Lyr Req: The Asia

Subject: The Asia
From: GUEST,paddy
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 01:31 PM

I'm searching for lyrics to a song about a shipwreck on the Great Lakes. I think it's titled The Asia.

A bit of the chorus is: The Asia's going down. They said she was the finest ship put out from Owen Sound.

Thanks for helping me out.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Asia
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 11:22 PM

There is a group called SONG OF THE LAKES that sings "The Asia" on their album "WALKING THE PLANK". I intended to learn the song a while back and sort of gave up because I couldn't understand all of the words and there were no lyrics with the tape. I'll check with the wife tomorrow and see if she can pick out the missing words (her ears are a lot better than mine). I have about three fourths of the words but with major gaps.

If you want to check out the web site of the group SONG OF THE LAKES go to:

http://www.songofthelakes.com/music.html

They do have some audio files there but not the one you want.

Cap't Bob

Subject: Lyr Add: WRECK OF THE ASIA ^^
From: Barry T
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 01:51 AM

WRECK OF THE ASIA

Loud roared the dreadful tumult, and stormy was the day
When the Asia left her harbour to cross the Georgian Bay.
One hundred souls she had on board, likewise a costly store,
And on that trip this gallant ship she sank to rise no more.

There were three and thirty shantyboys, wholehearted, stout and brave.
For French River they were bound, but found a watery grave.
Men tried to save the captain as the waters round him raged.
"Oh no", cried he, "Ne'er think of me till all on board are saved."

I'll ne'er forget MacDougall... that was his honoured name,
Immortalized by gallant deeds and handed down to fame.
The cabin-boy next passed away, so young and true and brave.
His parents weep while his body sleeps in the Georgian's watery grave.

And likwise Willie Christie, with his lately-wedded bride,
Were bound for Manitoulin, where her parents did reside.
"If we had only left this boat last evening at Owen Sound!
Oh Willie, dear, why came we here to in these waters drown?"

Of all the souls she had on board two only are alive
Miss Morrison and Tinkiss, they only did survive.
Miss Morrison and Tinkiss, their names I'll ne'er forget,
Protected by a lifeboat which five times did upset.

That boat was seen to hold eighteen which into her did climb,
But it upset, and down they went... there were seven at one time.
Now in the deep their bodies sleep; their eartly trials are o'er,
And on the beach their bones do bleach along the Georgian shore.

BT^^

Subject: Great Lakes Song: Wreck of the Asia
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 05:29 AM

Say, Barry, got a tune for us?
Thanks.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Asia
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 10:03 AM

Many thanks Barry ~ you saved me from ear strain.

SONG OF THE LAKES does use the following course:

And its Oh laddies Oh, what more can we do
To try and save the Asia, the passengers and crew
And it's Oh laddies Oh, the Asias going down
They say she was the finest ship put out from Owens Sound.

They also start the first verse with: "The sky was dark, the wind did howl, and stormy was the day, when the gallant ship the Asir she crossed the Georgen Bay."

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Asia
From: Barry T
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 02:02 AM

As requested, here is a midi of the tune...

...and the lyrics with background midi are here

It may be my musical imagination, but to me this melody sounds like The Star of County Down slowed down to 33 rpm. Only the line endings differ.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Asia
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 02:31 AM

Thank you very much, Barry. Nice job.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Asia
From: GUEST,paddy
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 10:39 AM

Thanks for your help!

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FOUNDERING OF THE ASIA
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Jan 04 - 08:08 PM

Lyr. Add: THE FOUNDERING OF THE ASIA

Loud roared the dreadful thunder,
And stormy was the day,
When the Asia left the harbor
To cross the Georgian Bay.

One hundred souls she had on board,
Likewise a costly store,
But on her trip this gallant ship
She sank to rise no more.

There were three and thirty shanty boys,
All hearty, strong and brave,
All bound for Byng Inlet,
But they found a watery grave.

The men cried "Save the Captain!"
As the waters round them raged,
"Oh, no," cried he, "ne'er think of me,
'Til all on board are saved."

The cabin boy was first to die,
So young, so brave, so true.
His parents weep while his body sleeps
In Georgian's watery grave.

I'll never forget MacDougall,
Which was the purser's name,
When immortalized, the deeds he did
Were handed down to fame.

Likewise young Willie Christie and
His newly wedded bride
Were bound for Manitoulin,
Where their parents did reside.

"Oh, had we only left the boat
Last night on Owen Sound,
Oh, Willie dear, why came we here,
To in these waters drown?"

"Mama will say, why such delay?
But oh, she must excuse,
'Twill make her sad, likewise my dad,
When they hear the dreadful news."

Their earthly cries would rend the skies,
Which awful must have been,
For the storm that day on Georgian Bay,
Was awful to be seen.

Of all the souls she had on board,
Two only are alive;
Miss Morrison and Tinkiss,
Are all that did survive.

Miss Morrison and Tinkiss,
Their names I can't forget,
Were saved in a lifeboat,
Which four times did upset.

Around each family circle,
How sad the news to hear!
The foundering of the Asia,
Still sounding in each ear.

But in the deep they're fast asleep,
Their earthly trials are o'er.
Out on the beach, their bones do bleach,
Along the Georgian shore.

Georgian Bay is on Lake Huron, laced with islands and rocks.
The Canadian-built schooner "Asia" cleared Collingwood, Ontario, Sept. 12, 1882, with shanty boys and supplies for the start of the logging season at camps near the mouth of the French River. The vessel stopped at Owen Sound to take on additional passengers and freight bound for Manitoulin Island and Sault Ste. Marie. She was overloaded and men and horses were on the main deck. Captain J. N. Savage steered the boat toward the lee of Lonely Island when the storm came up, but the craft foundered before reaching shelter. The two teens mentioned in the song, Duncan Tinkiss and Christina Ann Morrison, washed ashore in a lifeboat, the only survivors.
Stanzas from several sources; seven through nine from Mrs. Robert Reid in 1934. She had sailed as cook on lumber steamers in the 1880s and 1890s.
Lyrics and story from "Windjammers, Songs of the Great Lakes Sailors," I. J. Walton and Joe Grimm, 2002, Wayne State University Press, pp. 208-209.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Asia
From: Barry T
Date: 05 Jan 04 - 10:36 PM

An updated url for the midi with lyrics is...

http://members.shaw.ca/tunebook/asia.htm