What an odd coincedence!I was just posting about Sumggling at the Great Big Sea web board. And came in here to see the post about "My Love HE IS A SMUGGLER."
The new GBS release "Sea of no Cares" has a tune called "French perfume", and the tune "Tis of a bold young smugller from Fortune he did sail, he rode the waves from St. Pierre and he never saw the jail."
In the "My love he is..." thread it alludes to a dirth of smuggling tunes in folk music. Now, french Perfume is a new tune written by band member Bob Hallet, and while it sounds like a cowboy tune in many ways it does fit in the folk genre.
This is the second tune I know of that talks about smuggling from St. Pierre (A French posession off the Canadian coasts) to the maritime provinces of Canada. The other is Acadian Saturday Night by Stan Rogers. NOt a "Traditional" tune but folk for sure.
So with so few smuggling tunes out there it seems odd that there are two that mention St. Pierre, or are Canadian smugglers just more musically atractive?
Smuggling is often the results of differences of taxation, is it just Canadians are overtaxed, while liking to sing about it?
SO what tunes about smuggling can I add to my list?
Some lyrics that leap to mind.....and dont check my bags if you please Mr. customs man (Arlo Guthrie?)
and... Henry thought he get the stuff and run to Mexico, see if He could come back holdin 20 keys of gold (New Riders