Lyr Add: The First Time (Archie Fisher/Owen Hand)

Subject: DTADD: An Owen Hand song
From: belfast
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 11:31 AM

I have just read on another thread.(Click Here) of the sad death of Owen Hand.
Many years ago I had for a short time an LP of stuff recorded at the Edinburgh Folk Festival.   One track that I recall was a song which I hope and believe was by Owen Hand, "When You're Going Out For The First Time". Below are the words and tune as well as I can remember them. I'd be grateful about any additions or corrections.

When You're Going Out For The First Time
(Owen Hand)

When you're going out for the first time
They'll tell you of trips that they've made
Of the sweat and the work and the loneliness
And you'll feel just a little afraid.

They'll tell you of whales that they've harpooned
Of pay-offs they've had in the past
Of the men who have died from the boredom
And the trips that were to be their last.

When you ask them why they go whaling
And why from their families they part
They smile and they say "It's the money, son,"
Or "Man is a hunter at heart."

It won't be the first time you've worked hard
You've mined and you've dug ditches too
And how can there be such loneliness
With five hundred men in the crew

As you lie awake on the first night
You hope that it won't be too tough
The roll of the ship puts you off to sleep
You'll find out for your self soon enough.

X:1
T: When You're Going Out For The First Time
M:3/4
Q:140
K:C
G|"C"ccc|cdc|"G"BG2|z2G|"F"AFF|FGA|"C"G3|z2E|"Dm"FDD|DGF|"Am"E2C|A,2B,|"C"Ccc|"Em"BGE|"Dm"D3|"G"z2

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Owen Hand song
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 12:47 PM

I've been trying to find that song for years. Handicapped, rather, by the fact that the person I half-learnt it from is dead, used a different title (The First Time) and first line (Going out with the Fleet for the first time, I think it was), and never told me who wrote it! Many thanks for this.

I seem to recall another verse, perhaps, ending Or remember your own mother's face. Does that ring any bells?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Owen Hand song
From: belfast
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 01:55 PM

Yes, it does ring a loud bell. There is another verse and that line is part of it but it has disappeared from my memory. I came across the song at age when, if I liked a song, I could hear it a couple of times and it would lodge in my brain. I thought they would stay there forever so I seldom wrote anything down. So I wouldn't guarantee the accuracy of the words I have given, or even of the melody. My mind may have done its own internal folk process.

And I'd be interested if anyone else can remember the LP that I mentioned. I can't recall another track.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Owen Hand song
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 03:51 PM

Jim Mageean used to sing it (and I remembered it as "When you're going to sea for the first time"). If you think there's some missing I could ask him.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Owen Hand song
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 03:57 PM

And when I think about it maybe Ian Woods too. (Also I seem to recall When you lie in your bunk on the first night).

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Owen Hand song
From: belfast
Date: 10 Mar 03 - 12:15 PM

Refreshing this in the hope that someone will come up with the missing verse.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FIRST TIME (Archie Fisher)
From: delphinium
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 11:20 PM

As mentioned on another thread, this song is Archie Fisher's "The First Time," and Cilla Fisher & Artie Trezise recorded it on "For Foul Day and Fair" (Folk Legacy Records FSS-69, 1978). Here are the lyrics and other comments copied from the notes with that album:

THE FIRST TIME

This song was written by Archie Fisher about the feelings of his friend Owen Hand on his first trip on board a whaling ship out of Leith.

Another verse which only came to us after the recording goes as follows:

It won't be the first time you've worked hard,
For you've mined and you've dug ditches too,
And how can there be any loneliness,
With three hundred men in the crew?

    * * * * *

When you're sailin' out for the first time,
Men will tell you of trips that they've made,
Of the work and the sweat and the loneliness,
And you feel just a little afraid.

They'll tell you of whales that they've harpooned,
And of payoffs they've had in the past,
Of the men who have died, and the boredom,
And of trips that were to be their last.

They say when you've been out at six months
In that cold and desolate place,
That you won't be able to sleep at night
Or remember your own mother's face.

So when you ask them why they go whaling,
And why from their families they part,
Oh, they may shrug and say, "It's the money,"
Or that "man is a hunter at heart."

When you lie in your bunk on the first night,
And you hope that it won't be too tough,
And the roll of the ship puts you off to sleep,
You'll find out for yourself soon enough.

(repeat first verse)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Owen Hand song
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 08:08 AM

Kendall sings the song beautifully -- as can be heard on the radio piece that Raquel Maria Dillon recently did on the April Portsmouth Shanty Session. It was recently rebroadcast on "Here and Now" on public radio and can be heard at http://www.here-now.org/shows/2003/06/20030624.asp (Scroll down to "Sea Shantys"

or at http://www.nhpr.org/view_content/4744/ for the original airing on NH Public Radio.

Linn

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Owen Hand song
From: delphinium
Date: 29 Jun 03 - 03:06 PM

Does anyone know of other recordings of this song? Or the Edinburgh Folk Festival LP belfast mentions?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Owen Hand song
From: belfast
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 05:05 AM

Good to get the correct words and provenance of this song.