Lyr Req: Tiny Red Light

Subject: lyrics request:
From: jason sheppard
Date: 04 Mar 97 - 08:37 PM

i searched the data base and was unable to find the lyrics to the song "The Tiny Red Light".If anybody has a copy i would appreciate it.

Subject: Lyr Add: TINY RED LIGHT
From: shawn
Date: 07 Mar 97 - 03:15 PM

Lyrics in this message (click)

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Thread #2304   Message #12788
Posted By: John Nolan
21-Sep-97 - 08:22 PM
Thread Name: Irish Newfoundland lyrics
Subject: Lyr Add: TINY RED LIGHT

TINY RED LIGHT
(according to Mary Nolan, Mt. Carmel, Saint Mary's Bay, Nwfd.)

"Put a light in the window my darling," she said
As she gazed at the dark dreary night overhead
Her little girl ran with her eager delight
As she placed in the window the tiny red light.

Her father came home from his work with a cold,
Angry and tired cause his fish were not sold.
He said that the oil it must do for the night,
And he took from the window the tiny red light.

"Oh father, dear father, don't take it away,
Think of the poor sailors far out on the bay,
Many will drown on the billow tonight
If you take from the window the tiny red light."

Early next morning came a knock on the door,
There stood a sailor far out on the shore.
Three tiny ships went adrift in the gale,
With tears in his eyes told the father this tale.

"We followed your tiny red light," said the man,
"Till it vanished from sight, on the rocks our ship ran,
Many have drowned on the billows last night,
That could have been saved by your tiny red light."

Well, that's the song, which raises the question: How long was that sailor's arm that he could knock a door and while standing on the beach? But that's a minor point. The song is important because it represents a watershed - it is still loved by the old-time, sentimental, family-oriented, down-around-the bay folks, and thought sappy by St. John's suburbanites, where Water Street is a cacophony of Irish music blaring out of tinny speakers every 50 feet to help sell Newfie kitch. The tune of Tiny Red Light is what has helped to preserve its popularity, at least in St. Mary's Bay, because it is an excellent waltz for the lounge bar crowd. Meanwhile, modern culture ever changes the bays. Last year, when I was home, the latest generation of McDonalds were buzzing up and down the Salmonier Arm on jet skis, driving my old aunt bananas.

Subject: RE: lyrics request: Tiny Red Light
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Mar 04 - 02:28 AM

John Nolan posted these lyrics years ago, but we never got a tune for this one. Can somebody send me a MIDI? Any other versions of this song, and is there any background information?
-Joe Offer-
[e-mail]

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Craig Reid - I moved your request for "Rig Workers' Alphabet" to this thread (click).
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: lyrics request: Tiny Red Light
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 02:09 AM

Any more information on "Tiny Red Light"? Anybody find a printed version in a songbook?
I see that GEST has a page on it here (click). The Debbie Jordan recording on the Singers for Fishermen recording says it was written by John Drake of The Dorymen. It seems to be a Newfoundland standard, so I thought it would be traditional.
Oh - GoGaspe.com has an MP3 recording of this song, along with a number of other local recordings. -Joe-

Subject: ADD Version: Tiny Red Light
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 03:18 AM

Here's a version I found at International Lyrics Playground. Its source is undocumented, but in parts it makes more sense than the transcription above.

TINY RED LIGHT
Traditional (Newfoundland)

Put the light in the window my darling she said
As she gazed at the dark stormy night over head
A little girl ran with an eager delight
As she placed in the window the tiny red light

Her father came home from his work wet and cold
Angry and cross cause his fish were not sold
He said that the oil it must do for the night
So he took from the window the tiny red light

Father dear father don't take it away
Think of the poor sailors far out on the bay
If he could have seen what had happened that night
That could have been saved by the tiny red light

Early next morning came a knock on the door
A sailor stood pointing far out on the shore
Three tiny ships went a drift in the gale
With tears in his eyes told her father this tale

We followed your tiny red light said the man
Till it vanished from sight on the rocks our ships ran
Many were drowned on the billows last night
That might have been saved by the tiny red light
That could have been saved by the tiny red light

Subject: RE: lyrics request: Tiny Red Light
From: Scrump
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 04:06 AM

I was interested to see this because I haven't heard it before, but I wonder why a red light? Of course a red light is a sign of a brothel - is that why the father removed it?

Subject: RE: lyrics request: Tiny Red Light
From: Bob the Postman
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 04:37 PM

A recording of Tiny Red Light by Janet Cull may be heard on "Our Songs Volume 2 Favorite Songs Of Newfoundland & Labrador" put out by Avondale Music of St. John's.
The words and music are included in "Catch ahold this one... Songs of Newfoundland & Labrador Volume 1" published by Vinland Music of Ladle Cove, Nfld.
The three volumes of the Vinland song books include brief but informative notes by Neil Rosenberg, Professor of Folklore at Memorial University. He states that the composer of Tiny Red Light is unknown but that it associated with singers in and around Placentia Bay.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tiny Red Light
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 09 - 10:11 PM

a sailor stood pointing far out on the shore thats how it goes u have it wrong

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tiny Red Light
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Jul 09 - 11:07 PM

With the exception of a word here and there, the version posted by Joe Offer 02 Feb 07 are those in GEST.

Notes printed with the lyrics:
"This song was poularized by John Henry Drake (1936-2006) of Belleoram, NL, and the lyrics are from his variant. Johnny Drake, along with Tom Rose of Bay du Nord, NL, co-founded The Dorymen in 1969. Thr variant in the YouTube video below features the Dorymen (Dorymen's Greatest Hits)."
A variant was collected in 1951 ... and published as The Little Red Light in MacEdward Leach and the Songs of Atlantic Canada copyright 2004 Memorial Univ....
GEST website, with link to videos and guitar tabs:
GEST

Verses 4 and 5
The very next morning came a knock on the door,
A sailor stood pointing far out on the shore;
Three tiny ships went adrift in the gale,
With tears in his eyes he told her father this tale.

We followed yer tiny red light, said the man,
Till it vanished from sight- on the rocks our ship ran;
Many were drowned on the billows last night,
That might have been saved by yer tiny red light.
That might have been saved by yer tiny red light.

Subject: RE: cords & Lyr Req: Tiny Red Light
From: GUEST,gene hill
Date: 05 Apr 10 - 10:51 PM

I,ve searched for the cords to "tiny red light" and couldn't fine any can someone help me out

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tiny Red Light
From: Bob the Postman
Date: 06 Apr 10 - 08:44 AM

Chords from Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador Volume 1, edited by Eric West, Vinland Music, Ladle Cove, 2002

Put the (C)light in the window my darling she (G)said
As she gazed at the dark stormy (G7)night over (C)head
A little girl ran with an eager de(G)light
As she placed in the window the (G7)tiny red (C)light

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tiny Red Light
From: Bob the Postman
Date: 06 Apr 10 - 09:57 AM

Or check out this video. You can easily see what chords the guitar is playing.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tiny Red Light
From: GUEST,Ganday Bob
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 05:40 PM

This song MAY have been written by John Henry Drake, an old shipmate of mine from many years back. Johnny has been gone for a few years now, so he's unable to confirm it. He was front man for the Newfoundland group the "Dorymen", so the tune is on Youtube under either the song title or the "Dorymen". I can't recall all the words, but often sung it along with him, when Johnny and I used to bring our guitars with us on the ship and have the odd jam session after watch. There were a few Legion Halls along the Newfoundland coast, where if we took our guitars along, we never bought a beer!
Good memories, rest in music Johnny.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tiny Red Light
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Jul 13 - 07:26 PM

I WOULD LIKE TO BYE THAT SONG IF ANY ONE WOULD LIKE TO SELL IT, OR IF ANYONE COULD KNOWS WERE I COULD BYE IT..! YOU CAN LET ME KNOW AT dieanbaldwin@yahoo,com2 my email address thanks

Subject: Lyr Add: TINY RED LIGHT (from Stompin' Tom Connors
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Jul 13 - 08:00 PM

It looks like Stompin' Tom has given this ballad some extra pathetic punch by adding a "framing story" consisting of 2 verses at the beginning and one at the end:


TINY RED LIGHT
As recorded by Stompin' Tom Connors on "The Roads of Life"

1. Oh, come see the lighthouse way up on the hill,
Built by a man with a pledge to fulfill.
He promised to work both by day and by night,
In just an old shack with his tiny red light.

2. And from that old lamp he made models for sale,
And to ev'ry buyer he told a sad tale:
How he promised to pay for the beacon so bright
With the money he'd make from each tiny red light.

3. His story began when his wife she once said:
"Bring out the lamp; there's a storm overhead."
Her little girl ran with an eager delight,
And she placed in the window the tiny red light.

4. But her father from fishing came home wet and cold,
Angry and cross that his fish were not sold.
He said that the oil it must do for the night,
And he took from the window the tiny red light.

5. "O father, dear father, don't take it away!
It may guide some sailors far out on the bay."
And if he had've known what would happen that night,
He'd have left in the window the tiny red light.

6. Early next mornin' came a knock on the door.
A sailor stood pointing far out on the shore.
With tears in his eyes, he told the sad tale,
How three tiny ships had gone down in the gale.

7. "We followed your tiny red light," said the man,
"Till it vanished from sight; on the rock our ships ran.
Many were drowned on the billows last night
That might have been saved by your tiny red light."

8. And now there's a lighthouse way up on the hill,
And we thank the old man for the pledge he fulfilled,
And to pay for the oil in his beacon tonight,
Here, sir, could you purchase one tiny red light?

To pay for the oil in his beacon tonight,
Here, sir, could you purchase one tiny red light?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tiny Red Light
From: GUEST,Richard Crawford
Date: 24 Aug 21 - 11:13 PM

Put the light in the window my darling she said
As she gazed at the dark stormy night over head
A little girl ran with her eager delight
And she placed in the window the tiny red light

Her father came home from his work wet and cold
Angry and cross cause his fish were not sold
He said that the oil it must do for the night
So he took from the window the tiny red light

Oh father dear father don't take it away
Think of them poor sailors far out on the bay
If he could have seen what had happened that night
That might have been saved by the tiny red light

The very next morning came a knock on the door
A sailor stood pointing far out on the shore
Three tiny ships went a drift in the gale
With tears in his eyes told her father this tale

We followed your tiny red light said the man
Till it vanished from sight on the rocks our ships ran
Many were drowned on the billows last night
That might have been saved by your tiny red light
That might have been saved by your tiny red light

As sung by The Dorymen and Harry Hibbs