Lyr Req/Add: Out from St. Leonards (O'Driscoll)^^

Subject: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St. Leo.
From: GUEST,Corinne
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 07:36 AM

I've tried every combination I can think of, and cannot find these...help please !

1)Although I've had a good life, as good as any man
If I could change the course of time...
...the rugged shores of home..
..I'd go to sea no more...


2) And it's out from St. Leonards, and out from Toslow..
..bound away with their sons and their daughters

Thanks :)

---

Click for Go to Sea No More

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 11:20 AM

Sorry Corinne, no luck here. Do you know if it's a very old song, or a new song, or a parody, or possibly a combination of two songs, or has somebody recorded it, or did you hear it in school? I'm currently trying to find a song I heard as a child in school, and most of the people I think might know it have died!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From: Jimmy C
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 11:41 AM

Out from St Leonard is a maritime song from the esat coast of Canada. I have it on a record somewhere and will try to find it. I believe its a song about leaving there and coming to Toronto due to the decline of the fishing industry. Is this the one you are looking for,

I only know one song called " Go to sea no more" it was recorded by the "Dubliners". The first verse went "
The first time I landed in Liverpool
I went upon a spree
My money alas, I spent it fast
Got drunk as drunk can be
And when my money was all gone
'twas then that I wanted more
But a man must be blind
If he makes up his mind
To go to sea once more
? does this resembe the song you want, I know all the words and I believe it is is th DT.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From: Dale Rose
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 11:44 AM

I THOUGHT I was going to be able to help you with St. Leonard's, but unfortunately the site that had the lyrics has disappeared, as they so often do. The Ennis Sisters have a very nice recording, which I keep meaning to get, but have not done so yet.

Here is a fragment that I remember:

Now the islands and harbours and coves are ghost towns
you need a long liner to harvest the ground
and the big oil refinery now stands as a shrine
to the daughters and sons who remember a time

They sailed out from St. Leonard's and out from Toslow
they steamed 'cross the bay with their houses in tow
their beds in the bow, their stoves in the stern
bound away with their sons and their daughters

The song refers to the forced removal of settlers from sparsely settled areas of Newfoundland, though they called it a resettlement program. I wish I could remember more, but that is a start, anyway. Maybe George or someone else from Atlantic Canada can take it up.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From: Willie-O
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 12:33 PM

The evacuation of hundreds of little outports was part of Premier Joey Smallwood's grand plan for modernizing Newfoundland after he brought it into Confederation with Canada in 1949. I've never heard the song though.

Willie-O

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From: Jimmy C
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 01:03 PM

That is the song I was thinking about, , I have it somewhere in my basement. tonight I will do a search.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From: Dale Rose
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 01:14 PM

Thanks, Jimmy, I'd like to see them again, too. Here is another fragment:

In the mid 1960s, the news rang out clear
pack your bags and your ??????, you must get out of here
take your picks and your shovels, your rakes and your hoes
the government says you must pack up and go

A good while back, I also visited a Newfoundland school district site which had an excellent series of interviews and pictures from people who gave their remembrances of the relocation. Can't find it either!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From:
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 02:31 PM

If it's from Newfoundland, Dave the Ancient Mariner might be able to help. He has access (his father-in-law's) to a copy of Ken Peacock's 3 volume Folk-Songs of Newfoundland and its outpouts

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 02:37 PM

There is a short clip of Out From St. Leonard's with what sounds to be the verse Dale quoted. here at the Ennis Sisters website. Would that missing word be "nets"?

I'm sure Dave will be along...hi Dave.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From: Dale Rose
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 03:29 PM

Yep, that's where I got it, and it certainly seems to be NETS, I just couldn't hear it.

Subject: Lyr Add: OUT FROM ST. LEONARD'S (Gary O'Driscoll^^
From: Vinland
Date: 29 Jan 01 - 08:16 PM

Corinne,

Gary O'Driscoll of Bay Bulls, Newfoundland wrote "Out From St. Leonard's" in 1981. He now lives in St. John's. It's been recorded by the Irish Descendants and The Ennis Sisters. A piano/vocal/guitar arrangement is in " All Together Now...Songs of Newfoundland & Labrador volume 3" (Vinland Music, 2000). Send me a personal message if you would like further info (I publish the book).

The lyrics are directly from the author.

OUT FROM ST. LEONARD'S
(Gary O'Driscoll)

1.
In the mid 1960's the news rang out clear,
"Pack your bags and your nets you must get out of here;
Take your picks and your shovels, your rakes and your hoes,
The government says you must pack up and go".

2.
Well the news it soon spread to the harbours and coves,
That the young crowd were leaving in hordes and in droves;
For to go to Toronto to follow their goals,
Or to go to Placentia to live on the dole.

Chorus:
They steamed out from St. Leonard's and out from Toslow,
They'd steam 'cross the bay with their houses in tow;
With their beds in the bow and their stoves in the stern,
Bound away with their sons and their daughters.

3.
Now Skipper Jim Pittman he said he wouldn't go,
While there's nets to be mended and hay to be mowed;
He said he'd never work, no matter the pay,
In some hockey stick factory out Stephenville way.

Chorus

4.
Now on all politicians they cursed and they swore,
They rather would fight off in some distant war.
For when they ceased to ramble and they ceased to roam
They could always return to a place they call home.

Chorus

5.
Now the islands and harbours and coves are ghost towns,
You'd need a long liner to harvest the ground;
And the big oil refinery now stands as a shrine,
To the daughters and sons who remember a time.

Last Chorus:
They steamed out from St. Leonard's and out from Toslow,
They'd steam 'cross the bay with their houses in tow;
With their beds in the bow and their stoves in the stern,
Bound away with their sons and their daughters.

-Eric^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From: Dale Rose
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 11:24 PM

Thank you for the lyrics, Vinland. I don't suppose we could get much better than from the author himself, could we?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From: Marymac90
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 11:49 PM

Charlie King recorded a rather upbeat song on the topic of Newfoundland's assimilation into Canada called, I think We're Newfoundlanders, Not Canadians, Not by a Dammmmmn Sight Yet! I have this on a tape he recorded some years back with Martha Leader on fiddle.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 1)Go to sea no more; 2)Out from St.
From: GUEST,Bill
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 03:40 AM

Out From St Leonards. Written by Gary O'Driscol, St John's, NFLD. Original recording by The Irish Descendants.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Out from St. Leonards
From:
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 12:47 AM

Enjoy the Ennis Sisters version of this song. Would anyone have the chords or tab for this song they would like to share. I'd like to make this one of my 'learning how to play guitar' song. Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Out from St. Leonards
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 07 May 08 - 07:26 PM

When I saw the subject header, I thought maybe Cohen had been canonized for Hallelujah.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Out from St. Leonards^^
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Dec 08 - 05:40 PM

MY DAD MADE THIS SONG.
HES VERY TALENTED!
You should all also listen to CHRISTMAS IN THE HARBOUR there is a recording with Gary himself and with the punters, i sing in the back round eventually :)

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Out from St. Leonards^^
From: GUEST,Pascal
Date: 15 Jun 10 - 12:00 PM

Hello Gary's son or daughter,

Congratulations to your father for this beautiful song. I am translating it to sing it in french.
Please what Gary meant when he wrote :

"They rather would fight off in some distant war"

I don't want to give to this sentence a bad meaning.

Thank you very much.

Pascal
St-Pierre et Miquelon

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Out from St. Leonards^^
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 15 Jun 10 - 01:13 PM

here is the ENnis family singing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U0Md8Tl4eg&feature=related

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Out from St. Leonards^^
From: Leadfingers
Date: 15 Jun 10 - 03:40 PM

Pascal - Which would YOU prefer ? To be sent more or less by force to work away from where you were brought up or enlist in the army and go Fight overseas ??

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Out from St. Leonards^^
From: GUEST,Pascal
Date: 15 Jun 10 - 05:38 PM

Thank you mg. It is interpreted by the Ennis sisters that I discovered this song and I was charmed.

Thanks to Leadfingers too. English is not my language and I couldn't understand the real meaning of that. First of all, I didn't know if "they" was for the politicians or the deported people. Then, I didn't see which war it could be at this time...

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Out from St. Leonards^^
From: GUEST,Brian
Date: 10 Jul 10 - 06:43 PM

Pascal,
It is a turn of phrase, used to reinforce the idea that relocation was undertaken against the will of the relocated people. To demonstrate the strength of their convictions against relocation, the preference would be to go to war: It does not refer to an actual war, though the obvious allusion in Newfoundland culture is to the battles of the first world war (Gallipoli, the Somme) where the loss of Newfoundlanders was extremely high. A similar phrase would be "I'd rather die!".