Lyr Req: Farewell to Nova Scotia

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell to Nova Scotia
From: GUEST,Dennis
Date: 09 Jul 05 - 08:33 AM

I've been reading the Nova Scotia Farewell lyrics posted here. They're fine as far as the song goes in general. But, if you're interested in how it actually was sung by Ian & Sylvia, the wording is slightly different in a few spots. Try these...

The sun was setting in the west
The birds were singing on ev'ry tree
All nature seemed inclined for to rest
But still there was no rest for me

Farewell to Nova Scotia, the sea-bound coast
Let your mountains dark and dreary be
For when I am far away on the briny ocean toss
Will you ever heave a sigh or a wish for me?

I grieve to leave my native land
I grieve to leave my comrades all
And my aged parents whom I've always held so dear
And the bonnie, bonnie lass that I do adore

The drums do beat and the wars do alarm
The captain calls, I must obey
So farewell, farewell to Nova Scotia's charm
For it's early in the morning I am far, far away

I have three brothers and they are at rest
Their arms a-folded on their breast
But a poor and simple sailor just like me
Must be tossed and driven on the dark blue sea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell to Nova Scotia
From:
Date: 09 Jul 05 - 08:51 AM

Ian and Syliva's version IS slightly different, but not so much that it's significant. The original words are still the way most people sing it, and many people do slight variances on it.

If we'd put in every version like that, we'd be seeing about 4 times the messages in this thread.

Terry, if you ever locate that tape, I bet it was Dr. Helen Creighton. She died in 1990 if I remember rightly, so it would have been quite a long time back that Sylvia interviewed her.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell to Nova Scotia
From: GUEST,Dan in Nova Scotia
Date: 09 Jul 05 - 07:45 PM

Hello Folks,

There were several people whom Helen collected this song from, one being, I believe, Walter Roast from Petpeswick near Musquodoboit up the Eastern Shore. In fact during the reign of Singalong Jubilee on CBC the crew went up and recorded Walter singing the song from the fishing dock near his home. However, most of the folks Helen collected this song from came form the Petpeswick/Musquodoboit area. There is also another variant collected which I varied myself, Farewell My Lassie-O.

Much of this information can be found in Clary Croft's biography on Helen Creighton: Helen Creighton: Canada's First Lady of Folklore.

Good Luck and Good Hunting.

Cheers,

Dan