The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #89479   Message #1689347
Posted By: Joe Offer
09-Mar-06 - 12:55 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
I'm surprised we haven't had previous threads on this song. Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry:

Squid-Jiggin' Ground, The

DESCRIPTION: A song of the life of a squid fisherman. The fishermen are named, as are their homes and their peculiarities. The final stanzas warn of the messy work: "Now if ever you feel inclined to go squiddin', leave your white shirts and collars behind in the town"
AUTHOR: Arthur R. Scammell
EARLIEST DATE: c. 1929
KEYWORDS: fishing nonballad moniker work
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Fowke/Johnston, pp. 51-53, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Doyle2, pp. 66-67, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Doyle3, pp. 57-58, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Blondahl, pp. 32-33, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 127, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text)
DR, SQUIDJIG*
Roud #4429
RECORDINGS:
Omar Blondahl, "Squid Jiggin' Ground" (on NFOBlondahl05)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "When Our Boys Gave Up Squiddin'" (tune)
Notes: Fowke writes, "The tale of what happens when fishermen head for 'The Squid-Jiggin' Ground' is the most widely known of all Newfoundland songs.... It was written by... Arthur R. Scammell when he was only fifteen....
"The squid is a species of cuttle-fish about ten inches long which is used as bait for larger fish. It has the peculiar characteristic of squirting forth an inky liquid when it is disturbed. Large schools of squid move in at certain parts of the Newfoundland coast during August, September, and October, and then the fishermen head out to pull them in with line and jigger." - RBW
File: FJ051

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