glare on the ice. They have special tools for killing and flaying the seals, steel spikes on their boots, and a tow line for hauling the seals. The narrator describes the different kinds of seals that they kill. Once the ship is loaded, the sealers are homeward bound. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 21-22.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    A different branch mentions polar bears that the sealers try to avoid, and the young seals (“white coats”) to make muffs for the women, or to become taxidermy trophies (Doyle, 1927, p. 39).

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Doyle, G. S., 1927. The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland: songs of folklore, humor, tragedy and history from the days of our forefathers. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    9957 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Fishermen / <Merchants> / Young women / Seal hunting / Cod / Rum / Fighting / Mockery / Warnings
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Some Newfoundland fishermen (or sealers) receive money for their catch of cod (or seals), and buy rum with it from a local St John’s, Newfoundland, merchant. They meet some young women, and two of the fishermen get in a fight over one of them. She departs while they fight, and the narrator warns all never to fight over a woman, or you’ll end up a laughingstock and have no woman at all. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 23 Track 7
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/23-07_51.htm
  • Roud No
    V44687 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    At sea setting / Newfoundland and Labrador / Weather / Seal hunting / Ships / Ice floes / Sea storms / Bravery / Rifles / Knives / Hauling ropes / Pikes (weapons)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An anthem to the sealers of Newfoundland, describing the hardiness of the sailors through sea storms, cold temperatures, and ice floes. With their ropes, gaffs, knives, and rifles they hunt the seals, until their ship is fully loaded, and they make their way home. [MET]
    Source
    England, G. A. (1924). Vikings of the ice. Reprinted 1969 as The greatest hunt in the world. Montreal: Tundra Books. pp. 308-309
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    England, George Allan
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://books.google.ca/books?id=eyc7bW84kPYC&pg=PT127&lpg=PT127...
  • Roud No
    7307 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Oceans & seas / Seal hunting / Ships / Dancing / Flirting / Praise of local people / St John's (Newfoundland) / <Sweethearts> / Trinity Bay (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    St. John's, Newfoundland, is ready to welcome home its returning seal hunters. The various ship owners eagerly wait to see which ship will appear first in the harbour. The narrator is aboard one sealing ship that is forced to spend some time at Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. Although low on grog, the sealers are happy with the attentions of the young women of the harbour. The narrator thinks about the seal flippers that St. John's townsfolk are waiting for, and praises the bravery of the sealers as though they had returned from battle. The narrator then describes the wild dancing at a ball in Trinity Bay, and concludes by toasting the young women of Newfoundland's outports. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 44-45.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/10/sealers.htm
  • Roud No
    V44591 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Seal hunting / Strikes / <Ships> / Praise of local men
    Subject date
    1902-03 / March 1902
    Synopsis
    Sealers from the sealing fleet in St. John's, Newfoundland, strike for more money and “free berths” (no fee for berths on the sealing vessels). The strike leader is Calloway, and the strikers state their case before A. B. Morine (apparently representing the merchants). Morine agrees to their terms, and the sealers happily board the ships. The narrator praises the sealers and Morine, and prays that the sealers return with a bumper crop of seals. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 9-10.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    7308 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Sailors / Ships / Sea & ocean accidents / Seal hunting / Sea-going operations / <Card games> / <Rudders (boats & ships)> / Sea ice
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A description of the activities, mishaps, and life on board the sealing vessel, Lone Flier. The ship is well-equipped and the crew readies themselves for the seal hunt. The ship leaves St. John's for the ice pack, which they have to ram their way through. The ship meets the Nascopee, already with seals on board. The crew then begins the seal hunt and the narrator tallies the catch of several hunters. Two accidents occur, one on the ice and one in the ship's hold. One man loses at cards and gets angry. The ship stops at several ports, and has further trouble getting around the pack ice. The ship's rudder splits. They tow the boat into their home harbour in Twillingate. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 246-249.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 12
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Composed by the twenty-nine men of the crew of the Lone Flier, March 10 to April 25, 1929.

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://www.gestsongs.com/08/sealingcruise.htm
  • Roud No
    V44609 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Harbour Grace (Newfoundland) / Sea captains / Young women / Ships / Seal hunting / Homecoming / Dancing / Easter / Praise of local men
    Subject date
    1891
    Synopsis
    The sealing ship, Greenland, commanded by Captain Henry Dawe, is the first to reach the seals, because it is in excellent condition, and the sealers know their craft. The ship arrives back in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, with fourteen thousand pelts, and its captain and crew are welcomed and congratulated by the townsfolk. The crew look forward to dancing with the girls at the Easter dance. The narrator praises the Newfoundland sealers and Captain Dawe. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1925). Songs sung by old-time sealers of many years ago. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 8, 10-12.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    7309 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Hunting for food / Laws / Crimes / Punishments / Hunger / <Rifles> / Class difference (romantic couples)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A humorous political protest song against a law banning the shooting of certain sea birds in Newfoundland. The narrator buys a new rifle, but now cannot use it to replenish his food supply during the summer months. Those who made the law are not aware of the meager diet of Newfoundlanders who depend upon sea birds. The narrator hopes that the government will supply people with food to replace the sea birds, or not jail those who are trying to feed their family by killing a few birds. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1940). The old time songs and poetry of Newfouindland. 2nd ed. St. John's: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 79.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Scammell, Arthur R.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/69812
  • Roud No
    V44736 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Hills / Pride & praise of place / Homesickness / <Harbours> / <Seal hunting>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song in praise of Signal Hill at the mouth of the St. John's, Newfoundland, harbour. The narrator describes its natural beauty, its historical significance, and its memorable structures. The narrator recalls standing on the hill to spot the first ship returning from the annual seal hunt. Newfoundlanders, away from home, keep a vision of Signal Hill. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 26-28.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    7310 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Boats / Fishermen / Praise of local people / Boat & ship engines
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator describes his boat's engine, which he swears by, although it is held together in jury-rig fashion. One evening, while out on the sea trawling for fish, the engine refuses to start. A boy in a dory rows alongside, and offers to help. He is able to start the engine, and in return, the fishermen give him a full share of their catch. The narrator praises the boy, and claims that the boat could now outrace the schooner, The Clyde. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1940). The old time songs and poetry of Newfouindland. 2nd ed. St. John's: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 74.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Male (Child) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Scammell, Arthur R.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/69812
  • Roud No
    7311 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Fishermen / Squid / <Axes> / Local characters / Telling tales / <Loggers> / Tall stories
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    After the fishing season ends, the fishermen gather aboard the S. S. Kyle and tell tall tales. Each fisherman, in turn, tells a tale, until the oldest among them, Grampa Walcott is asked to contribute. He tells of a time when he and his father had no luck catching squid. They go into the woods, but his father breaks his axe, so they head home just in time to hear the women shouting that the squid are in the harbour. They jump into their boat and scrape along on the backs of the squid. When the son hauls one squid aboard, another squid is clinging to it, and further into an unending chain of squid. After they fill their boat, they hand the squid-chain to other fishermen, who eventually pass the unbroken chain to fishermen from other harbours, until the chain disappears somewhere in Labrador. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1966). Old-time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. 4th ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 81-82.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Russell, Ted
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://www.ericglambert.ca/documents/homework/Smokeroom.pdf
  • Roud No
    12524 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Sea captains / Sailors / Ships / Kettles / Food / Seal hunting / Warnings
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator describes his seal-hunting trip aboard the ship, The John Martin. He begins by warning all not go sealing on the John Martin. The narrator talks with Bill about going out on the ice the next day, and says to put the kettle on for tea. Captain Nick Ash throws the kettle overboard onto the ice. Captain Ash spots the seals and orders his men overboard to hunt them, and in short time, they filled the ship 'to the hatch' with their haul. The captain brandishes a stick, saying that the sealers have eaten all of his molasses and pork, and now he's going to make them work. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1925). Songs sung by old-time sealers of many years ago. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 6-7.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Reardon, Stephen
    Date composed
    1845
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    12533 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Women / Retailers / Soap / Laundering / Advertising
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An advertising song for laundry soap. The soap is recommended to the women of Newfoundland to make their washing work easier, and merchants say that the soap is selling well. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 69.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    4406 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Ships / Shipwrecks / Mysteries / Accidental death / Seal hunting / Grief / Loss at sea (person)
    Subject date
    Spring 1914
    Synopsis
    The sealing vessel, The Southern Cross, is lost at sea while returning from the seal hunt. The narrator recalls the waving flags and rejoicing, when the ship left port. The ship, Portia, spots The Southern Cross, deeply laden and sailing home, and it is seen no more after that. The narrator entreats the sea breezes to reveal the fate of the ship to the many grieving family members. [MET]
    Source
    Lehr, G., ed. 1985. Come and I will sing you: a Newfoundland songbook. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Pp. 175-176.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    University of Toronto Press
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/01/southern2.htm
  • Roud No
    2796 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Laws dD36
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Seal hunting / Ships / Oceans & seas / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Loss at sea (person) / Accidental death / Prayer / <Sea captains>
    Subject date
    1914-04 / April 1914
    Synopsis
    A sailing vessel with 170 men disappears, 1914. (Laws 1964, p.265) The sealing vessel, Southern Cross, with one hundred and seventy crew members, is lost in a storm. After harvesting a bumper crop of seals, the Southern Cross heads home, but is struck by a storm. The captain of another ship sees the vessel and assumes that it took shelter, but the Southern Cross is never seen again. The S. S. Kyle is dispatched to find the ship, but can find no trace. The narrator advises to trust in God, and prays that the crew rest peacefully in Heaven. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 281-282.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Laws, G. M. (1964). Native American balladry. Revised edition. Philadelphia: American Folklore Society
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/01/southern.htm
  • Roud No
    7312 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Pride & praise of place / Beauty / Young women / Sailors / Cape Broyle (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator praises Cape Broyle, Newfoundland, as the Queen of the Southern Shore of the island. Ships come into the harbour to load sand, but stay longer than necessary because of the attractive young women The narrator marvels at the attractions of Cape Broyle. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 47.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Cahill, Gertrude Carew (GEST, no date).
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'The southern shore queen'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/25/queen.htm [Accessed 18 November 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/25/queen.htm
  • Roud No
    4079 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Laws dD33
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Spaniards / Sea captains / Wives / Daughters / Shipwrecks / Accidental death / <Tug boats> / Prayers
    Subject date
    1876-08 -14 / 14 August 1876 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    The Spanish captain and his wife and daughter die when the Margarita is wrecked. (Laws 1964, p.264). A Spanish captain, his wife and daughter, sail for Newfoundland aboard the Margarita. Upon arriving off-shore, they await a tug boat, but none arrives. A heavy fog obliterates the coast, and the ship founders on a rock. All three drown, and the narrator prays for their souls in Heaven. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 275-276.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adolescent) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Laws, G. M. (1964). Native American balladry. Revised edition. Philadelphia: American Folklore Society / GEST (no date). 'The Spanish captain'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/12/spanishcaptain.htm [Accessed 28 November 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/12/spanishcaptain.htm
  • Roud No
    6469 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Sea captains / Ships / Seals (mammals) / Seal hunting / Sea-going operations / Fighting / Telling of tales / Inexperience
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator tells of Maurice Crotty, a great tale teller, who is remembered as an inexperienced seal hunter who has a fist fight with a seal. On his first seal-hunting trip, the captain orders him to take the wheel of the ship, which makes him “shake like a mouse on a skillet.” A large steamer passes by, which Crotty mistakes for a floating apothecary. The next morning, the crew go out on the ice to hunt seals. Crotty is not seen until the men turn back towards the ship with their catches. They spot him having a fist fight with a dangerous male hood seal. The seal knocks Crotty flat, and the narrator and other crew members take him back to the ship, where Crotty claims that the seal did not fight fairly and must have been drunk. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 3-5.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    James Murphy
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    6470 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Oceans & seas / Seal hunting / Ice floes / Sea storms / Accidental death / Prayer / Praise of local trades / Cabot Isle (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    1897-04 / April 1897
    Synopsis
    The narrator recounts a voyage to the ice fields off of Cabot Isle, Newfoundland, to hunt seals. The hunt is successful, but a spring storm hits the crew. Four men die. The narrator asks for God's mercy on all sealers. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 62.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/16/spring97.htm
  • Roud No
    4429 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / At sea setting / Fishing (commercial) / <Politicians> / Historical persons / Local characters / Fishermen / Boats / Clothes / Squid / Joking / <Alcoholic drinking> / Warnings
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A lighthearted description of the communal practice among Newfoundland fishers of gathering at a specified area of the sea, known as a "ground," to fish for squid, using hook-lined lead sinkers, known as "jiggers."The song describes the clothing appropriate to this activity, and the easy-going banter, storytelling, political talk (one fisher is critical of Newfoundland Prime Minister, Sir Richard Squires), drinking, and general lounging, as the gathering awaits some indication that the squid are within range. The song describes several of the local characters on the gathered boats. When the squid arrive, the activity of the fishers is both furious and merry, as all jig as many squid as quickly as they can. The jigged squid squirt their "juice" every which way, including in the eye of one and down the throat of another. The song ends with a warning that anyone who is too fastidious should stay away from the squid jiggin' grounds. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1940). The old time songs and poetry of Newfouindland. 2nd ed. St. John's: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 66-67
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 8 / Male (Child) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Scammell, Arthur R.
    Date composed
    1928
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    V44691 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Fires (disasters) / Summer / Bells / <Ships>
    Subject date
    1892-07 / July 1892
    Synopsis
    The Angelus bells ring on a summer's evening in St. John's, Newfoundland, and all the ships lie peacefully in the harbour. Everyone anticipates a fine summer. Then the bells ring out a warning of fire, which engulfs the entire city. In the morning, the homeless gaze at the destruction of homes and businesses. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 77-78.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    St. George, Edward
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    4421 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Logy Bay (Newfoundland) / <St John's (Newfoundland)> / Fathers / Daughters / Sweethearts / <Ships> / <Travel> / Searching / Parental opposition (to courtship or marriage) / Love
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator is in love with a fair-haired maiden from Logy Bay, Newfoundland, but her father refuses the narrator's offer marriage to his daughter, and threatens to send her far away from Logy Bay. The next day, the father goes to St. John's and books passage for her daughter, making good his threat. Brokenhearted, the narrator plans to rove the whole world over in search of his sweetheart. The narrator concludes by asking Heaven to protect his true love. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1902). Songs and ballads of Newfoundland, ancient and modern. St. John's, Newfoundland: Milligan's Print. pp. 69-70.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Possibly written by Mark Walker (Hiscock, 203, p. 7).
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Walker, Mark (?)
    Date composed
    1860s
    Printer / Publisher
    Milligan's Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Hiscock, P. (2003). 'Ten things to consider about "The Star of Logy Bay"'. Canadian Folk Music 37(2), pp. 7-11. [http://www.canfolkmusic.ca/index.php/cfmb/article/view/274/268 [Accessed 2018-06-9]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://134.153.184.110/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns2/id/312...
  • Roud No
    V44592 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Ships / Seal hunting / Praise of local men
    Subject date
    1912-03-12 / 12 March 1912
    Synopsis
    The people of St. John's, Newfoundland, prepare to celebrate the start of the seal-hunting season by sending off the sealers. The narrator names several of the sealing ships that will carry the Newfoundlanders to the ice fields. The narrator wishes all the sealers success and safe voyages. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 14-15.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    V44729 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Logy Bay (Newfoundland) / Pride & praise of place / Valleys / Sea storms / Natural beauty
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator praises the natural beauty of Logy Bay Valley, Newfoundland. Ocean storms cannot alter the loveliness of the valley. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 61-62.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Talbot, Thomas
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44610 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Wives / Sweethearts / Saying goodbye / Seal hunting / Food & drink
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The sealers leave St. John's, as their wives and sweethearts bid farewell from the dock. On ship, the food is bad and there's nothing to drink but melted ice. With rope and gaff, the sealers hunt the seals of Newfoundland. [MET]
    Source
    England, G. A. (1924). Vikings of the ice. Reprinted 1969 as The greatest hunt in the world. Montreal: Tundra Books. pp. 128-129.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://books.google.ca/books?id=eyc7bW84kPYC&pg=PT125&lpg=PT125...
  • Roud No
    V44865 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Royal Navy / Praise of local men / Bravery / Parades
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song in praise of the Newfoundland Naval Reservists of the Royal Navy. They proudly march in parade, and the narrator praises their defense of the British Empire. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 64-66.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    MacDonald, Robert Gear
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44876 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Boyle, Charles Cavendish, Sir, 1849-1916 / Governors (public officials) / Praise of local men / Saying goodbye / Sports & games
    Subject date
    1904 (Anon., 2018)
    Synopsis
    A song of praise and farewell for Sir Cavendish Boyle, departing Governor of Newfoundland. He is thanked for his part in the treaty with the French, concerning Newfoundland's coastal rights. He is praised for his support of the island's sports and entertainments, and he is wished well for his new posting on Mauritius. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 5-7.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Print
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Anon., 2018. Cavendish Boyle. Wikipedia [online]. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavendish Boyle
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44594 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Accidental death / Rescuing / Concerts / Generosity / Charity / Praise of local people / <Ships> / Earthquakes / Tsunamis
    Subject date
    1929-11-18 / 18 Nov 1929 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    An earthquake and tsunami destroy fishing villages on the southwest coast of Newfoundland. Twenty-six lives are lost, and houses and boats are swept away. The ship, Meigle, is sent from St. John's with emergency supplies. The Canadian entertainment group, Arlie Marks and Company, holds a benefit concert for the victims, and donations come in from rich and poor. The narrator praises Newfoundlanders for their generosity. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 1.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Tidal wave at Burin (Roud 18242)
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Tidal wave at Burin'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/12/burin.htm [Accessed 14 Jan 2019].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    17755 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Fishermen / Mothers / Sweethearts / Oceans & seas / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Accidental death / Grief
    Subject date
    1873-03-28 / 28 March 1873 (Walz and Engle, 2018)
    Synopsis
    The Newfoundland ship, Thorwaldsen, sails from port as a mother and a sweetheart of crew members look on from shore. They will grieve, as the ship will not return. On the way home, the ship is hit by a storm and all aboard perish. The wreck washes up on the shore of Newfoundland. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 290-291.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Waltz, R. B., and D. G. Engle., 2018. The Ballad Index. [online] http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/GrMa143.html [Accessed 28 November 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
  • Roud No
    V44726 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / New York City / Exiles / Sweethearts / Ponds / Loneliness / Nostalgia / Ice skating
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An exile from St. John's, Newfoundland, now living in New York, thinks back nostalgically to ice skating with his sweetheart, Kate, on Burton's Pond. Nothing in New York, or the rest of the world, can compare to his memories of skating with his sweetheart on the pond. Kate is now a wife and mother, while he leads a lonely life. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 55-56.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44595 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Local government personnel / <Wives> / Alcoholic drinks / Rum / Beer / Retailers / Law enforcement / Complaints
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A song of complaint regarding the rationing of alcohol in St. John's, Newfoundland, to three bottles per week. The buyer must apply for a ration book, administered by Mr. Mifflin, the Controller. The narrator wonders what he will do if his wife is taken ill without alcohol in the house. If there's no money for rum, the only recourse is beer. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 21.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / <Female (Adult) x 1>
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    12531 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Fishermen / Fishing vessels / <Clothes> / Boasting
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Three fishermen set off in an inshore fishing boat. The narrator anticipates a good catch. The boat steers well with a good breeze and plenty of bait, and they soon reach a shoal of fish. The narrator changes into his oil skins (waterproof fishing clothes). Skipper Harry lies down, half-asleep, when the fish hit the line. One fish jumps up, but the hook comes loose. Skipper Tommy thinks there may be better luck catching smaller fish in another area, so they haul up their anchor and make good time to another fishing spot. They arrive back home with a barrel full of cod livers, bragging to the women that they are “devils for fish.” [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 65.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    This song is also known as Skipper Tom (Peacock 1965, p. 143-144), and The Crooked-Nosed Punt (from the Memorial University Folklore Archive).

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Peacock, K. (1965). Songs of the Newfoundland outports. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    7313 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Tickle Cove Pond (Newfoundland) / Lakes / Loggers / Lake accidents / Mares / Sea shanties / Hauling on ropes / Praise of local men / Neighbourliness / Rescuing / Ice
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator is hauling wood with his horse, when they fall through the ice on Tickel Cove Pond, Newfoundland; the horse is pulled out by helpful neighbours. Cutting and hauling wood is hard work, but when the pond freezes over, it creates a shortcut for hauling the wood home. But in April the ice is thin, and the horse is reluctant to move forward until foolishly prodded by her master. They both break through the ice, and the narrator yells for help. His neighbours rush to the rescue, hauling out the horse to the accompaniment of a shanty song. The narrator praises his neighbours. [MET]
    Source
    Smallwood, J. R. 1937. The Book of Newfoundland, I. St. John's: Newfoundland Book Publishers. P. 468.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Walker, Mark (Hiscock, 2002)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Newfoundland Book Publishers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Hiscock, P. (2002). 'Taking apart "Tickle Cove Pond"' .Canadian journal for traditional music. Vol. 29. pp. 32-68. Available at: https://cjtm.icaap.org/content/29/05-Hiscock.pdf [Accessed 2021-06-19].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns_tools/id/45755
  • Roud No
    18242 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Burin (Newfoundland) / Townspeople / God / Destruction / Boats / Quays / Earthquakes / Tsunamis / Running away / Death by drowning / Moon / <Rewards> / Heaven / Property / Songwriting
    Subject date
    1929-11-18 / 18 Nov 1929
    Synopsis
    An earthquake hits Burin, Newfoundland, followed by a tidal wave. It sweeps away boats and wharfs, as the townspeople escape to higher ground. Some think the moon has shifted from its path. Sixteen people are swept away and drown. God will reward them in heaven. The belongings of the people are scattered far and wide. The narrator concludes by identifying himself as the composer, his land now destroyed by the earthquake, which he leaves to God. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 5 Track 5
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Terrible disaster on the south west coast : lives and property carried away by tidal wave (Roud V44594)
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/5-05.htm
  • Roud No
    12520 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Sons / Mothers / Ships / Leaving home / Nostalgia
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator boards a ship to leave his boyhood home. Friends gather on deck to say farewell, and as the ship sails off, the narrator looks back at the receding coastline. He thinks back to his childhood days, and imagines his mother praying for the protection of her son. He will not see her again in this life. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 7.
    Characters
    Males (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Tilley, Mr.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    18243 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Torbay (Newfoundland) / Millertown (Newfoundland) / Loggers / Husbands / Wives / Local characters / <Hugging> / <Bridges> / Rail transport / Logging (forestry) / <Fishing (commercial)> / Christmas
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Newfoundlanders from Torbay hire on as loggers in Millertown, Newfoundland. One man leaves Torbay in such a hurry, he breaks a bridge that must be repaired. A wife knows that her husband will hug her, when he returns, and never to go to Millertown again. Another leaves, despite the objections of his wife, and takes the train to Millertown. Other men also board the train. Others leave their fishing to go logging. The women are left to await their husbands’ return at Christmas, only to see them go off afterwards to Millertown. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 3A Track 5
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 17 / Female (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/3A-5.htm
  • Roud No
    18244 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Landscape / Sweethearts / Former lovers / <Towers> / <Lakes> / <Parks> / Nostalgia / God / Blessings
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator thinks nostalgically of his youth in Newfoundland and of the splendour of the island’s natural landscape. He recalls his sweetheart, and their walks in that landscape. They vow their love to each other, but that love is now faded. He wishes that he could once again see Cabot Tower, Quidi Vidi Lake, and Bannerman Park, all landmarks in St John’s, Newfoundland. He asks God’s blessing on Newfoundland. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 5A Track 7
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Dodge, Jack
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/5A-07.htm
  • Roud No
    2716 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Arctic Ocean / Ungava (Quebec) / Labrador / Sailors / Sea captains / Inuits / Traders / Inexperience / Snow / Ice / Cold / <Fires> / <Ducks> / Salmon / Hunger / Tall stories
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator, an inexperienced sailor, ships on board for a trip to Labrador. The captain swears to kill him, perhaps for his inexperience. Landing in Labrador, the narrator notes the ice and snow, and the flocks of ducks. The cold even seems to freeze the fire. The ship proceeds to the Arctic Ocean, where the salmon are plentiful, and Ungava, Quebec, where he sees Inuit, who barter with the captain. If he returns home, he’ll tell of the salmon and the starving Inuit. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 23 Track 1
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Cornelly, Tom (or Cornealy)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/23-01_51.htm
  • Roud No
    7288 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Labrador / Fishermen / Young women / Love / Marriage proposals / Priests / <Fish> / <Wells>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A Labrador fisherman is spreading fish on the wharf to dry. He spies a young woman drawing water from a well, and asks for a drink. He then proposes marriage, and she accepts. When a priest arrives on a steamer, he marries them, and they live happily in a cottage by the sea. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 65.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/17/september.htm
  • Roud No
    17693 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Loggers / Poor working conditions / Warnings / <Dreaming> / Twin Lakes (Newfoundland) / Cheats
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    At his wife's suggestion, the narrator looks for work in a lumber camp in Twin Lakes, Newfoundland. When he arrives in camp, there are no bunks for him, so he sleeps on a table. The sleeping loggers shout out, as if logging in their sleep. The next morning, the narrator takes a saw and looks for good timber. He complains about the poor wages, and the way that the lumber company cheats their workers by making them pay exorbitantly for lodging and blankets. He warns young men to avoid Twin Lakes. He warns young women to avoid marrying a logger from Twin Lakes, if they want a good home and money. He asks peddlers, who are out for his money, to remember how little he earns at Twin Lakes. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 327-328.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/16/twinlakes.htm
  • Roud No
    7315 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Sea captains (fishing) / Fishermen / Ships / Shipwrecks / Sea storms / Eggs (food) / Birds / Hunting / Icebergs / Misfortune
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Two “jinkers” (bringers of bad luck, or simple incompetents) cause trouble aboard ship. For lack of better men, Jimmie Walsh and Stephen are taken aboard the narrator's schooner. The crew feared bad weather because of the jinkers. The crew go hunting for puffins and their eggs on the Funk Islands, but the jinkers are not given a share of the eggs. When the jinkers are at the wheel and lookout, the ship is almost wrecked on a small iceberg (a “growler”). The entire fishing season is a strain because of the jinkers on board, and the narrator will not go fishing again because of the jinkers. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1940). The old time songs and poetry of Newfouindland. 2nd ed. St. John's: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 11.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Devine, Patrick Kevin (GEST, no date).
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Two jinkers'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://www.gestsongs.com/11/ellenmunn.htm [Accessed 3 July 2018].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/69812
  • Roud No
    V44864 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Fortune (Newfoundland) / Fishermen / Sea captains / Prime ministers / Ships / Rowing boats / Shipwrecks / Hunger / Sydney (Nova Scotia) / Frostbite / Hospitals
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Two fishermen from Fortune Bay, Newfoundland, are shipwrecked and spend fourteen days in a dory (rowboat) without food or water. They are finally rescued by a passing ship, and the captain takes them to Sydney, Nova Scotia, where they are hospitalized. As they are recovering from frostbite and hunger, they are visited by the Premier of Newfoundland, who orders that they be treated well. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1912?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 21-22.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny (?)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    28981 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Sea captains / Sailors / Townspeople / Priests / Ships / Sea storms / Winds / Fog / Main sails / Compasses / Shipwrecks / Death at sea / Helplessness / Prayers
    Subject date
    1878 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    A storm hits the coast of Newfoundland, and several boats are in trouble. Captain Tom Hann tries to steer his ship safely to shore, first hoisting and then lowering his mainsail. In the wind and fog, his boat founders on a rock. All are lost, while those on land watch helplessly. After the storm, the people see the wreckage, and led by their priest, say the rosary. During the same storm, a ship captained by Boyles Murphy is also in trouble with a broken compass. Trying to steer for shore, two members of the crew are swept overboard and drown. The narrator observes this tragedy from his boat, which is also swamped by the storm. He cannot help them. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 15A Track 3
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 6
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Also known as Tobias Murphy and Tom Hann (GEST, no date). .

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Leonard, Peter (GEST, no date).
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Tobias Murphy and Tom Hann'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online] Available at: http://gestsongs.com/23/tobias.htm [Accessed 2019-06-24].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/15A-03_51.htm
  • Roud No
    V44716 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Hotels / Children / Pride & praise of place / Orphanages
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The Bellvue Inn, near St. John's, Newfoundland, is turned into Villa Nova, a home for orphan boys. Where once it served as a venue for dancing and weddings, it will now be a safe home for orphans, nurturing them, training them, and preparing them for adulthood. In the future, the orphans will look back fondly on Villa Nova. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1904). Old colony song book, Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 15-16
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Morris, John
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44596 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Young women / Elections / Promises / Wages / Clothes / Moon / Sexual relations / Women's rights
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A humorous campaign song for Bride McGinnis, who is running as an independent in a Newfoundland election. She will fight for women's rights, and she makes several fanciful promises, including minimum wage for women workers, proper working clothes, a new moon twice a week to hide love-making in the street, and latches on pudding bags. She will give jobs to all her women friends, and aims to be Prime Minister. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 17.
    Characters
    Female (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    5449 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Sailors / Ships / Water features (natural) / Sea charts
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Sailing directions to part of the northern coast of Newfoundland. The song points out distances between points, landmarks, islands, dangerous sunken rocks, and water depths. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1905). Murphy's sealer's song book. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 22-24.
    Characters
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Wadham, Mr.
    Date composed
    1756
    Printer / Publisher
    Admiralty Court (London)
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    27067 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / <Sea captains> / <Ships> / Ice floes / Seal hunting / Shipwrecks / <Hauling on ropes> / <Hunger> / <Blindness> / <Praise of local people> / <Promises> / <Hospitality>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The sealing ship, St. Patrick, under the command of Tom Casey, and with a crew of 28, leaves Carbonear, Newfoundland, for the sealing grounds of White Bay. They kill five seals early on, which is encouraging, but are then jammed in the ice of White Bay for two months. Finally free, they become ice-jammed in Stag Harbour Tickle, and tow the boat with ropes until the ship founders. Hungry, thirsty, and snow-blind, the crew abandons the ship and walks to Stag Harbour, where they are cared for by John Dooley and his wife. The narrator praises them for their hospitality. Eight crew members remain behind, while the rest board the ship, Kitty, commanded by Captain Kelly, and return home. They vow never to sail with Captain Casey again. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1925). Songs sung by old-time sealers of many years ago. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 3-5.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 30 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44597 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Law enforcement / Alcoholic drinks / Retail trades / Pubs / Temperance
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A satirical song of complaint about a new law that closes St. John's, Newfoundland, pubs and liquor stores at one o'clock, and requires all customers to possess a ration book. Sellers, Mr. Grant, Mr. Mifflin, and Mr. Duff, demand that the law is followed. Silas Bell wishes that the pubs would close forever. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 2.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    12519 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Renews-Cappahayden (Newfoundland) / Local characters / Weddings / Food / Clothes / Revelry / Satire / Humour / Dancing
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A satirical description of a fanciful wedding in Renews, Newfoundland. The narrator is invited, along with many fictional characters from around the island of Newfoundland. The narrator describes a great variety of foods, some real and some fanciful. The women are dressed in their finest clothes, and the men have whiskers “to their shoes.” The narrator has borrowed an old fur cap for the occasion. [MET]
    Source
    Old home week songster (1904). [St. John's], Newfoundland: Herald Job Print. pp. 28-29.
    Characters
    Males (Adult) x 5 / Females (Adult) x 5
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Herald Job Printers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    7317 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Fishermen / Royal Navy / Voluntary enlistment / Second World War (1939-1945) / Praise of local men / Patriotism / Separation / <Sweethearts> / <Wives> / <Squid>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    All the fishermen abandon the squid jigging grounds (a patch of ocean where squid are caught) in order to join the navy during the Second World War. The narrator names various local men, who all get consent form their parents to join, who leave their wives and sweethearts, and who go to the courthouse to enlist. The narrator praises them for their courage and the need to keep Hitler down. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. p. 69.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 8
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    A sequel to Squid Jiggin' Ground (Roud 4429).

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/05/squiddin.htm
  • Roud No
    7318 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Beaches / Capelin / Local characters / <Horses>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The caplin, a smelt-like fish, come into the shallow water at a beach (an annual event), and all the people of the harbour gather to harvest the fish. The narrator describes, in a lighthearted fashion, the different types of people who come for the caplin, most with throw-nets. Horses and wagons are backed onto the beach for loading the caught fish, while boats net more fish just off the beach. In a humorous description, one man is up to his neck in the water, another complains that his haul of caplin has been stolen, while another's net is tangled and torn. The narrator tells one fellow that he arrived too late to catch any caplin; the early-comers are the successful ones. After the run of caplin is over, it's time to celebrate on the beach. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1955). Old-time songs of Newfoundland. 3rd ed. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 70-71.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 8
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Squid jiggin' ground (Roud 4429)
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/06/caplin.htm
  • Roud No
    7319 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Members of Parliament / Fathers / Sons / Daughters / Clothes / Wealth / <Organs (musical instruments)> / <Colleges> / Class difference (romantic couples)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    An outport Newfoundland member of Parliament decides to move his family to St. John's in order to take advantage of city life. Shopkeepers, cab drivers and news reporters are all excited at the prospect. The member has made a good profit from fishing, and wants to make an impression in town. He sends his son to college in fashionable clothes, and likewise clothes his daughter and buys her an organ. All of the family members now dress in the finest clothes, and the narrator admits that the member's daughter, dressed in city clothes, is the prettiest and wittiest woman in town. [MET]
    Source
    Doyle, G. S., ed. (1927). The old time songs and poetry of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: Gerald S. Doyle. pp. 31, 33.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4 / Female (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Devine, Maurice A.
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Gerald S. Doyle
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns/id/77964
  • Roud No
    V44722 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / New York City / Ships / Herrings / Whisky / Smuggling / Detectives
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The ship, Nerissa, sails from St. John's to New York loaded with barrels of herring, but each barrel also conceals a keg of whiskey. The narrator humorously complains that local folks in St. John's are thirsting for some drink, while the herring are swimming in whiskey. When the detectives in New York discover the whiskey, the smuggler must have lost a lot of money, but the identity of the smuggler remains a mystery. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J, (1960?). Burke's ballads. St. John's, Newfoundland?: John White. p. 7.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Published earlier in Burke, J., n.d.
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Burke, J., n.d. Burke's Popular Songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/3...
  • Roud No
    V44598 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Retailers / Alcoholic drinks / Secrets / Winnipeg (Manitoba)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator wants to know who is responsible for shipping alcohol from Canada to St. John's, Newfoundland. The shipment has put all of the local moonshine stills out of business. The rumour is that the contract for the alcohol is from a Winnipeg distributor, but no one is saying who the buyer is. Wherever it comes from, Newfoundlanders will drink it down. (Note: Mr. Johnson is not mentioned in the song.) [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1929). Burke's popular songs. St. John's, Newfoundland: Long Brothers. p. 16.
    Characters
    Unspecified
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Long Brothers
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/6...
  • Roud No
    7320 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Northern Bay (Newfoundland) / Ice floes / Accidental death / <Lighthouses>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    Willy March and three comrades from Northern Bay, Newfoundland, venture onto the icefields, which have blown up against the shore. But the wind blows the ice away from land, stranding them at sea. They hope that some ship might see them, but none passes by. They begin walking on the ice, hoping to reach shore, but only one has the strength to reach a lighthouse. He is too late to save Willy or his other two companions. [MET]
    Source
    England, G. A. (1924). Vikings of the ice. Reprinted 1969 as The greatest hunt in the world. Montreal: Tundra Books.. pp. 126-127.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 4
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/34/willy.htm
  • Roud No
    V44708 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Riverhead (Newfoundland) / Travel for holiday / Pubs / Pub landlords / Restaurants / Alcoholic drinking / Burials / Topsail (Newfoundland) / Sleighs
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A humorous description of a sleigh-ride excursion from St. John's, Newfoundland, to the community of Topsail. The sleigh stops several times at pubs in Riverhead and Topsail, including that of the landlady, “the good Mrs. Farrell,” where the various drinks are described, and then at a restaurant, where the landlord prepares a feast, with more drinking. After getting back to St. John's, two restaurants are suggested for an evening meal. After the excursion, the narrator hopes that the participants do not end up in one of two St. John's cemeteries. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1912). Old songs of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. p. 1.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1 / Female (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Raftus, Richard
    Date composed
    1879
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    V44705 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Praise of local men / Merchants / Religious personnel / Charity / Roman Catholic Church / <Ships>
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    The narrator praises local merchant, Walter Grieve, for his services to the Catholic Church. He is a friend of the clergy, and was close to the late Bishop Fleming. He freely gives his steamer to carry nuns to the Southern Shore of Newfoundland. [MET]
    Source
    Murphy, J., ed. (1912). Old songs of Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland: James Murphy. pp. 7-8.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 2
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...
  • Roud No
    24242 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Newfoundland and Labrador / Oceans & seas / Sailors / Sea captains / Ships / Shipwrecks / Sea storms / Rescuing
    Subject date
    1919-11-12 / 11 Dec 1919 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    The steamship, Ethie, is caught in a storm, and through skillful seamanship, is run aground in Bonne Bay, Newfoundland, without loss of life. The Ethie leaves Daniel's Harbour, when several hours later, a raging storm threatens to sink the ship. But the purser, first mate, and captain use their skills to run the ship aground off of Martin's Point. Those on shore rig a boatswain's chair to bring all ashore safely. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 277-280.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Easin, Burney
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'Wreck of the steamship Ethie'. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online]. Available at: http://gestsongs.com/07/ethie.htm [Accessed 4 July 2018]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/07/ethie.htm
  • Roud No
    4417 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Laws dD35
    Subject terms
    Renews-Cappahayden (Newfoundland) / <Cape Spear (Newfoundland)> / Oceans & seas / <Sea captains> / Ships' passengers / Ocean liners / Sea storms / Rescuing / Accidental death / Grief / Loss at sea (person) / Shipwrecks
    Subject date
    1918-02-23 / 23 Feb 1918
    Synopsis
    The passenger ship, S. S. Florizel, wrecks on the rocks near Renews, Newfoundland, with the loss of many lives. The ship sails despite an impending storm, which hits as the ship rounds Cape Spear. Neither Captain Martin nor the passengers are concerned, as the Florizel is a sturdy ship. Near Renews, the ship strikes a rock and many passengers are washed overboard. The ship sends a distress signal and a ship comes to the rescue of the remaining passengers. A gloom is cast on the homes of those lost. [MET]
    Source
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. pp. 283-284.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Endacott, Joan (words) / Freeman, Harvey (music)
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Laws, G. M. (1964). Native American balladry. Revised edition. Philadelphia: American Folklore Society
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://gestsongs.com/01/florizel.htm
  • Roud No
    30147 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Cape Broyle (Newfoundland) / Townspeople / Local characters / Cobblers / Shipwrecks / Food / Bread / Jam / Soup / Rice / Macaroni / Ropes / Shoes / Water pipes / Marine salvage / Taxes
    Subject date
    1926-10-29 / 29 Oct 1926 (Waltz and Engle, 2019)
    Synopsis
    The ship, Toravan, is wrecked off of Cape Broyle, Newfoundland. People come from all along the coast to salvage what they can from the ship. Among the items salvaged are bread, jam, bouillon cubes, rice, macaroni, lead pipes, and rope, some of it later sold by the salvagers. The narrator mentions several of the salvagers, and notes that items from the wreck are in cupboards all along the coast, with no tax paid on the items. The narrator suggests that if a local shoemaker charges too much, there are shoes to be found in the harbor. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 1 Track 1
    Characters
    Unspecified (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    The actual name of the wrecked ship was The Torhamvan (Waltz and Engle, 2019).

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Waltz, R. B. and Engle, D. G. (2020). 'Wreck of the Torhamvan, The (The Wreck of the Toravan)'. The ballad index. [online]. Available at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/ML3Tormh.html [Accessed 2021-04-04].
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/1-01_51.htm
  • Roud No
    30132 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Corner Brook (Newfoundland) / Sailors / Sea captains / First mates / Bo'suns / Scots / Ships / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Rigging (boats & ships) / Lifeboats (shipboard) / Death at sea / Blame / Government / Politicians / Lighthouses
    Subject date
    1881 or 1883 (GEST, no date).
    Synopsis
    The ship, Jane Hunter, leaves Corner Brook, Newfoundland, and encounters a storm. The ship is wrecked on the rocks. The captain is sick, and the first mate and bos’un first ordered the crew to climb the rigging, and then to abandon ship in the lifeboat. Three Scottish sailors jump overboard, but only one survives. The dead and dying cling to wreckage. The captain breaks his arm and succumbs. The narrator blames the government for not placing a lighthouse on shore to prevent shipwrecks, and urges the politicians to think of those who died. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 2 Tape 10A Track 14
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 6
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    GEST (no date). 'John Cutter '. GEST songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. [online] Available at: http://gestsongs.com/20/cutter.htm [Accessed 2019-06-02]
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD2/10A-14_51.htm
  • Roud No
    6468 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    Montreal / Boston (Massachusetts) / Gloucester (Massachusetts) / St John's (Newfoundland) / Railway construction personnel / Fishermen / <Sea captains (fishing)> / River boats / Ships / Sea storms / Shipwrecks / Being swept overboard / Accidental death / Leaving home / Robbery / Working conditions / Travel
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    A group of Newfoundlanders leave home to work on a railroad near Montreal, but the work is too hard, so they go to Halifax. There they are employed on a riverboat, but are robbed of their wages. From there they go to Boston, and then Gloucester, where they sign onto the fishing vessel, Morning's Gloom, heading for George's Bank. They are hit by a severe storm, which carries them dangerously close to the Newfoundland coast. As the ship is wrecked, seven of the fourteen fishermen are washed overboard, but the rest reach safety in St John's, Newfoundland, where they recount their experiences. The narrator concludes by claiming that the George's Bank fishery is the most dangerous. [MET]
    Source
    Leach, M., ed. (2004). MacEdward Leach and the songs of Atlantic Canada. [online]. St John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland. NFLD 1 Tape 11A Track 10
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 1
    Song voice
    Male
    Song history
    Notes

    An earlier, more fragmentary version, appears in Greenleaf and Mansfield (1933, pp. 306-3070; the song is also known as The Shea Gang (Peacock 1965, p. 916).

    Comparative songs
    Fifteen ships on George's Banks (Roud 2229)
    Author / Composer
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Greenleaf, E. B. and Mansfield, G. Y., eds. (1933). Ballads and sea songs of Newfoundland. Reprint 1968. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. / Peacock, K. (1965). Songs of the Newfoundland outports. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada.
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/NFLD1/11A-10.htm
  • Roud No
    V44599 [Click on the Roud number to search for variants of this song]
    Other nums
    Subject terms
    St John's (Newfoundland) / Escaping / Prisons / Theft / <Peter, the Apostle, Saint> / <Boots> / <Food> / Kilbride (Newfoundland)
    Subject date
    Synopsis
    In a comic song, the narrator describes the exploits of Young, who escapes from the prison in St. John's, Newfoundland. He escapes with two companions, who are soon captured, but Young goes on a stealing spree: stealing boots from some anglers, and food from the townsfolk of Kilbride, Newfoundland. The narrator exaggerates Young's abilities as a thief, claiming, for example, that he could steal the tassel from St. Peter's smoking cap. Young is healthy and strong, and will not be easy to capture. [MET]
    Source
    Burke, J., ed. (1926). Burke's Christmas songster Xmas 1926. St. John's, Newfoundland: John Burke. pp. 8-9.
    Characters
    Male (Adult) x 3
    Song voice
    Unspecified
    Song history
    Notes

    Comparative songs
    Author / Composer
    Burke, Johnny, 1851-1930
    Date composed
    Printer / Publisher
    John Burke
    Named singer
    Named venue
    Bib. ref(s)
    Indexer
    MET
    Example text
    URL
    http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cns/id/5...