Lament for Lost Fishermen?

Subject: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: Mudlark
Date: 05 May 03 - 03:15 PM

I have a friend who lost a father and brother to the sea while fishing a couple of weeks ago. She asked me to search for something suitable to use in the memorial service, something that could be spoken. I've searched, and found the Fisherman's Song, but it sounds like it should be sung (not surprising as it is a song), and also specific to the loss of only one person.

Does anyone have any ideas about an appropriate fishermen's farewell? Thanks for any help...

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: MMario
Date: 05 May 03 - 03:26 PM

Three score and ten?

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: lamarca
Date: 05 May 03 - 04:32 PM

Joan Sprung's exquisite song "Harbors of Home" instantly springs to mind - I don't sing it, so don't know the words by heart, but here's the bits I can remember:

Chorus:
The sun in the morning used to call me to the day
And the wind on the sea used to blow my cares away
But I'll nevermore go down to watch the boats come in the bay
Watch the boats from the harbors of home

It seems like it was yesterday I heard the church bells toll
And the time it goes so slowly as the hours slowly roll
They tell me passing days will surely heal a wounded soul
But my tears would fill the harbors of home...

The Ocean gives us fish, and the fish it buys our bread.
Strike a bargain with the Devil so that all of us are fed.
And nothing's given free, and our bonny boys are dead.
Oh our young men from the Harbors of Home.

It's the title cut on a Bok, Muir and Trickett album, but I don't have the words handy to get them right.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: GUEST,perfesser blue
Date: 05 May 03 - 04:41 PM

Check out "The Great Silkie"
I hear that it is an old old song sung in old days to heal the souls of those lost at sea. The magic part predates the modern englishge lyrics, so sing the whole thing.
It is also a Childe ballad.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 05 May 03 - 04:47 PM

A couple of songs in thread 16992: Fishermen lost

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 05 May 03 - 04:55 PM

The first two verses of Jon Heslop's "Candles":-

The sea she is a harsh and bitter mistress
She only gives her pleasures in repayment for men's lives
Yet constantly they go to her to reap the silver harvest
Long days and nights spent far from homes and wives.

See the boats so grand along the quayside
How small they look and fragile, when out upon the wave
See the men so tall and strong, the boys with faces shining
How many will bear flowers upon their grave?

And the chorus:

I will keep a candle in the window
I will keep a watch upon the sea.
I will say a prayer to any saint who'll hear
And pray that my love comes safe to me.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: Gareth
Date: 05 May 03 - 06:52 PM

Fidlers Green ? ( Not the Cavelry Version)

Gareth

Subject: DTADD: Harbours of Home (Joan Sprung)
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 05 May 03 - 07:25 PM

Mary, I've got my words handy. You did well, but forgot a verse.

Great song!

HARBOURS OF HOME
written by Joan Sprung
recorded by Norman & Betty McDonald


Chorus:        The sun in the morning used to call me to the day
                     And the wind from the sea could blow my cares away.
                     And I'll never more go down to watch the boats come in the bay
                     Watch the boats in the harbours of home.

Good sailors on the MaryAnn, the finest pledged to me
He went under with the others when the boat went down at sea.
And gone with him are all our dreams of happiness to be
Waiting for us in the harbours of home.
Chorus

Just like it was yesterday, I hear the churchbells toll
And time it takes forever and the hours slowly roll.
Though they tell me passing days surely heal an aching soul
My tears could fill the harbours of home.
Chorus

The ocean gives us fish, and the fish it buys our bread.
Strike a bargain with the devil so that all of us are fed.
But nothing's given free and our bonnie boys are dead
All our young men from the harbours of home.
Chorus
Watch the boats in the harbours of home.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: Deckman
Date: 05 May 03 - 07:46 PM

Hi Mudlark ... terrible times. I have a gentle suggestion. Not a "sea song" per se, but it might perhaps fit. Only you can decide. In similiar situations, I have sung: "Who Will Sing For Me." (Off'times singing for me friends, when deaths' dark form I see,.... etc.). I hope this helps. Bob

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 May 03 - 07:55 PM

Boat of Silver

~S~

Subject: Lyr Add: WE HAVE FED OUR SEA FOR A THOUSAND YEARS
From: Barry Finn
Date: 05 May 03 - 08:03 PM

Don't know if this is appropriate but it sure hits the spot dead on. Good luck with such a sensitive situation. Barry

WE HAVE FED OUR SEA FOR A THOUSAND YEARS
(words by Rudyard Kipling, music by Peter Bellamy)

We have fed our sea for a thousand years
And she calls still unfed
Tho' there's never a wave of all her waves
But marks our English dead
We have strawed our best to the weeds unrest
To the shark and the sheering gull

If blood be the price of admiralty
Lord God, we ha' paid in full

There's never a flood goes shoreward now
But lifts a keel we manned
There's never an ebb goes seaward now
But drops our dead on the sand
But slinks our dead on the sand forlorn
From the Dulcies to the Swin

If blood be the price of admiralty
If blood be the price of admiralty
Lord God, we ha' paid it in.

We must feed our sea for a thousand years
For that is our doom and pride
As it was when they sailed with the Golden Hind
Or the wreck that struck last tide
Or the wreck that lies on the spouting reef
Where the ghastly blue lights flare

If blood be the price of admiralty
If blood be the price of admiralty
If blood be the price of admiralty
Lord God, we ha' bought it fair.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: michaelr
Date: 05 May 03 - 09:30 PM

Can't think of the title now, but there's that Andy Stewart song:

And she has gone down to condemn that wild ocean
For the murderous loss of her man...

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: mg
Date: 05 May 03 - 09:35 PM

3 fishers..I think it and 3 score and 10 were originally poems and were set to music.

mg

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From:
Date: 05 May 03 - 09:45 PM

Many commercial fishermen find fishing folksongs objectionable. Some dislike the over romanticism of the fishing life the songs can project. Many do not care to be reminded of fishing's dangers and hence departed friends & family. That said, here are some ideas that are still pretty sappy and fraught with danger.

The Mingulay Boat Song might work because its about the joy fishermen take in returning from the sea to their families. It was written for a chorus and could be sung easily by a church choir.

Canaan Land is about crossing the sea to better shores and is very very easy for groups to sing, plus it offers more spirituality and less fish.

The Ways of Man could be read instead of sung, particularly with a set of pipes or an english concertina playing softly in the background.
It begins:
    The ways of man are passing strange
    He buys his freedom and he counts his change
    He lets the wind his days arrange
    And he calls the tide his master

You might also be able to read The Isle of Haugh (pronounced Ho). The chorus goes:

    I'll haul down my sails where the bays run together
    and bide away my days in the hills of Isle a Haugh

All these are to be found in the digital tradition database. Good luck. I am a fisherman myself and sorry about your friend's family.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 05 May 03 - 09:50 PM

I have often thought of Gordon Bok's song "Little River" when ever I hear of souls lost at sea.

DonMeixner

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: Mudlark
Date: 06 May 03 - 02:41 AM

Thank you so much, all, for responding, for the suggestions, and for the words to Harbors of Home. And thank you, too Barry, for the Kipling. I've copied, and will copy, off all suggestions and send them on to the family, along with your kind good wishes. The service is this coming wkend, so they have time to chose...and to modify slightly, if necessary. These men were lost off the coast of So. California, not an area rich in folk lore. In searching on the web I didn't come up with one tenth as many suggestions as you all have offered. I really appreciate the help.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 May 03 - 04:11 AM

Fiddler's green, Mingulay boat song - both good choices. I always stick with "Sleep on beloved" that has been a favourite of mine.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: KathWestra
Date: 06 May 03 - 11:54 AM

Hi Guest,pslansing--
The "Isle a Haugh" you refer to is actually "Isle au Haut" off the coast of Maine. The song has been recorded by Gordon Bok, among others, and it's a good 'un.

Don, I couldn't agree more. "Little River" is a wonderful song, actually a poem penned by Maine poet Ruth Moore and set to music by Bok. He's recorded it again on his new CD, "Herrings In the Bay." Takes the interesting perspective of a lost fisherman hearing the sound of a whistle buoy for the last time--from UNDER the waves.It is a very gentle look at the dangers of fishing and a loving glimpse of the things the lost fisherman will miss--his grieving love, the sound of seabirds, the wind, the silver river, the breakers, the tides. It's a gorgeous song.
Kathy

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: Mudlark
Date: 06 May 03 - 03:46 PM

Guest...could you point me to the lyrics for Sleep on Beloved? It isn't in the DT.

Kathy...and Don...I agree, Little River is stunning. I'd love to hear it sung.

Thanks again, all, especially for the variety. I don't know this family well enough to know whether the service will be religious or secular and you've given me some great stuff over a wide range. I can't believe there isn't something here they can use.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From:
Date: 06 May 03 - 10:24 PM

Hi yourself Kathwestra,

Thanks for the spell check! I believe Bok wrote both the Ways of Man and the Isle au Haut.

Thre are several Isles au Haut. I suspect Bok refers to both the prosaic island off the Maine coast and to the legendary one vaguely located in the far northwest Atlantic or the arctic islands. It is said that some magic quirk of the Labrador Current gives it a pleasant climate and makes it agreeable to deceased sailors.

I quite like the song Fiddlers Green. But it might have too much free rum and jolly living for a memorial service.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 May 03 - 10:34 PM

Nancy, sorry to hear about your friends. This old thread might yield up a few more. One in particular I posted in it, The Pattern, is esp. beautiful. I can send a midi if needed. here ya go: clickety.

kat

Subject: Lyr Add: SLEEP ON BELOVED (S Doudney/I Sankey)
From: lamarca
Date: 06 May 03 - 11:42 PM

Sleep On Beloved - words by Sarah Doudney, music by Ira Sankey

see http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/g/cgoodnit.htm for complete text and MIDI of music; Waterson-Carthy recorded an abridged version on their first album:

Sleep on, beloved, sleep, and take thy rest;
Lay down thy head upon the Savior's breast;
We love thee well, but Jesus loves thee best;
Good night! Good night! Good night!

Until the shadows from this earth are cast,
Until He gathers in His sheaves at last;
Until the twilight gloom be over past;
Good night! Good night! Good night!

Until, made beautiful by love divine,
Thou, in the likeness of thy Lord shalt shine,
And He shall bring that golden crown of thine;
Good night! Good night! Good night!

Until we meet again before His throne,
Clothed in the spotless robes He gives His own,
Until we know even as we are known;
Good night! Good night! Good night!

This morphed into a rhyming song when it reached the Bahamas; the version everyone seems to sing from The Incredible String Band to The Grateful Dead to Bill Staines was sung by the Pindar Family (Joseph Spence and his in-laws) and recorded by Jody Stecher on "The Real Bahamas" in 1965(?). It's in the DT here:

I Bid You Goodnight

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: Mudlark
Date: 07 May 03 - 12:32 AM

Hi Kat...thanks for the suggestion. It is a beautiful song and I felt lucky to find it when going thru the older threads.

Lamarca...thanks for the words to Sleep on Beloved. They wanted something spoken and if they are believers this should serve them well. It's been passed on to them.

I love the sea...shore. I'm glad than none I've ever loved have been drawn to spending a lot of time out in the deeps. Looking into really deep water from the side of a small boat gives me a sense of vertigo similar to getting to close to the edge of the 44th floor...

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 07 May 03 - 04:37 AM

"Safe in the Harbour," the song Eric Bogle wrote after the death of Stan Rogers.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: Gurney
Date: 07 May 03 - 04:48 AM

A guy in NZ here was in exaxtly that position, he lost a close relative when a tuna boat went down.
He wrote a song commemorating it, not a requiem/dirge, but a lively driving song. I only heard it once, the chorus sounded odd until you realised that it was a list of tuna species.
I could maybe get it, but not soon, as I don't really know him, have to chase him down, and I don't think it has been recorded.
If the tuna motif is appropriate, PM me.

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From:
Date: 07 May 03 - 05:50 AM

Fisherman's Wife

Subject: RE: Lament for Lost Fishermen?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Aug 21 - 04:38 PM

Anybody have full lyrics to Jon Heslop's "Candles"?

Patience Young sang it at the Singaround.

-Joe-