Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers

Subject: Lyr Req: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: GUEST, GEST
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 05:27 PM

In Newfoundland, Josie Wilkinson sang "Seven Spanish Trawlers" on her album "Salt Water Cowgirls", as did Squeezin' Steve Searle on his album "Tribute To The Maritimes", but I can't seem to find the lyrics anywhere. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 09:42 PM

Is this a parody of "Seven Spanish Angels," the song recorded by Willie Nelson?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: Sorcha
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 10:03 PM

All I found was the album and the track listings. Sorry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers [Joe]
From: GUEST, GEST
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 10:19 AM

It's not a parody to my knowledge, Joe.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 11:53 AM

It uses the tune of "Seven Spanish Angels" so in one respect it is a parody although it has a story of its own. "The Spanish they got all the fish, the Newfies they got none, and seven Spanish trawlers took all the codfish home" or something like that. Or maybe "Seven Spanish Angels" is a parody of "Seven Spanish Trawlers".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: GUEST, GEST
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 06:43 PM

That's a great start, Arkie. Thank you. Let's hope someone else can expound on it. :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 07:16 PM

I can only piece together bits of the song. My copy is fairly difficult to interpret. The best I can do is below. Maybe someone else can add more. I could not figure out the first line and am not really certain of anything else. Except for the chorus which is pretty close.

--------------------------------------------------------
He threw his arms up in the air for its contract they had none
Then he looked on the raging foam just in time to see
Seven Spanish Trawlers head out to open sea

Chorus:
There were Seven Spanish Trawlers they were fishing in the sun
The Spanish they caught all the fish, the Newfies they got none
Then the clouds appeared, and the fog rose, the sun no longer shines
And Seven Spanish Trawlers took all the codfish home.

Then O'Brien sent a letter out to -----------------------
You fellows -------something when they're breaking our fishing laws
-------------------------------------------------------------------
They boarded the Seven Spanish Trawlers and took them back to port.

Chorus:

Subject: DTADD: Tribute to Brian Tobin
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 07:23 PM

The song seems to be about some actual incident and a search for spanish trawlers and Newfoundland turns up quite a bit including the following song which is not what we were looking for but it is related.
^^
Tribute To Brian Tobin

Oh, my name is Brian Tobin and I'm here to work me plan,
And keep the fishing trawlers off the Banks of Newfoundland;
The Spanish fleet and all the foreign vessels will be banned,
From fishing in the waters on the Banks of Newfoundland.

Refrain:
Oh, the Portuguese, the Japanese, the Norwegians, and the French,
And all the Spanish trawlers fishing there upon the Banks,
You're breaking all our fishing laws, I hope you understand,
And the ocean's done away with on the Banks of Newfoundland.

Oh, the horns they sound on the fishing ground and they tried to reach its side,
The baby turbot swims away, but they got no place to hide;
And the old wharf-cutter goes to work, and just the way we planned,
No ifs and buts, their trawls are cut on the Banks of Newfoundland.

Oh, we don't need tanks out on the Banks, 'cause there won't be a fight,
So start to haul your fishing trawls, 'cause what you're doing ain't right;
For years and years, the baby fish were caught and boxed and canned,
I should have done this years ago on the Banks of Newfoundland.

Oh, ten years from now you'll wonder how we made it all work out,
And the younger ones would wonder what this song was all about;
Well, it's just their obligation to remember my command,
And keep the Spanish trawlers off the Banks of Newfoundland.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 12:50 AM

I thought I'd have a go at this.

Building on what Arkie came up with, here's what I hear:

He looked down into his cod trap 'n' said my God, where have they gone
He threw his arms up in despair for his cod trap it held none
Then he looked out o'er the raging foam just in time to see
Seven Spanish Trawlers headin' out to open sea

Chorus:
There were Seven Spanish Trawlers they were fishing in the sun
The Spanish they caught all the fish, the Newfies they got none
Then the clouds appeared, and the fog rolled in, the sun no longer shone
And Seven Spanish Trawlers took all the codfish home.

Then O'Brien sent a letter off to Frazier and ----------------
You fellows better do something when they're breaking our fishing law
Then the government quickly they dispatched the good Canadian Patrol
They boarded the Spanish Trawlers and took them back to port.

Though I tried, I failed to get the historical context of O'Brien, Frazier and who ever else was involved. Maybe Frank or one of our other Newfoundland members can fill in the details for us.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 09:48 AM

Dale, thanks for filling in the blanks. In retrospect and after a bit more searching I think the "O" should be dropped from Brian and that it is a reference to Brian Tobin, the Fisheries Minister who orderd the Canadian Patrol to harrass the foreign fishing boats in Canadian waters and the subject of the other song listed above.

I thought some of our Canadian friends would have come to our rescue by now.

Subject: Lyr Add: BALLAD OF BRIAN TOBIN / LET MY TURBOT GO
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 12:16 PM

Right, that's our Brian.

Here's another from this source: http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/07/letmyturbotgo.htm
^^
The Ballad Of Brian Tobin ~or~ Let My Turbot Go

Sung triumphantly to "Ghost Riders In The Sky")

Once there was a turbot, way down in the sea,
Swimming by his lonesome, saying," What will become of me?
The Spanish fleet's a-coming, and can you tell me why
They're fishing off the nose and tail, till the Grand Banks run dry?"

He'd seen the Spanish fishing nets, his mortal enemy;
He'd seen them sweep the cod that once swam proud and free.
So he stuck his little head above the waves that were so high
And he called for Brian Tobin to hear his mortal cry.

Refrain:
Yippee aye a
Yippee aye o
Let my turbot go.

Tobin set patrol boats upon the Spanish ships.
They tried to rally 'round and tried to give us the slip.
The Estai cut its nets and turned to run away,
But soon it was surrounded and brought to St. John's Bay.

Its captain was arrested and Canadians were told
That tons of baby turbot were hidden in that hold.
The fisherfolk from Newfoundland let out a mighty cheer.
They took the Spanish sailors and they bought them all a beer.

The European Union was said to pop its cork,
They called Tobin a pirate when they met him in New York;
They said no one in Europe will believe a word of this.
Tobin hung the Estai's nets up, said, "Come on, have a whiff!"

Now, come on, you Spanish captains, who look at us and scoff,
Don't mess with Brian Tobin or he'll cut your nets right off.
And all you folks in Canada, I hope you like the tale
Of the little baby turbot with the courage of a whale.
####.... Kirk Elliot ....####

Here's the transcript of a speech by Tobin in Iceland, 1995.

Story of the seizure of the Estai   As Arkie suggests, there is a ton of info on the subject out there. I found my info in a search for Brian Tobin.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: GUEST, GEST
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 08:15 PM

Arke and Dale ~

It's interesting that lyrics from my own Web site are being used to expand the discussion developing in response to my own post. Perhaps now you understand my motivation, eh? ~grin~
GEST Songs Of Newfoundland And Labrador

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: dulcimer
Date: 27 Jul 03 - 07:28 AM

From what I read of the song, I would ask when is a parody not a parody?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: GEST
Date: 26 Nov 09 - 02:09 PM

Thanks to the Mudcat and Alan Chippet who sent me the guitar chords so I was able to add a page for Seven Spanish Trawlers at GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador: http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/10/trawlers.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 10:03 AM

GEST, glad to see this has been completed. I, personally, think Seven Spanish Trawlers a clever remake of Seven Spanish Angels and am glad to see all the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Spanish Trawlers
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Apr 11 - 05:45 PM

try art ford