Lyr Req: The Bergen (Jez Lowe) chorus query

Subject: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Mr Happy
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 05:40 PM

In Jez Lowe's song 'The Bergen'

DT here: @displaysong.cfm?SongID=5895


the chorus is:

Oh, pity the hearts the wild waves part,
My love sails the bonny barque, The Bergen.

Me & fiends were discussing the rhyming & grammar qualities of the line ' Oh, pity the hearts the wild waves part'


Should it be as in DT or is it

Oh, pity the hearts the wild wave parts


Anyone know?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: DonMeixner
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 05:54 PM

Hey Happy,

I don't suppose it matters as long as the tense is correct.

Whatever sinks your boat, so to speak.

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 05:57 PM

What on earth made you turn to fiends to discuss this? :-)

Anyway, the McCalmans sing the same chorus on 'Festival Lights' (1995); Nick even says it at the start so people can sing along more easily. Can't tell you what exactly it means, though. For me it's simply a poetic image, referring to the hearts (men) who part the wild waves (with their ship). In that case you're right, of course, the grammar would be all wrong.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 05:58 PM

Waves makes more sense because it isn't one solitary wave but the sea.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: radriano
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 06:13 PM

Since the song has a living author why not check the original lyrics? Shouldn't be too hard to track down.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Bainbo
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 06:15 PM

Jez wrote the song after finding a graveyard where the crew of a foundered Norwegian trawler were buried. It's from the point of view of a wife or sweetheart left at home, wondering what's happened, and the chorus just means "Pity the sweethearts who've been parted by the ocean," and as such, makes perfect sense gramatically.
One thing about Jez's lyrics - every single word counts, and there's never a word wasted.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Dita
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 06:29 PM

From Jez Lowe's song book

"Pity the hearts the wild waves part"

"The Bergen was a ship from Finland, wrecked off Tees Bay at the turn of the century, and whose crew lie buried in my local churchyard"

Great song,
John.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 06:33 PM

Bainbo, thanks, that makes more sense than my idea.

[19??:] The Bergen was a ship from Finland wrecked off Tees Bay at the turn of the century, and whose crew lie buried in my local churchyard. (Notes, Jez Lowe Songbook)

Does anyone know the year it came out?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Mr Happy
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 06:44 PM

Dita,

Thanks- if that's what's in his snogbook' then it's what he meant to say.

Cheers!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Dita
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 07:01 PM

Susanne,

Jez dates the song as January 1986 in his book which was published in 1988.

Cheers, John McC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Dita
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 07:09 PM

Susanne,

Jez first recorded it on Fellside FE0055 "TWO A ROUE" an albun by Jake Walton & Jez Lowe 1986.

JMcC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Mr Happy
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 07:12 PM

BTW: reason for discussion by fiends is it's one of our latest big hits!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 08:06 PM

Actually, as Jez tells it, the boat was called The Berger - but he thought if he used that he'd run into too many giggles.

(Mind you I'd not be too surprised if he made that up, and it was actually Bergen all along. Anyone feel like checking?)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 08:12 PM

It's a fine song. Be sure to send Jez the royalties.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bergen: Chorus query
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 22 Jun 05 - 06:51 PM

Thanks, John. Sorry about the 'double-posting'.

Mr Happy, whereabouts is your career taking place? Anywhere reachable from Germany?