Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground (Ferrara)
From: GEST
Date: 09 May 09 - 09:44 PM

"Just found a neat site for this song. Origins, historical notes, sheet music, chords, and 3 sound tracks (one instrumental, 2 with variants of the words)."

I'm glad you appreciate the efforts, Ferrara, and am happy you recognize the results of a fellow Mudcatter at work when you see them. (We can't all be musicians.) ~big grin~

GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: pavane
Date: 07 May 09 - 03:58 AM

Somewhere in my archives, I have a recording of this song from a BBC program, as sung by the Chadwell Heath (Essex, UK) girl guides, early 1970's, when my sister was in their choir. If I can find it, I will post it (or maybe I should not?)

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 07 May 09 - 01:07 AM

The first recording of this song that I heard was by Omar Blondahl. Then Hank Snow, and then Harry Hibbs.

Omar

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Beer
Date: 06 May 09 - 10:16 PM

No mention of Hank Snow doing this number? I dug up his Song Book from 1965 and it is so written that Arthur R. Scammell wrote the words and music as Joe mentioned above.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: cptsnapper
Date: 06 May 09 - 09:48 PM

Steve Turner recorded a version of it on his album " Jigging One Now "

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Ferrara
Date: 06 May 09 - 08:17 PM

... but I guess it would be useful to include the link, huh?

Squid Jiggin Ground

The video with the Harry Higgs recording is pretty neat.

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Ferrara
Date: 06 May 09 - 08:15 PM

Just found a neat site for this song. Origins, historical notes, sheet music, chords, and 3 sound tracks (one instrumental, 2 with variants of the words).

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 02:15 PM

Supposedly was a school assignment ... hope that doesn't ruin the song for anyboy!

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 01:35 PM

Supposedly he was only 14 when he wrote the song. mg

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Rapparee
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 01:04 PM

It was also recorded by Schooner Fare.

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: GEST
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 01:03 PM

And then there's the question of what happened to their cape-anns When Our Boys Gave Up Squiddin' ? :-)

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 12:55 PM

I'm surprised we haven't had previous threads on this song. Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry:

Squid-Jiggin' Ground, The

DESCRIPTION: A song of the life of a squid fisherman. The fishermen are named, as are their homes and their peculiarities. The final stanzas warn of the messy work: "Now if ever you feel inclined to go squiddin', leave your white shirts and collars behind in the town"
AUTHOR: Arthur R. Scammell
EARLIEST DATE: c. 1929
KEYWORDS: fishing nonballad moniker work
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Fowke/Johnston, pp. 51-53, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Doyle2, pp. 66-67, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Doyle3, pp. 57-58, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Blondahl, pp. 32-33, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 127, "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground" (1 text)
DR, SQUIDJIG*
Roud #4429
RECORDINGS:
Omar Blondahl, "Squid Jiggin' Ground" (on NFOBlondahl05)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "When Our Boys Gave Up Squiddin'" (tune)
Notes: Fowke writes, "The tale of what happens when fishermen head for 'The Squid-Jiggin' Ground' is the most widely known of all Newfoundland songs.... It was written by... Arthur R. Scammell when he was only fifteen....
"The squid is a species of cuttle-fish about ten inches long which is used as bait for larger fish. It has the peculiar characteristic of squirting forth an inky liquid when it is disturbed. Large schools of squid move in at certain parts of the Newfoundland coast during August, September, and October, and then the fishermen head out to pull them in with line and jigger." - RBW
File: FJ051

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The Ballad Index Copyright 2005 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

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I checked the lyrics in Folk Songs of Canada, by Edith Fowke and Richard Johnston (1954). The words in the Digital Tradition are the same. Spelling in Fowke-Johnston is "Cape-Anns."
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: GEST
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 12:42 PM

And a music score, two MIDI files, lyrics, guitar chords, attributions, and background notes are all archived on one page at GEST Songs Of Newfoundland And Labrador. :-)

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 11:53 PM

Let me sail up Golden Bay,
With my oilskins all a'streamin',
From the thunder squall- when I hauled me trawl
And my old Cape Ann a'gleamin'
With my oilshins all a'streamin'.
(Kelland).

The spelling seems to be Cape Ann, as posted by Barry Finn.
Merchants seem to prefer Cape Anne for the hats they manufacture, at least from their on-line offers.

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Barry Finn
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 10:15 PM

I'm here in NH, USA less than an hours drive from Cape Ann?

"Don't ya remember Cape Ann, Boys,
Don't ya remember Cape Ann
I'll never go out on the trawl again
It's surely no live for a dog or a man".

Barry

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 09:48 PM

Has also been applied to waterproof overboots, but the hat is the answer here. The hat lacks the shovel in back of a sou'wester; and the wide brim is the same all around.
Women have taken to wearing a light version as an all-weather hat.

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Bob the Postman
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 08:30 PM

The Cape Anne is a rain hat pretty much the same as a sou'wester.

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 07:57 PM

words to? the song, of course. I get the whuppin'.

Subject: RE: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 07:55 PM

Cape Annes is plural, agreeing with oilskins and boots. Haven't you ever worn one? See http://collections.ic.gc.ca/leach/songs/NFLD1/11-02.htm for the words to

The young composer, Art Scammel, was in high school when he wrote the song; his teachers would have whupped him for bad grammar. The DT has Anne minus an 'n.'

Subject: Origins: Squid Jiggin Ground
From: GUEST,Steve-Cooperator
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 07:23 PM

Can someone shed some light on a part of a line in the Chorus of Squid Jiggin Ground: "and Cape Anns battened down."

Is this just a reference to the location Cape Ann, in which case it would be a case of a missing apostrophe, or is VCape Ann also a slang term.