Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground

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Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground

08 Mar 06 - 07:23 PM (#1688656)
Subject: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: GUEST,Steve-Cooperator

Can someone shed some light on a part of a line in the Chorus of Squid Jiggin Ground: "and Cape Anns battened down."

Is this just a reference to the location Cape Ann, in which case it would be a case of a missing apostrophe, or is VCape Ann also a slang term.

08 Mar 06 - 07:55 PM (#1688675)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Cape Annes is plural, agreeing with oilskins and boots. Haven't you ever worn one? See http://collections.ic.gc.ca/leach/songs/NFLD1/11-02.htm for the words to

The young composer, Art Scammel, was in high school when he wrote the song; his teachers would have whupped him for bad grammar. The DT has Anne minus an 'n.'

08 Mar 06 - 07:57 PM (#1688678)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

words to? the song, of course. I get the whuppin'.

08 Mar 06 - 08:30 PM (#1688698)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Bob the Postman

The Cape Anne is a rain hat pretty much the same as a sou'wester.

08 Mar 06 - 09:48 PM (#1688759)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Has also been applied to waterproof overboots, but the hat is the answer here. The hat lacks the shovel in back of a sou'wester; and the wide brim is the same all around.
Women have taken to wearing a light version as an all-weather hat.

08 Mar 06 - 10:15 PM (#1688778)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Barry Finn

I'm here in NH, USA less than an hours drive from Cape Ann?

"Don't ya remember Cape Ann, Boys,
Don't ya remember Cape Ann
I'll never go out on the trawl again
It's surely no live for a dog or a man".

Barry

08 Mar 06 - 11:53 PM (#1688838)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Let me sail up Golden Bay,
With my oilskins all a'streamin',
From the thunder squall- when I hauled me trawl
And my old Cape Ann a'gleamin'
With my oilshins all a'streamin'.
(Kelland).

The spelling seems to be Cape Ann, as posted by Barry Finn.
Merchants seem to prefer Cape Anne for the hats they manufacture, at least from their on-line offers.

09 Mar 06 - 12:42 PM (#1689337)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: GEST

And a music score, two MIDI files, lyrics, guitar chords, attributions, and background notes are all archived on one page at GEST Songs Of Newfoundland And Labrador. :-)

09 Mar 06 - 12:55 PM (#1689347)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Joe Offer

I'm surprised we haven't had previous threads on this song. Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry:

Squid-Jiggin' Ground, The

DESCRIPTION: A song of the life of a squid fisherman. The fishermen are named, as are their homes and their peculiarities. The final stanzas warn of the messy work: "Now if ever you feel inclined to go squiddin', leave your white shirts and collars behind in the town"
AUTHOR: Arthur R. Scammell
EARLIEST DATE: c. 1929
KEYWORDS: fishing nonballad moniker work
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Fowke/Johnston, pp. 51-53, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Doyle2, pp. 66-67, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Doyle3, pp. 57-58, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Blondahl, pp. 32-33, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 127, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text)
DR, SQUIDJIG*
Roud #4429
RECORDINGS:
Omar Blondahl, "Squid Jiggin' Ground" (on NFOBlondahl05)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "When Our Boys Gave Up Squiddin'" (tune)
Notes: Fowke writes, "The tale of what happens when fishermen head for 'The Squid-Jiggin' Ground' is the most widely known of all Newfoundland songs.... It was written by... Arthur R. Scammell when he was only fifteen....
"The squid is a species of cuttle-fish about ten inches long which is used as bait for larger fish. It has the peculiar characteristic of squirting forth an inky liquid when it is disturbed. Large schools of squid move in at certain parts of the Newfoundland coast during August, September, and October, and then the fishermen head out to pull them in with line and jigger." - RBW
File: FJ051

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Instructions

Folk Songs of Canada

09 Mar 06 - 01:03 PM (#1689358)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: GEST

And then there's the question of what happened to their cape-anns When Our Boys Gave Up Squiddin' ? :-)

09 Mar 06 - 01:04 PM (#1689359)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Rapparee

It was also recorded by Schooner Fare.

09 Mar 06 - 01:35 PM (#1689378)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: GUEST,mg

Supposedly he was only 14 when he wrote the song. mg

09 Mar 06 - 02:15 PM (#1689396)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: GUEST,thurg

Supposedly was a school assignment ... hope that doesn't ruin the song for anyboy!

06 May 09 - 08:15 PM (#2625892)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Ferrara

Just found a neat site for this song. Origins, historical notes, sheet music, chords, and 3 sound tracks (one instrumental, 2 with variants of the words).

06 May 09 - 08:17 PM (#2625893)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Ferrara

... but I guess it would be useful to include the link, huh?

Squid Jiggin Ground

The video with the Harry Higgs recording is pretty neat.

06 May 09 - 09:48 PM (#2625931)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: cptsnapper

Steve Turner recorded a version of it on his album " Jigging One Now "

06 May 09 - 10:16 PM (#2625946)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Beer

No mention of Hank Snow doing this number? I dug up his Song Book from 1965 and it is so written that Arthur R. Scammell wrote the words and music as Joe mentioned above.
Beer (adrien)

07 May 09 - 01:07 AM (#2626018)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Sandy Mc Lean

The first recording of this song that I heard was by Omar Blondahl. Then Hank Snow, and then Harry Hibbs.

Omar

07 May 09 - 03:58 AM (#2626074)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: pavane

Somewhere in my archives, I have a recording of this song from a BBC program, as sung by the Chadwell Heath (Essex, UK) girl guides, early 1970's, when my sister was in their choir. If I can find it, I will post it (or maybe I should not?)

09 May 09 - 09:44 PM (#2628045)
Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground (Ferrara)
From: GEST

"Just found a neat site for this song. Origins, historical notes, sheet music, chords, and 3 sound tracks (one instrumental, 2 with variants of the words)."

I'm glad you appreciate the efforts, Ferrara, and am happy you recognize the results of a fellow Mudcatter at work when you see them. (We can't all be musicians.) ~big grin~

GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador