Lyr Add: Astoria's Bar (Mary Garvey)

Subject: Lyr Add: ASTORIA'S BAR (Mary Garvey)
From: Barbara
Date: 08 May 03 - 01:57 AM

ASTORIA'S BAR
by Mary Garvey 2002

It's not very far to Astoria's bar
But a very long journey it can be --
It can start at the mouth of the mighty blue river
And end at the bottom of the sea.

When the tide is rough, so very, very rough,
So rough that you cannot stand;
It drives the little fish right into the nets,
The boats right into the sand.

In the mist and the rain, the labor and the pain
We know what the fishing here is worth --
It is worth more than gold as we suck 'em from the hold;
It is worth all the treasures of the earth.

But the river still shines and shimmers in the light
As it did in my grandfather's day
When they rowed all night and fished in the morning
And lived in Willapa Bay.


(mary sings the last verse twice)
Gordon Bok has recorded this on his new CD Herring in the Bay.
I will send the tune to be posted, and add a link.
Blessings,
Barbara

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Astoria's Bar by Mary Garvey
From: mg
Date: 08 May 03 - 11:45 AM

oh cool...one of these days I'm going to come to your house and figure out how to do that...the thing about rowing all night..I wish I could find out who said that..I think it was in the Vancouver paper in an article about the old Finns..I can't figure out exactly what the woman meant but her grandfather did it...the only thing I can think of is they rowed all the way down the long beach peninsula because I don't know of any thing that runs from Willapa Bay to the Columbia..there are rivers that have protages though that Indians used...mg

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Astoria's Bar by Mary Garvey
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 May 03 - 08:21 PM

Great song, Mary.
Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River, is one of my favorite places. Many US Pacific Coast ports have sandbars to cross, but not of those ports are quite small, serving as home to only fishing boats and pleasure craft. Big ships sail fifty miles up the Columbia, to Portland and beyond - but sometimes, they don't make it past the bar.
Here are some Websites that will give you a taste of Astoria:

• http://www.oldoregon.com/
  
• http://www.astoria-usa.com/history.html
  
• http://www.crmm.org/ (Columbia River Maritime Museum)
  
• Cape Disappointment and North Head Lighthouses at Fort Canby, guarding the entrance to the Columbia.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Astoria's Bar by Mary Garvey
From: Lane
Date: 08 May 03 - 10:53 PM

Ahhh... thank you Barbara, Mary... I love the lyrics, having lived in Astoria for many years and fished that bar (including getting stuck on a sand bar or two). Astoria is a neat little town... Those that have not been there might want to see some of the many movies filmed there to get a taste of it, including an in-depth view of my house in "Free Willy"...

I have since moved a little ways up river to Longview, but still live right on the water and can watch the ships that Joe Offer mentioned go by my front window (those that made it across the bar, that is, know locally as the graveyard of the sea)

Joe, thanks for posting the links - gave me a nice memory lane trip... and Mary... your song is lovely and captures the essence of Astoria and Longbeach Peninusula so well..

Lane

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Astoria's Bar by Mary Garvey
From: Arkie
Date: 10 Dec 11 - 12:33 PM

Mary is a gifted songwriter. Look forward to hearing Astoria's Bar. Really like "Boats of Peter's River" and "Cannery Shed".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Astoria's Bar by Mary Garvey
From: Deckman
Date: 10 Dec 11 - 01:32 PM

If I was a good songwriter, which I'm not, I would write the "Ballad of Mary Garvey." I would title it ... "The Best of The West." She is a treasure ... bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Astoria's Bar by Mary Garvey
From: Don Firth
Date: 10 Dec 11 - 04:39 PM

Click HERE and scroll down.

Good song!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Astoria's Bar by Mary Garvey
From: Stewart
Date: 10 Dec 11 - 07:29 PM

Or click HERE

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Astoria's Bar by Mary Garvey
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Dec 11 - 05:37 PM

A fine song that is regularly song at the Press Room in Portsmouth and in Gloucester.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Astoria's Bar by Mary Garvey
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 11 Dec 11 - 09:14 PM

I am honored of course...was just there for a memorial service for someone who passed away recently and it was just so beautiful..it is a wonderful place to visit. mg