Lyr Req: The Blind Man's Song

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Blind Man's Song
From: GUEST
Date: 03 May 21 - 05:22 AM

Pam Ostergren taught me this in the 60s when we worked at the Heritage in Mission Beach. I played it on the banjo for years back in the 70s. La Dee Ray! Great song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Blind Man's Song
From: GUEST
Date: 03 May 21 - 05:19 AM

Then who with me a fishing go my dainty dainty damsel-oh
Come fish with me the livelong day...and who will then be caught? We'll see lawdy ray di ray di ray....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Blind Man's Song
From: clueless don
Date: 08 Jan 21 - 06:21 AM

I started this thread years ago when I was still "GUEST,Don". I still don't know what the song has to do with being blind.

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Blind Man's Song
From: GUEST,Percheron
Date: 05 Feb 11 - 03:58 AM

http://sites.google.com/site/gebhardweb/home-2/22nd-annual-festival-june-13---14-2009/2009-festival---june-13-14/gwdf-2009-performers/ed-trickett

This may help...I have emailed them to see if they know the tune

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Blind Man's Song
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Feb 11 - 03:10 AM

I did know the tune as I use to sing it often years ago

Subject: RE: many fine fish in the sea - blind man?
From: GUEST,Don
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 03:04 PM

I see that I didn't remember the words exactly (or perhaps the singers I heard changed the words), but that's the song, all right! Many thanks!

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BLIND MAN'S SONG
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 01:32 PM

Apparently this song is not in in the DT. At least I can't find it so I'll add it here, without the tune:

THE BLIND MAN'S SONG

(Original words in French by Anatole France, translated by Curtis Hidden Page, new tune by Howie Mitchell, as sung by Howie Mitchell and Ed Trickett on The Golden Ring, Folk Legacy Records FSI-16 © 1964)

There's lots of good fish in the sea,
La de ray, la de ray,
Now who will go and fish with me?
La de ray, la de ray;
Now who'll with me a-fishing go,
My dainty, dainty damsel-o?
Come fish with me the livelong day,
And who will then be caught? We'll see,
La de ray, de ray, de ray.

Along the rippling river's bank,
La de ray, la de ray,
Along the wimpling water's bank,
La de ray, la de ray,
Along the banks so shady-o,
I met the miller's lady-o,
And danced with her the livelong day,
And, oh, I danced my heart away,
La de ray, de ray, de ray.

Subject: RE: many fine fish in the sea - blind man?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 11:54 AM

Hollowfox has nailed it as FSI-16. The song was originally in French as part of a play called "The Man Who Married a Dumb Wife" by Anatole France. The song was translated by Curtis Hidden Page and Howie Mitchell composed a new tune for it as sung on this recording. I could type in the lyrics if no one else has already done so.

Subject: RE: many fine fish in the sea - blind man?
From: Hollowfox
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 11:33 AM

It's on the classic Golden Ring album, put out by Folk Legacy. (Not to be confused with the two New Golden Ring albums that followed a few years after.) I think the album number is FSI 16, but I'm at work so I can't double check, or get details from the information pamphlet/libretto.

Subject: many fine fish in the sea - blind man?
From: GUEST,Don
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 09:14 AM

Back in the early 70's there was a song that I frequently heard sung by members of the Cornell Folk Song Club. It started off something like this:

There's many fine fish in the sea.

la-de-ray! la-de-ray!

Who will go and fish with me?

la-de-ray! la-de-ray!

Who'll with me a fishing go?

That's all I can remember now. But one other thing I remember is that when I asked the name of the song, I was told that it was called "The Blind Man's Song".

Does this ring any bells with anyone? I can't find it anywhere on Mudcat.