Lyr Req: The Boatman / Fear a Bhàta

Subject: The Boatman
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 01 Jul 02 - 05:52 PM

Hey all...

My band is having a debate over the translation of the chorus to "The Boatman". The version we sing is mainly in english with the exception of the chorus. The person who sings the song wrote the liner notes on this song, and said that it basically means "wompbompaloobopawompbamboo". Another in the band thinks that it *has* a translation that is not scat, but he does not know it offhand.

Anyone know what the chorus means?

Subject: RE: The Boatman
From:
Date: 01 Jul 02 - 06:07 PM

Which Boatman? Do you mean, Fear a Bhàta? There has been previous discussion of this particular song at Mudcat. This thread has ties to most of them.

Fear a' Bhata

Subject: RE: The Boatman
From:
Date: 01 Jul 02 - 06:14 PM

Here's an English version in the Mudcat database

The Boatman - English

Subject: RE: The Boatman
From: MMario
Date: 01 Jul 02 - 06:28 PM

Looks like they are both right! The chorus seems to be a combination of intelligible and nonsense words.

Subject: RE: The Boatman
From: Wincing Devil
Date: 01 Jul 02 - 08:19 PM

Whatever it means, it shows off Darcy's lovely voice...

Subject: RE: The Boatman
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 01 Jul 02 - 09:54 PM

Yes, "Fear a' bhata" is the right one. Correct me if I am wrong, but the threads I have read really don't answer the question. They give examples of the lyrics, but they don't say "This part is made up and not Gaelic, and this part is actual Gaelic and means..."

So, have I missed something? Could be, I miss a lot. Just today, I was looking for the ketchup, and had half the contents of the fridge out before I realized that one of the first things I had removed to look for the ketchup was the ketchup.

Subject: RE: The Boatman
From:
Date: 01 Jul 02 - 11:42 PM

If you look at Cliff McGann's posting in the message thread I linked to. It gives the Gaelic and then the translation following it. Later a posting by Alison shows a more singable English version of it. In BOTH cases the vocables are in the same spot. Cliff reiterates later that his is a literal translation which isn't meant to be sung.

As MMario has it correct above, some of the words are vocables, and others are actual words.

Subject: RE: The Boatman
From: MMario
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 12:07 AM

Sorry CS - I should have copied in the parts that I was referring too

The chorus translates

oh boatman (nonsense) etc - with the last line in gaelic being roughly what it is in english

Subject: RE: The Boatman
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 09:44 PM

Thanks all. I guess I need a clue by four sometimes. I saw it, but didn't know if they had simply left in some gaelic, or if it was Irish scat.

Thanks for the info.