Song lost but not forgotten (Anderson's Coast)

Subject: Lyrics lost tune forgotten
From:
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 09:39 AM

I heard a song performed by Waterson:carthy this year about a convict sent to Van Deimans land and he sings to his love Annie in England. Rocky shores of bass strait? Would love to find the tune and lyrics so I can sing it to my ma, Annie in Tasmania for birthday pressie.

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 09:45 AM

It's a modern song, and a good one, and a true story about some escaped convicts who got wrecked while trying to get home, back in the transportation times. If noone else comes up with the goods I'll see if I can find it somewhwere.

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: fiend
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 10:12 AM

hell that was fast! would appreciate it.. thanks

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 10:26 AM

The song is on Cockersdale's CD "Wide Open Skies." from It's called "Anderson's Coast" and is by John Warner. The notes say Cockersdale got the song from John's CD "Pithead in the Fern." I always thought they were singing "Bar Straight." Duh.

Watch this space for lyrics. :-)

Subject: Lyr Add: ANDERSON'S COAST^^
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 10:48 AM

Here it is.
I've transcribed it from a CD with people singing in an accent (to my ears), and place names I'm unfamiliar with. If I've misheard anything, please correct me. I'm sure a JoeClone would be willing to edit the lyrics.
Thanks, and enjoy the song!

---

Anderson's Coast
by John Warner

Now Bass Strait roars like some great mill race
And where are you, my Annie
And the same moon shines on this lonely place
As shone one day on my Annies face

Chorus
But Annie dear, don't wait for me
I fear I shall not return to thee
There's naught to do but endure my fate
And watch the moon
The lonely moon
Light the breakers on wild Bass Strait.

We stole a vessel and all her gear
And where are you, my Annie
And from Van Diemen's we north did steer
'Till Bass Strait's wild waves wrecked us here

Chorus

And somewhere west port Melbourne lies
And where are you, my Annie
Through swamps infested with snakes and flies
The fool who walks there, he surely dies

Chorus

We hail no ships, though the time it drags
And where are you, my Annie
Our chain gang walk and government rags
All mark us out as Van Diemen's lags

Chorus

We fled the lash and the chafing chain
And where are you, my Annie
We fled hard labour and brutal pain
And here we are and here remain

Chorus

Repeat first verse

Transcribed from the singing of Cockersdale on the CD Wide Open Skies. Cockersdale got the song from John Warner's CD Pithead in the Fern.

---

Click for related thread on "Anderson's Coast."

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Wolfgang
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 11:14 AM

Thanks, Jeri, for this good song. I didn't know it before. Bass Strait is the usual spelling though Bass Straight can be found as well in some instances.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 11:43 AM

Thanks Wolfgang. You worded that very kindly! I was simply ignorant of the correct spelling.

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Wolfgang
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 11:59 AM

I've found 'Bass Straight' (while searching) even on a webpage from the Australian Navy. So I just had to be careful.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 06:18 PM

G'day Guest, Jeri, Wolfgang & all,

The correct spelling for Tasmania's older name is Van Diemen's Land, named by Tasman for Anthony Van Diemen, the Dutch Governor General of the Dutch East Indies.

As I remeber the song and the story, Anderson is not singing to his love back in England but in Victoria, the reference is to an historical stranding and I ad best get the correct details from John Warner. I have heard John sing the song several times but I don't have it on any of his recordings.

It is still appropriate for our guest da_fiend80 to sent to his ma in Tasmania - Melbourne (and thus Victoria) was actually settled from Tasmania. John Batman sailed from Georgetown, in north east Tasmania (where my wife Patricia grew up). There had been an earlier attempt at settlement east of present-day Melbourne in the convict era but this failed in hostile weather conditions.

An Australian might say they had Buckley's chance (ie - none at all) for Buckley, one of the convicts who escaped the abortive settlement. In fact he did well on his chances - he survived with local Aborigines and was still there when Batman's party arrived. After some trouble remembering how to speak English, he acted as an interpreter between them and the local natives.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: GUEST,Guest the grand daughter
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 06:41 PM

My dad used to sing "There's an old Irish lady I'm wishful to see, with a smile in her eyes, worth a million to me, though I'v'e known many colleens there's none can compare with that old Irish lady with silvery hair".

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 08:09 PM

I think that chorus is "the lonely moon lighys the breakers".

I think there's a fullish account of the story somewhere in The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes, an Aussie republican. (Which means something slightly different there than it does in Bush country!)

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: alison
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 08:10 PM

just a thought... I've only heard John sing it once.. but shouldn't it be "....moon, light the breakers on......."???

slainte

alison

---

I edited to "Watch the moon...light the breakers." --JoeClone

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 08:11 PM

not "lighys" - "lights". Sorry!

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 09:36 PM

G'day again,

The hazards of trying to make a meaningful post on the fly show up here. I checked with Margaret Walters, who sings with John Warner as Walters & Warner and she pointed out: " There isn't a person called Anderson in/or singing the song. It's just a patch of coast near Kilcunda in Victoria." as well as the fact that I do have it on record ... on their CD Pithead in the Fern, which I actually reviewed a couple of years back (mea culpa maxima ... ). I was thinking it was in another group of songs - John's CDs all follow strong themes and Pithead in the Fern is about that geographical region ... mostly about the mining region of Valhalla, but he gets down to the coast. I think I should leave the accurate statement of what the song is about to Margaret, who has promised to put some background together. How long that takes probably depends on whether she has to consult John Warner (after all, he DID write the song!).

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: Andersons COAST
From: cujimmy
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 07:01 PM

I'm looking for the words of the song about the fellow being taken away to Tazmania " AND WHERE ARE YOU MY ANNIE " LOVELY SONG - REGARDS - JIMMY

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Andersons COAST
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Feb 01 - 09:51 PM

Jimmy, there's a thread about this song, and the lyrics are posted there. Click here, and enjoy!

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: MMario
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 10:28 AM

refrresh - still on the missing tunes list

Subject: Tune Add: ANDERSON'S COAST (John Warner)
From: Willa
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 04:23 PM

X:1
T Anderson's Coast by John Warner
M:3/4
K:G
L:1/8

G,|B,CD2B,G,|A,B,G,3G|GAG2G,2|B,D4D|EFG2B,B,|CDE3E|DB,G,2FG|FGE3E|DB,G,3G,|B,CD3D|EFG2FG|ECD3D|EFG2B,B,|CDE3E|DB,G,3G|FGE2FG|GG,2B,A,B,|G,5

I think this is about right.

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: GUEST,Guest, Rob
Date: 08 May 03 - 09:33 AM

Would someone have the patience to assist a novice and explain Willa's music in the last post? if M:3/4 = 3/4 time whats L:1/8? do the vertical bars signify musical bars/measures? what do the commas indicate? what do numbers on there own indicate? whats GAG2G saying one should play? whats DB saying one should play? I can play all the chords but can't seem to get 'em to fit the words !

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Snuffy
Date: 08 May 03 - 09:52 AM

The music is written in ABC notation. The basic scale of two octaves goes CDEFGABcdefgab

L: 1/8 means that notes are 1/8 unless specified - so 6 of them in a 3/4 time measure.

Numbers (or fractions) after a note mean it is held for that many L: values. So G3 is 3 eighths (i.e. a dotted quarter), and G/2 would be half an eighth (i.e. a 16th)

| is a bar line. I would personally have put them a 1/4 note further on, with a pickup of 3 eights at the start, and every measure then starting with a 1/4 or dotted quarter.

, after a note means play it an octave lower and ,, means two octaves lower. 'means an octave higher and '' 2 higher etc. So in theory C' is the same as c and c, is the same as C.

You can find more information in this thread Mudcat ABC Tune Guide, which also tells you where to download ABC editors, players etc.

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: MMario
Date: 08 May 03 - 09:52 AM

guest - quickly
L:1/8 means the default note value is 1/8 note; the comma's I believe indicate octave,
these are not chord values, but note values (melody line)

a full explanation of the ABC notation system can be found at the ABC Home Page or you can read the Mudcat ABC tune guide for a briefer explanation.

it's a neat way to put music into text.

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 09 May 03 - 08:28 AM

G'day MMario,

Hmmm .. I should ask John if he actually has this down in 'dots'. I'm not too sure that he actually bothers with such abstracts ... but Margaret likes to have things organised and notated. I'll get on the blower and find out if anyone has done a transcription ... and, if so, I'll key it in and send you a MIDItxt version.

If not ... well ... it's not one that I've bothered to notate for my music workshop ... but John writes some bloody ripper songs ... and this is one of them ... and I might have to do some transcribing?

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Anglo
Date: 09 May 03 - 09:49 AM

I do believe I heard this song on a demo tape by Danny Spooner, who'll be visiting the US this summer (east coast at least, I don't know his full itinerary). Look for him at Mystic Sea Music fest., Old Songs fest., Pinewoods Folk Music Camp, Salem Maritime fest., and a few more. As Bob says, it's a ripper - great chorus song.

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: pavane
Date: 09 May 03 - 09:55 AM

Bob - why key it in? You should be able to copy from the thread and paste into a text editor?

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: MMario
Date: 09 May 03 - 09:57 AM

The midi is also out on the Mudcat Midi page

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 10 May 03 - 10:05 AM

Anglo

Have a look at Danny Spooner's website - he is a fantastic singer & has recorded the full version of Anderson's Coast on his latest CD "Launch out on the Deep". John left out one verse & never sings it in sessions or concerts. As you said it's a great chorus song & we usually ask him to sing it most sessions & the room fills with harmony. He's a great songwriter & a good friend.

Danny has also appeared at my club, with our local shanty group The Roaring Forties (which includes John & Margaret) for a fantastic night of unccompanied singing. He's well worth listening to, so don't miss him, you'll have a great time.

http://www.dannyspooner.com/

sandra

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 10 May 03 - 10:07 AM

Thanks Snuffy and Mario, the ABC bizzos new to me. Seems useful to figure out the melody line if yer don't know the tune. Seems then that Willa's music is the melody line. I have the CD so can figure out the melody line but wanted the chords/tablature. G C D I suppose.

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 11 May 03 - 07:50 AM

Gday pavane,

"Bob - why key it in? "

I was referring to the tune ... the dots - as it appeared we did'nt have it. However, Mmario has a (reasonable ...) MIDI up and running, so it can be retrieved and converted to dots / ABC / whatever you need (except that the chord dependent will still have sort out their own ... or we might have to ask John for his!).

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Songs lost but not forgotten
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 17 May 03 - 06:17 AM

G'day again,

I downloaded the MIDI of Anderson's Coast (and MMario sent me a copy) ... it didn't really sound much like John Warner's tune ... even when slowed to the right pace. I think the problem was that someone got (most of) the right notes down - but tried to squeeze it into a 3/4 time signature. When I imported the MIDI into my music program - I adjusted the time signature to 4/4 and the note lengths to soemething quite like John sings - and it sounds much more like the song! I've sent this MIDI back to MMario, so he can check it out.

Chords are not so easy to sort out: John doesn't play chords - he accompanies the song with a melodic and harmonic line on the guitar or Irish bouzouki. On the CD he plays concertina as well - and there are whistles and other melody instruments playing a written arangement. I'll see if the arranger, Kim Poole, has a chord structure to go with that.

Regards,

Bob Bolton