Lyr/Tune Add: Banks of Newfoundland

Subject: RE: Lyr & Tune add: Banks of Newfoundland
From: Amos
Date: 25 Apr 04 - 08:39 PM

An alternative version of the second verse I have learned goes:

There was Tom Lynch from Ballinahinch,
Jimmy Murphy and Mike Moore;
I can tell you well, they suffered like hell
On the way to Baltimore;
For they'd pawned their clothes in Liverpool,
And sailed as they did stand.
And there blow some cold Nor'westers
On the Banks of Newfoundland.


Regards,

A

Subject: RE: Lyr & Tune add: Banks of Newfoundland
From:
Date: 25 Apr 04 - 08:22 PM

My father used to sing this song, and he sang a verse which began -
"We had two Irishmen on board, Pat Fagan and Dicky Moore
If it hadn't been for those brave lads, we'd never have reached the shore.
They swam   ??????????????????
With a bowline in their hands
???????????????????????
On the banks of Newfoundland.

I am trying to find his particular version, it seems as if his had taken verses from several of the others.

Subject: RE: Lyr & Tune add: Banks of Newfoundland
From: Barry Finn
Date: 15 Jan 00 - 09:23 PM

There's an old thread on this somewhere. Dan Milner does a really great version on his CD. Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr & Tune add: Banks of Newfoundland
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 15 Jan 00 - 01:18 AM

G'day,
Actually you get all 3 versions in the DT by searching for 'newfoundland' which is what I did. What I'm looking for are versions which are so close to the Penguin to be considered the same, in order to reduce duplication. I've been inconsistent though in posting links to other versions. Additional versions are always welcome of course.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: Lyr Add: BANKS OF NEWFOUNDLAND^^ (from F Hatt)
From: raredance
Date: 15 Jan 00 - 12:58 AM

This text is related to DT#2. It comes from Fenwick Hatt's notebook. Captain Fenwick Hatt was born and grew up in Port Medway. He sailed in windjammers out of Liverpool, N.S. In 1885 he left the sea and set up a firm to make ironworks for sailing vessels in Liverpool. His forge was the scene of chantymen's contests. While he was a sailor, probably prior to 1883, he kept a notebook or scribbler containing ballads popular with the sailor men. ("Sea Songs and Ballads from Nineteenth Century Nova Scotia: the William H Smith and Fenwick Hatt Manuscripts" edited by Edith Fowke, 1981 Folklorica Press)

THE BANKS OF NEWFOUNDLAND

Ye landsmen all on you I call
And jolly seamen to
While I relate the hard ships fate
That we have late gon through
Oh you little know of the hardships
That we were force to stand
For fourteen days and fourteen nights
On the banks of Newfoundland

Oh our vessel never crossed before
That stormy western sea
She was well rigged and fitted out
Before she sailed away
She was built of green and seasoned oak
But could not well withstand
The hurricane that met her
On the banks of Newfoundland

Our bodies was benumbed with cold
From the day we left Quebec
Our boots unless we kep walking
Would freeze fast to the deck
We were stout hardy Irishmen
That this brave vessel manned
Our Captain doubled each mans grog
The wind did blow from sunset
Till the cold wintry morning dawned
We drifted of to leward
Too of our masts were gone
We lashed ourselves to the misen shrouds
And there in vain did plan
To hoist a signal of distress
On the banks of Newfoundland

Oh it was thre days we fasted
Our provisions being run out
Andon the morning of the fourth
We did cast lots about
The lot fell on the captains son
Who thought relief near hand
We spared him for another day
On the banks of Newfoundland

It was on the morning of the fifth
The lad we did prepare
We gave him one more hour
To offer up a prayer
But bountiful providence
From blood spared every man
When an english vessel hove in sight
On the banks of Newfoundland

Oh when they took us from the wreck
We were more like ghosts than men
They clothed us and fed us
And took us home again
There was but few of our number
That ere reached english land
Our Captain lost his limbs by frost
On the banks of Newfoundland

Besides the Captain and the mate
We had ten of a crew
Ten passengers returning home
Which made up twenty two
For to bring their families over
All from their native land
Expecting soon to cross again
The banks of Newfoundland

Now all that is remaining
Or belonging to our crew
There is but four to tell the tale
Of passengers but two
Their friends may she salt tears for them
All in their native land
While the mountain waves roll over their graves
On the banks of Newfoundland

The lack of punctuation and the unusual spellings (I hope) are Hatt's

rich r ^^

Subject: Lyr Add: BANKS OF NEWFOUNDLAND^^ (from Creighton)
From: raredance
Date: 15 Jan 00 - 12:16 AM

This one is also from Helen Creighton's "Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia" (first published 1932 J M Dent & Sons; reprinted 1966 Dover Publications)

THE BANKS OF NEWFOUNDLAND

On St Patrick's Day the seventeenth
From New York we set sail,
Kind fortune did favour us
With a sweet and pleasant gale.
We bore away from Americay
The wind being off the land
With courage brave we ploughed the wave
Bound down for Newfoundland.

Our captain's name was Nelson
Just twenty years of age,
As true, as brave a sailor lad
As ever ploughed the wave.
The Eveline our brig was called
Belonging to McLean,
With courage brave we ploughed the wave
Bound down for Newfoundland.

When three days out, to our surprise
Our captain he fell sick,
And shortly was not able
To show himself on deck.
The fever raged, which made us fear
That death was near at hand,
We bore away from Halifax
Bound down for Newfoundland.

All that long night we ran our brig
Till nine o'clock next day.
Our captain at the point of death
To our record did say,
"We'll bear away for Cape Canso,
Now, boys come lend a hand
And trim your topsail to the wind
Bound down for Newfoundland.

At three o'clock we sighted a light
Which we were glad to see,
The smallpox it being raging,
(That's what it proved to be),
At fouro'clock in the afternoon
As judge as God's command,
We anchored her safe in Arichat
Bound down for Newfoundland.

And for help and medicine
Ashore then we did go,
Our captain at the point of death
Our sympathy to show.
At five o'clock in the afternoon
As judge as God's command
In Arichat he breathed his last
Bound down for Newfoundland.

All that long night we did lament
For our departed friend,
And we were praying unto God
For what had been his end.
We'll pray the God will guide us
And keep us by his hand
And give us fair wind while at sea
Bound down for Newfoundland.

rich r ^^

Subject: Lyr Add: BANKS OF NEWFOUNDLAND^^ (from Creighton)
From: raredance
Date: 14 Jan 00 - 11:59 PM

This one is similar to DT#1, DT#3 and Alan's or rather Penguin's. Notice how the proper names change (Dick always warns us not to search for songs by proper names because both the names and the spellings frequently change). This text is from "Songs and Ballads of Nova Scotia" by Helen Creighton.

BANKS OF NEWFOUNDLAND

Come all you rakes and rambling boys,
I have you to beware,
It's when you sail those packet ships
Blue dungaree jumpers wear.
But buy your monkey-jackets, boys,
Keep them at your command,
And beware the cold nor'wester
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

We had on board two Irish chaps,
Pat Murphy and Joe Moore.
The passage to the westward
Those sailors suffered sore.
They pawned their clothes in Liverpool
And sold right our of hand,
Not thinking of the cold nor'wester
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

We had on board an Irish girl,
Bridget Power was her name,
On one she proved a marriage,
On one she had a claim,
She cut up all her underclothes
To make mittens for his hands,
Before she'd see her true love free (freeze)
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

I had a dream the other night,
I dreamed that I was home,
I dreamed that me and my true love
Was away down Marabone.
I dreamed I was on Scotland Road
With a jar of ale on hand,
But when I woke my heart was broke
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

We'll scrub her up, we'll scrub her down,
With holy stone find sand,
And bid adieu to the Virgin Rocks
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

Oh, now we're off of Sandy Hook
Where the Highlands are buried in snow,
And the pilot boat ahead of us,
Into New York we will go.
We'll call for liquor merrily
With a jar of ale in hand,
And when we're here we can't be there
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

rich r ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr & Tune add: Banks of Newfoundland
From: raredance
Date: 14 Jan 00 - 11:39 PM

Actually there are three versions in the DT. Searching for the truncated filename - [nwfndl*] - retrieves all three. #1 and #3 are close cousins of the one Alan just added. But, there are more. Helen Creighton in her "Maritime Folk Songs" has a song titled "Banks of Newfoundland" that is really a version of the song "The Dreadnought". The song contains one line among the 10 verses that goes: "Oh The Dreadnought is becalmed on the banks of Newfoundland" but that's about as close it gets to the other BON songs. There are more.

rich r

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BANKS OF NEWFOUNDLAND^^
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 14 Jan 00 - 06:10 AM

G'day,
From the Penguin Book Of English Folk Songs, Ed Pellow's submission of the tune of The Banks Of Newfoundland can be found here.

The Banks of Newfoundland

O you Western Ocean labourers,
I would have you all beware,
That when you're aboard of a packet-ship,
No dungaree jumpers wear,
But have a big monkey jacket
Always at your command,
And think of the cold Nor'westers
On the Banks of the Newfoundland.

Chorus:
So we'll rub her round and scrub her round
With holystone and sand,
And say farewell to the Virgin Rocks
On the Banks of the Newfoundland.

As I lay in my bunk one night
A-dreaming all alone,
I dreamt I was in Liverpool,
'Way up in Marylebone,
With my true love beside of me,
And a jug of ale in hand,
When I woke quite brokenhearted
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

We had one Lynch from Ballinahinch,
Jimmy Murphy and Mike Moore;
It was in the winter of sixty-two,
Those sea-boys suffered sore,
For they'd pawned their clothes in Liverpool,
And sold them out of hand,
Not thinking of the cold Nor'westers
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

We had one female passenger,
Bridget Riley was her name,
To her I promised marriage
And on me she had a claim.
She tore up her flannel petticoats
To make mittens for our hands,
For she couldn't see the sea-boys freeze
On the Banks of Newfoundland.

And now we're off Sandy Hook, my boys,
And the land's all covered with snow.
The tug-boat will take our hawser
And for New York we will tow;
And when we arrive at the Black Ball dock,
The boys and girls there will stand,
We'll bid adieu to the packet-ships
And the Banks of Newfoundland.

The DT has a different version here.

Previous song: The Banks Of Green Willow.
Next song: The Banks Of Sweet Primroses.

Cheers,
Alan ^^