Captain Jack and the Mermaid by Meg Davis

Subject: Captain Jack and the Mermaid
From:
Date: 26 Nov 97 - 05:20 PM

A note from Julie Dickinson, who runs the Bay Area Celtic Calendar mailing list:

For you Meg Davis fans (singer/songwriter extraordinaire in both the filk and Celtic areas), she has posted to rec.music.celtic that DeDannan has recently released a version of Meg's "Captain Jack and the Mermaid" without giving Meg credit. She asks that if anyone hears someone saying this song is by "Trad/public domain" to please say that it was written by Meg Davis. (And if anyone's going to ask, yes, someone did post it to rec.music.filk as well.)

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(click for lyrics)

Subject: RE:
From: rosebrook
Date: 27 Nov 97 - 02:47 AM

What does it mean to say this song is not by "trad/public domain"?

Subject: RE:
From: Bo
Date: 27 Nov 97 - 01:57 PM

Simply, Meg Davis is trying to assert her rights as creator of the song. The popularity of a piece is a great thing but sometimes people abuse the creator of a piece by imagining they have no responsibilities to him\her. Either by mistake or ill will some people ('DeDannan' in this case) are trying to use and profit from Meg's Song without giving Her credit and\or a share of their profits.

Public domain songs are songs that have been released into our culture as group property. This happens if the writer releases the song as a gift to the world or if a number of years pass after the author's death.

I hope this is settled quickly for Meg Davis and that fairness wins out. She has been very generous with her work for non profit performance and has given a lot of joy to a lot of people. I'd hate to see her burned for it.

Respectful and fair treatment of intellectual property is VERY, VERY, IMPORTANT especially to places like the Digitrad.

BO (OK I'll get off the soap box now.)

Subject: RE:
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 04 Dec 97 - 11:14 AM

I was just about to ask for the lyrics to this particular song. Does it mean, it is not right to post them here? I hope not.
Wolfgang

Subject: RE:
From: Nonie Rider
Date: 04 Dec 97 - 12:33 PM

I believe she's online. Do a websearch or two and ask her?

Subject: RE:
From: Nonie Rider
Date: 04 Dec 97 - 12:51 PM

Just hunted her down myself and sent e-mail asking her if she could drop by and make a statement one way or the other.

Subject: RE:
From: rosebrook
Date: 04 Dec 97 - 09:24 PM

Thanks Nonie, I have asked for those lyrics previously (like last month) in a thread here...also e-mailed her, and then purchased her songbook which has the lyrics to Capt. Jack as well as the other songs on that tape. The lyrics in writing were an eye-opener, and well worth the price of the songbook! The songbook also contains the chords, and the "fingerings" for those chords. What a fascinating song it is! I really enjoy it! Rosebrook