I think that all of those people in the Nellie Dean's session on Sunday night at Miskin will remember Jon's wonderful rendition of his song - and the marvellous chorus singing. John has given me permission to post the words complete with a Midi file of the tune. These were both taken from a Personal Composer score which Jon & Kats sent me.


The Last Fisherman   words and music by Jon Heslop

I was born at conflict's end in shadows of the war.
My father came back home to spend his life in boats once more.
We lived on what the sea would give, a little was a lot.
The only way we knew to live was off the catch we got.

    So when I'm dead then take my bones out there where I have been.
    Put them in care of Davy Jones, send my soul to Fiddler's Green.
    Send my soul, send my soul,
    Send my soul to Fiddler's Green.

Then I became a fisher too, like father so like son.
He taught me all the things he knew and all the things he'd done.
But by the sea from us was torn contentment's cornerstone.
The man behind the man was gone, the sea reclaims her own.

The saga of the sea went on as long as men would dare
To face the deep as they had done with bravery and prayer.
The sons of sons of fishermen went daily to the sea
Until the distant faceless men decreed it should not be.

The boats are tied up to the quay upon the shifting sand,
With ropes as strong as ropes could be to bind them to the land.
To bind them to the spiteful shore when they would be at sea.
Like prisoners behind a door, they dream of being free.

The men are tied up to the land while fish are swimming free.
There's riches there on every hand, but wealth is all at sea.
Their hands are tied with landsmen's chains to bind the days we knew.
And now we only have the pain and tears to watch them through.

© Jon Heslop 1999 - Red Herring Music

MIDI file: lastfish.mid

Timebase: 384

TimeSig: 4/4 96 8

Tempo: 096 (625000 microsec/crotchet)

Name: Track 2

Key: G

Start

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End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

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ABC format:

X:1

T:Track 2

M:4/4

Q:1/4=96

K:G

EEBB3G2|A2BA3F2|GE3D2F2|E6E2|E3BB2G2|A2BA3F2|

G3GA2^A2|B6B2|c3cB2A2|B2G2E3B|B2B2A2G2|F6E2|

E3BB2G2|A3BD2F2|G2A2FED2|E6B2|d3dd2B2|A2BA3B2|

B3BA2G2|F6E2|E2BB3A2|A2BD5|E2F2G2A2|FEDE5|

G4A4|B8|B2A2G4|A8|E2F2G4|A4FED2|E29/4||

Enjoy