Y'know, I didn't find out for many years that Ed McCurdy wrote "Strangest Dream". I knew him via a couple of old records my parents had--so when I think of him, it's always his delivery of this lyric (Homeward Bound, album of the same name of Nova Scotia songs) I hear in the minds ear:We're homeward bound, to Halifax town
Hurrah, fare thee well
Hurrah, fare thee well
We're homeward bound, to Halifax town
Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound.
I remember reading in Pete Seeger's column in Sing Out that "Ed McCurdy asks people to please stop making up new versions of "Strangest Dream". He suggests you write your own song instead!" Folk process be damned!
Thanks for all the information. Makes me wonder: why didn't CBC TV ("We're running out of interesting people") do a "Life And Times" on him? Kind of a shame to find it all out in an obit.
Willie-O