Lyr Add: Life of a Voyageur/Voyager

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Life of a Voyageur/Voyager
From: GUEST,LongJohn
Date: 24 Oct 17 - 02:33 AM

Played this song again the other evening for the first time in several years - made me think of this thread...

Hmmm, when this thread began my younger son was 11 months old. Last summer was his second as a counselor at Manito-wish. Plus, he's a way better guitar player than I'll ever be.    ;-)

I live about an hour and a half south of Rhinelander. Yes, lots of pretty country up in our north woods, but it's a much more subtle beauty than out your way.

- John

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Life of a Voyageur/Voyager
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jun 18 - 01:42 AM

I learned the first two versus of this song at Camp Sacajawea in central Iowa in 91-92 time frame. So cool to see how this song has traveled over the decades. Also cool to how old this thread is!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Life of a Voyageur/Voyager
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jan 20 - 05:47 PM

I was a counselor at Camp Manito-wish in 1981 and 1962. Mary Satterfield was a counselor there then. She wrote that song, but we only sang two verses then.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Life of a Voyageur/Voyager
From: GUEST,Coke (Colleen Pike Holbrook)
Date: 15 Sep 20 - 08:52 PM

Oh golly. I have never heard of camp Manito-wish or any others back east, for I'm a Pacific Nortwest Scout. A rather old one now, but every summer camp songs sprout wings in my heart, and this one is an old favorite. The minor key songs seem to make the most impact, it seems. My camps were River Ranch (camper,1960s-staff in 1974 and 76) in Carnation; Lyle McLeod (camper 1960s) in Belfair, and Robbinswold (camper, early 1970s) in Lilliwaup, all in Washington State. Then Camp Whispering Winds 1975 in Philomath, Oregon, and Flying G Ranch in Deckers, Colorado in 1977. Canoeing and sailing were always part of camp and Life of a Voyageur was always on top of the list. Another one was Far I Long to Go Today. Also Once a Canadian Lad. And Bed is Too Small for my Tiredness....Oh now I'm going to have to break out Bethany Mara, my old 12 string guitar who was my camp comrade since I was 14 (that was OMG 49 years ago).....Thank you for the memories....

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Life of a Voyageur/Voyager
From: GUEST,LongJohn
Date: 28 Oct 20 - 02:42 AM

I recently learned that the author of this song passed away...

Mary Alice Satterfield Swanson, 78, passed away on May 9, 2020. Mary was born on November 14, 1941 in Madison, WI.

She is the composer of several songs about the North Country such as "The Life of a Voyager," and "The River Maligne" which are recognized as national folk songs.

You can read the full obituary here: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/azcentral/obituary.aspx?pid=196314686

I am long-time friends with a few of her friends (who always insisted that the song had only two verses - as originally written). I sincerely regret that I never had the opportunity to meet Mary in person. By all accounts, she was an interesting person with wide-ranging interests. I would have loved to hear her sing this song...

RIP Mary, and know that your songs have touched so many.

- John

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Life of a Voyageur/Voyager
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Oct 20 - 03:10 AM

Me again.

A renewed web search for this song turned up a few versions on YouTube:

Eli Marten, a Manito Wish camper posted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu23BgovCjg

Franmoss9 and friend do an acapella version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWbgzv39mXQ

Julia Floberg does an up-tempo version with cello https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-OIe_Cakio

- John

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Life of a Voyageur/Voyager
From: GUEST,Andy M.
Date: 22 Dec 20 - 03:52 PM

Hi Everyone ,

Wow, reading through this thread is like traveling through time a bit. I know of this song through my Mom who was a camper and later a camp counselor at Camp Manitou in New Auburn WI. I can't tell you how many times we have sang this haunting tune around the campfire.

I was transcribing this song as a gift to my Mom, and was looking for who originally wrote it. I will make sure to correct the tab to reflect Mary as the author. It looks like my version is very close to what John put down as the chords.

I hope this helps keep the song alive.

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/misc-traditional/life-of-a-voyageur-chords-3474569

Best,

-Andy

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Life of a Voyageur/Voyager
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Dec 20 - 03:25 AM

Gee, Andy,
YMCA Camp Manitou is still going strong. I grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, and worked at a camp in the Kettle Moraine outside Milwaukee, but I never, ever even dreamed of going as far as New Auburn. Heck, I never even heard of it, although I did hear about nearby Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls - it seemed like they were suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul. I've lived in California since 1970 and distances now mean little to me - but when I was growing up, it was just too much to go all the way across Wisconsin to the Eau Claire area. I went to Eau Claire once, and that was enough. I've seen much more of Wisconsin since I moved away from it.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Life of a Voyageur/Voyager
From: GUEST,Guest, LongJohn
Date: 08 Mar 21 - 12:42 AM

Looks like it was about 18 years ago that I heard Richard "Blackhawk" Kapusta sing a version of this song, which got me to digging in the web and led to my first post here.

This evening, while searching for something totally unrelated, a youtube of him singing an a capella take turned up. His version has evolved some, and he has re-cast it as 'Wisconsin Wilderness', but he has the melody exactly right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvh3mzG20Zw

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Life of a Voyageur/Voyager
From: GUEST,#
Date: 09 Mar 21 - 06:19 PM

https://grogchc.homestead.com/c_song_lyrics.html

https://grogchc.homestead.com/c_song_lyrics.html