Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)

Subject: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble !
From: Horsmondenman
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 06:15 PM

I'm trying to find the words to a song which has a chorus which includes the following words:
Sally Gribble
Morton Harbour
All around the circle
(Not necessarily in this order)
Unfortunately I know nothing else about it apart from the tune but an old friend who recently passed away used to sing it, and I'd like to find the words to sing a session to be held in his memory
Any ideas?

Subject: ADD Version: I'se The B'y
From: Turlough
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 07:36 PM

Hey Sennockian,

So sorry about your friend. It is a great idea however to have a session in his memory!

To me, it sounds a lot like "I'se the B'y"... Frankly, I'm absolutely sure this is the one. The only version of this song that I am familiar with has "Sally Tibbo", not "Sally Gribble" though.

Anyway, here it goes:

I'se The B'y

I'se The B'y that builds the boat and
I'se The B'y that sails her and
I'se The B'y that catches the fish and
Brings 'em home to Liza

Chorus:
Hip-yer-partner Sally Tibbo
Hip-yer-partner Sally Brown
Fogo, Twillingate, Morton's Harbour,
All around the circle

Sods and rinds to cover your flake,
Cake and tea for supper
Cod fish in the spring of the year,
Fried in maggoty butter

Chorus

I don't want your maggoty fish
They're no good for winter
Well I can buy as good as that,
Way down in Bonavista!

Chorus

I took Liza to a dance,
As fast as she can travel,
And every step that she could take,
Was up to her knees in gravel

Chorus

Susan White she's outta sight,
Her petticoat wants a border,
Well old Sam Oliver in the dark,
He kissed her in the corner!

Chorus

I'se The B'y that builds the boat and
I'se The B'y that sails her and
I'se The B'y that catches the fish and
Brings 'em home to Liza

Chorus

I hope this will help, good luck with the session!

Regards,

Turlough

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble !
From: Turlough
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 07:39 PM

O, I forgot, occasionally I also heard "Swing your partner, Sally Tibbo" in stead of "Hip your partner"...

T.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble !
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 07:44 PM

It sez here that Sally Gribble founded MADD in Canada - I guess that's Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, like it is in the States.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble !
From: Horsmondenman
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 03:19 AM

Turlogh
Thanks very much indeed for the words - that's definitely the one. Do you know any history about it? The guy who used to sing it, Dave Power, was a real character but well into his 80s when I knew him so I never managed to find out much about it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble !
From: Turlough
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 05:31 AM

Sennockian,

no, unfortunately I know very little about the song, except that it's a Newfoundland traditional. At least, I think it's a traditional. I tried to find some more info on Google, but the only thing I found was the proper spelling for "Tibbo": "Thibeau". But that won't help you singing it, right? :-)

Maybe there are some catters from Newfoundland, they might be able to help you...

T.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble !
From: Turlough
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 05:33 AM

By the way, do you know the tune? If not, I could send you a MIDI file, if you like...

T.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble !
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 11:21 AM

Number 4432 in the Roud Folk Song Index.

The song seems first to have appeared in print in Folk Songs of Canada (Fowke and Johnstone, 1954) as heard in Newfoundland a few years before by Dr Leslie Bell and commercially recorded by the Leslie Bell Singers, who I gather were immensely popular broadcasters in the 1940s and '50s. It also appeared in Gerald S Doyle's Old-Time Songs of Newfoundland (1955), and by these agencies seems rapidly to have become popular and quite widely-known (some ten years later it appeared in the UK, slightly modified for children, in the BBC's Singing Together series, where I learned it).

Peacock (Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, 1965, I, 64) prints a set recorded from Lloyd Soper and Bob MacLeod at St John's, June 1951 (and therefore probably before the popularisation of the song, though I don't know when Bell's commercial recording was issued); the words differ only very slightly.

Peacock adds that a "flake is a platform covered with pieces of bark (rinds) on which the filleted cod are spread to dry out".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 02:23 AM

The tune is here (click) in the Digital Tradition, but we've been having some problems with our MIDI files and it may not work. The lyrics in the DT are almost exactly the same as what Turlough posted, although the DT words have a thicker dialect to them. If the DT tune doesn't work, there's a copy of it at Yet Another Digital Tradition.
I guess I learned this song from the Gordon Bok recording. It's on his North Wind's Clearing CD. It's a fun song.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: Horsmondenman
Date: 19 Aug 04 - 04:34 PM

Really grateful for all the help. Turlough - do you think you could send the midi file to me by PM as I cannot run the one on Joe's link.
I'm not absolutely sure of the tune as the guy who sang it had his own inimitable style so may have changed it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: GEST
Date: 19 Aug 04 - 05:33 PM

I sent Sennockian the following PM. Hope it's not too late.

There are two MIDI files on this printable page, as well as the score and a link to an arrangement by Great big Sea. :-)

http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/01/itb.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: Peace
Date: 21 Aug 04 - 02:05 AM

I am pretty sure that Stompin' Tom did a rendition of it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: GUEST,Julia
Date: 29 May 06 - 09:25 PM

I was told that "sods and rind to cover your flake" was a reference to codfish and salt pork served on potatoes...? Any credence to this?

Cheers- Julia

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: Azizi
Date: 29 May 06 - 10:17 PM

Does anyone else think that these verses sound like the 19th century Southern African American {AA} dance music with their mention of Liza and Sally Brown. Not to mention the "I'se" contraction.

Does "I'se the B'y" have floating verses from secular AA dance songs or from shanties? Were there any Black people in that area of the world in the 19th century or did persons from that area have opportunities to hear those AA dance songs or hear shanties that might have been created & sung by Black or by integrated crews?

Also, I'm assuming that "B'y" in that song means "boy". Is that right?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 30 May 06 - 01:00 AM

Re: b'y = boy: right you are, Azizi.

There was quite a traffic for many years between Newfoundland and the Carribean - lots of salt cod from Newfoundland to feed the slaves/workers, in exchange for much rum and molasses. However, the language in the song is pure Newfoundlandese. But both English language groups that we're talking about (southern African-American and Newfoundland) have some roots in 16th/17th century English (sez me).

By the way, if you read Thomas Hardy (Tess of the D'Urbervilles, etc.), you'll find some of the dialogue of his rural "Wessex" characters made up of the same non-standard grammatical constructions that are associated with both southern African-American and Newfoundland English (sez me).

There was a study done not too long ago of the English spoken in the community of North Preston, which is near Halifax, Nova Scotia, and which was founded by black Loyalists. According to the study, the common non-standard grammatical constructions characteristic of the community are, as above, 16th/17th century English which has persisted in this population. I suspect that this is the case in many of the older communities in North America in which non-standard English is prevalent.

I don't have references for that study, but if you're really keen to find out more about it, I could go to extreme measures to see what I can find out.

Re: floating verses. Although some of these verses do sound like real "floaters", I've never come across them in any other songs. Maybe we'll hear something from some of the Newfoundlanders on the list ...

Oh, as to your original question - I also have been struck by the similarities you've noticed. I wouldn't read too much into it, though, other than that there were all kinds of cultural influences going in all directions along sea routes from the Carribean to the Hebrides ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: GUEST,Rev
Date: 30 May 06 - 10:14 PM

Someone (forget who) once told me that "I's the B'y" has been recorded more times than any other song in Canadian tradition. Can anyone back up that little factoid?
Rev

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: Azizi
Date: 30 May 06 - 10:21 PM

Thanks, thurg.

I appreciate the offer, but no extreme measures are needed. My interest in the subject remains but your comments will hold me for a while.

:o)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: CarolC
Date: 30 May 06 - 11:46 PM

There are quite a few different dialects and accents in Newfoundland. Each outport town has it's own distinct dialect and/or accent. Some of it is getting a bit watered down because the automobile, television, radio, etc, have enabled people to be less isolated than they used to be.

Here's a dictionary of Newfoundland English for anyone who might be interested.

http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/

From what my husband and Newfoundland in-laws tell me, the dialects originally come from parts of England and parts of Ireland (mostly), and the accents in the different towns coincide with the accent of whatever part of England or Ireland the inhabitants came from originially (or at least whatever the accent was in that part of England or Ireland during the period in history when they first came over).

Anyone wishing to hear dialects and accents from all over the island can go here...

CBC Radio

...and click on the number 14 (St. John's) on the map. If you listen to the fisheries report, which is on some time in the afternoon (can't remember exactly when), you will hear people calling in from all parts of the island.

Newfoundland accents and dialects are quite unique even though they bear some resemblance to accents from the originating countries. Newfoundlanders are very creative people, especially when it comes to language use, and they have developed ways of speaking that are entirely their own. There are still some occasions when I don't understand a word or phrase my husband uses because it is a term that is unique to Newfoundland, even after almost four years of marriage.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: CarolC
Date: 30 May 06 - 11:51 PM

By the way... for anyone looking in the Newfoundland dictionary, if you see a word that you think you know the meaning of, you might want to click on the word for the definition, which can be quite different from the definition you might have been expecting.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: CarolC
Date: 30 May 06 - 11:56 PM

Oh, yeah... almost forgot, and in keeping with the subject of this thread, the theme song for the fisheries report is "I'se the B'y".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 31 May 06 - 12:10 AM

Old Down Easter Joke:

Wanna drive a Newfie crazy?

Nail his shoes to the floor and play "I'se the Bye"

Don

Old doesn't necessarily mean good.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: CarolC
Date: 31 May 06 - 12:16 AM

Don, why don't you go to Newfoundland and tell that joke. You might be in for an interesting experience.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 31 May 06 - 12:16 AM

Re: floating verses. Forgot this verse, obviously related to I's the B'y, from a Newfoundland song called Harbour Grace, as collected by Helen Creighton, somewhere in Nova Scotia:

Georgie, he could build a boat,
And he's the boy could drive 'er;
He's the boy could catch the fish,
Take him home to Liza.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: GUEST,Don Meixner
Date: 31 May 06 - 12:37 AM

Carol,

There used to be a TV show on CBC that I could get on our cable called All Around The Circle.   Thats where I heard the joke. Now I'll admit that it isn't up to the standards of Red Green, but then what is?

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: Mr Happy
Date: 13 Sep 07 - 10:47 AM

?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 13 Sep 07 - 08:04 PM

Julia was asking about the meaning of "Sods and rinds"

Sods are the same as in standard English: pieces of turf. Here's the Newfoundland dictionary for "rinds":

The bark or cortex of a tree, specif a 6-ft (1.8 m) length of bark removed in one piece from a standing spruce or fir and used for various fisheries and building purposes (first cited from 1620):

1620 WHITBOURNE 30 The rindes of these trees serve to cover their Stages, and necessary roomes, with turfes on them; so that in a few yeares, I feare, that most of the good timber trees neere the Sea-side, where men use to fish, will be either felled, spoyled or burned

The stages are for drying codfish.

Jon Bartlett

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: Jim I
Date: 13 Sep 07 - 08:54 PM

It's on one of The Macalman's earlier records also although I can't access it at the moment to confirm which one.

Jim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: Jim I
Date: 13 Sep 07 - 08:57 PM

I just found this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMgrpQF3LYM

Jim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: Azizi
Date: 13 Sep 07 - 09:07 PM

Here's that hyperlink, Jim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMgrpQF3LYM
mccalmans I's the boy
Added: July 26, 2007
From: cheerydavie

"recorded "Live" from their album "House full" an d luckily for the Mac's its the same20yrs. later sold out the MaCalmans are at their very best as in the song I's the boy" Ian still manages to insert some sardonic humour"

Btw, this is really a sound clip and not a video clip. And the song doesn't start until some seconds after the clip starts.

**
Here's a comment from the person who posted this clip on YouTube:

cheerydavie (1 month ago)
"The McCalmans are Scotland's foremost Folk Song Trio. Formed in 1964, In Scotland, they have had six major TV series / Radio series and appearances. They have produced some 23 LPs and CDs, The line up has changed in the years
Hamish (Bayne)left in 1980 to pursue his ambition to make his own brand of concertina.He was replaced with Nick that remaind the lineup up until the passing of Derek in 2000.Derek was replaced with Stephen"


**
Fwiw, I liked that rendition of this song. This was the first time that I've heard this song, though I've read it before.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: GUEST,ttt
Date: 20 Sep 11 - 05:52 PM

does anyone know the orgin of the song ?

Subject: ADD Version: I'se the B'y
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Sep 11 - 12:22 AM

I couldn't find a listing in the Traditional Ballad Index. Malcolm's message above is probably the best origins information you'll find. As Malcolm says, the song is Number 4432 in the Roud Folk Song Index.

---

Kenneth Peacock's Songs of the Newfoundland Outports (volume 1, page 64) has these lyrics and notes:

  
  I'SE THE B'Y THAT BUILDS THE BOAT
  
  1.        I's the b'y that builds the boat,
          I's the b'y that sails 'er,
          I's the b'y that catches the fish
          And brings 'em home to Lizer.
  
                  Hip yer partner Sally Tibbo,
                  Hip yer partner Sally Brown,        
                  Fogo, Twillingate, Moreton's Harbour,
                  All around the circle.
  
  2.        Sods and rinds to cover the flake, 
          Tea and cakes for supper,
          Flatfish in the spring of the year
          Fried in maggoty butter.
  
  3.        I don't want yer maggoty fish,
          That's no good fer winter,
          I could buy as good as that
          Down in Bonavista.
  
  4.        I took Lizer to a dance,
          Faith, but she could travel,
          Fer every step that she did take
          She was up to 'er knees in gravel!
  
  5.        Susan White she's out of sight
          Fixin' 'er petticoat border,
          Sammy Oliver in the dark
          He kissed 'er in the corner.
  
  

This rollicking ditty has become well known since it first appeared in the late Gerald S. Doyle's 1955 booklet Old-Time Songs of Newfoundland, which he distributed free of charge throughout the island and to interested musicians on the mainland. In verse 2 the 'flake' is a platform covered with pieces of bark (rinds) on which the filleted cod are spread to dry out.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sally Gribble ! (I'se The B'y)
From: RunrigFan
Date: 21 Sep 11 - 09:37 AM

Great Big Sea version

I'se The B'y that builds the boat and
I'se The B'y that sails her and
I'se The B'y that catches the fish and
Brings 'em home to Liza

CHORUS:

Hip-yer-partner Sally Tibbo
Hip-yer-partner Sally Brown
Fogo, Twillingate, Morton's Harbour,
All around the circle
Sods and rinds to cover your flake,
Cake and tea for supper
Cod fish in the spring of the year,
Fried in maggoty butter

CHORUS
I don't want your maggoty fish
They're no good for winter
Well I can buy as good as that,
Way down in Bonavista!

CHORUS

I took Liza to a dance,
As fast as she can travel,
And every step that she could take,
Was up to her knees in gravel

CHORUS

Susan White she's outta sight,
Her petticoat wants a border,
Well old Sam Oliver in the dark,
He kissed her in the corner!

CHORUS
I'se The B'y that builds the boat and
I'se The B'y that sails her and
I'se The B'y that catches the fish and
Brings 'em home to Liza
CHORUS