Lyr Req: Farewell tae the Haven (Davy Steele)

Subject: Lyr Req: Farewell tae the Haven
From: GUEST,Darlodave
Date: 19 Aug 09 - 03:52 AM

Scottish song by the title 'Farewell tae the Haven' by Davy Steele.
Can anyone help with the lyrics please.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell tae the Haven
From: GUEST,Steve Byrne
Date: 19 Aug 09 - 07:25 AM

http://www.nick-kelly.com/scots/macs_d21_flames.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell tae the Haven
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 19 Aug 09 - 08:50 PM

Sad lack of punctuation in that version!
So for Ill, read I'll, Im = I'm, etc.
And I've always known it as "The drifters I'm leaving, tae work on the Land" (not yard).
Morrison's Haven was just to the east of Edinburgh on the East Lothian coast.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell tae the Haven
From: GUEST,allan
Date: 20 Aug 09 - 07:34 AM

http://www.footstompin.com/podcast-playlist

theres a great version of this song in the mid june podcast

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell tae the Haven
From: GUEST,Steve Byrne
Date: 23 Aug 09 - 09:32 PM

Thanks for correcting Tattie Bogle, I'd just dropped in looking for info on something completely different, saw the request and thought I'd try to be quickly helpful - but saw that the McCalmans' old song lyrics pages no longer seem to be online, where the words were more accurate. Didn't read that transcription in full before posting *blush*.

Davy first recorded it on Ceolbeg's 'Not the Bunnyhop' in 1990, and it's fittingly the opening track on the recent Greentrax release, "People And Songs Of The Sea".

Subject: Lyr Add: FAREWELL TAE THE HAVEN (Davy Steele)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 12:33 AM

Copied from the link given above, and punctuation added:


FAREWELL TAE THE HAVEN
Davy Steele

I'm leaving the fishin', the life I have known,
The battle with nature that nobody won,
For the fish stocks are dwindlin' and the shoals hard to find.
I'm leaving the fishin'. I've made up my mind.

My father worked drifters, my grandfather tae.
Ma brother's a skipper on the Elena Mae,
And aa worked at the fishin', just as soon as aa could,
So leavin's no easy. The sea's in my blood.

Farewell tae the Haven. My heart it is sad.
The drifters I'm leavin' tae work on the yard.

I'll miss the wee boats though. My thoughts are there yet
Wi' the lads on the Jeannie, haulin' the nets.
We worked hard together. We laughed hard as well,
Cursin' the weather and ridin' the swell.

I'll work in the wire mill. It's a good job, they say.
I'll start and I'll finish the same time every day.
The money is constant, and my wife she seems pleased,
But I'll miss the fishin', and I'll miss the sea.


Morrison's Haven, of the song, no longer exists. This is the story of a man whose family had, for generations, been fisher-folk on the small boats. For as long as he could remember, all he wanted to do was to work in these drifters, but due to the decline of the Scottish fishing trade, he had to give it up.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell tae the Haven
From: akenaton
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 03:47 AM

Interesting ....I usedto think Davy's song referred to Stonehaven harbour, having never heard of Morrison's or Acheson's Haven.
I love the song and understand the ties to the sea that Davy mentioned. Loch Fyne, where I live, used to have large fishing fleets at Campbelltown and Tarbert and as a child I remember the loch in front of our door a mass of red and green lights, with the fishermen shouting to one another to keep clear of their nets....amazing sights and sounds, sadly all gone.

A little information on Morrisons Haven here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell tae the Haven
From: akenaton
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 04:00 AM

Sorry wrong link!"The Haven"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell tae the Haven
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 11:42 AM

Hi Jim, you've still got "yard" and not "land".
So, here it is - direct from Davy's recording (he doesn't always drop the g off words like cursin' (cursing) but I've left that alone.
And I've put all the choruses in adn repeated first verse, as he did them.

FAREWELL TAE THE HAVEN                        Davy Steele

I'm leaving the fishin', the life I have known,
The battle with nature that nobody's won,
The fish stocks are dwindlin' and the shoals hard tae find.
I'm leaving the fishin'. I've made up my mind.

Farewell tae the Haven. Ma hert it is sad.
The drifters I'm leavin' tae work on the land.

Ma faither worked drifters, and ma grandfaither tae.
Ma brother's a skipper on the Elena Mae,
I've worked at the fishin', just as soon as I could,
So leavin's no easy. The sea's in my blood.

Farewell tae the Haven. Ma hert it is sad.
The drifters I'm leavin' tae work on the land.

I'll miss the wee boats though. Ma thoughts are there yet
Wi' the lads on the Jeannie, haulin' the nets.
We worked hard together, and we laughed hard as well,
Cursin' the weather and ridin' the swell.

Farewell tae the Haven. Ma hert it is sad.
The drifters I'm leavin' tae work on the land.

I'll work in the wire mill. It's a good job, they say.
I'll start and I'll finish the same time every day.
The money is constant, and my wife she seems pleased,
But I'll miss the fishin', and I'll miss the sea.

Farewell tae the Haven. Ma hert it is sad.
The drifters I'm leavin' tae work on the land.

I'm leaving the fishin', the life I have known,
The battle with nature that nobody's won,
For the fish stocks are dwindlin' and the shoals hard tae find.
I'm leaving the fishin'. I've made up my mind.

Farewell tae the Haven. Ma hert it is sad. (a capella these 2 lines)
The drifters I'm leavin' tae work on the land.
Farewell tae the Haven. Ma hert it is sad.
The drifters I'm leavin' tae work on the land.