Chords Req: Let Me Fish Off Cape St Mary's

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Chords Req: Let Me Fish Off Cape St Mary's

18 Jan 97 - 09:04 AM (#1426)
Subject: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: Bill Hoyman hoymanwi@dmps.des-moines.k12.ia.us

I would like to know what chords Stan Rogers used to play this song. I am having trouble figuring them out. Thanks

21 Jan 97 - 04:08 AM (#1516)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: Joe Offer

I would like to know the location of Cape St. Mary's. I found a fishing village with that name on the south shore of Nova Scotia, but I think there's a Cape St. Mary's in Newfoundland. Which one is Stan referring to? -Joe-

11 Feb 97 - 09:59 PM (#2141)
Subject: ADD: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: ron keel

There is a bay called St. Mary's on the southern side of the Avalon Peninsula (the same peninsula as St.John's, Newfoundland) and a Cape St. Mary's on the south western side of the same peninsula, facing Placentia Bay. Fishermen from both the Avalon and the Burin (near St. Pierre and Miquelon) peninsulas regularly fish in Placentia Bay "off Cape St. Mary's."

I don't know if Stan used the same chords as I do. I got mine from a Ryan's Fancy album. They are also available in any Canadian Folk Songbook worth it's salt. Here they are.

CAPE ST. MARYS

  
          D          A       Bm           D        E7      A    A7
  Take me back to my western boat, let me fish off Cape St Marys
            D        A            F#m       Bm  
  Where the Hagdowns sail and the fog horns wail
          D           G              Bm
  With my friends the Browns and the Clearys
         G        E7       A      A7
  Let me fish off Cape St. Marys.

I hope this helps.

Ron K.

11 Feb 97 - 10:08 PM (#2142)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: Ron K

Sorry for the screw up on the chords. Let me try them this way. I got this form from a songbook called "Rise Up Singing". Each chord is the downbeat of each bar and a dash (-) means the chord is repeated in the next bar. A slash means next line.

D A Bm - /D E7 A A7 / D A F#m Bm / D G Bm - / G E7 A A7

03 Feb 01 - 12:02 AM (#388987)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca

Hmmm. Just reading this message thread for the first time.

I know Stan Rogers sang the song, but I am certain he didn't write it.

The author was (If I remember correctly) the warden of a prison. I'll have to check for the author's name.

03 Feb 01 - 12:13 AM (#388995)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: Barry T

The author is Otto Kelland... alive and thriving at the age of 94!

Here's my midi sequence of the song we're discussing in this thread. This might give you some ideas for chord progressions, Bill... particularly the bass line.

03 Feb 01 - 02:35 PM (#389250)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: GUEST,Frank of Toledo

Gordon Bok has a version and it's printed in his book as Western Boat". His chords are as follows: C F C F G7 AM C AM F C F C G7 C F G7

"Let Me Fish off Cape St. Mary's"

03 Feb 01 - 11:50 PM (#389472)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: GUEST,mg

that is one of the most beautiful songs. Please someone sing it at my funeral if you cannot persuade Denis Ryan to come out and sing it. I think he does the definitive version. It is a bird colony now I believe. More birds per square inch than you have probably ever seen. mg

10 Aug 01 - 09:50 PM (#525432)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca

from http://infoculture.cbc.ca/archives/musop/musop_07031998_royalties.html

This story last updated 11:35amEDT Friday July 03, 1998
94-year-old fights for folk song royalties
SUZANNE WOOLRIDGE - CBC Radio Arts

ST. JOHN'S - A 94-year-old composer is fighting for royalties owed him on one of Newfoundland's most folk songs, Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary's. Otto Kelland wrote it more than a half century ago but he's still fighting to enjoy the profits of his popular composition.

Kelland was working as a prison guard when he wrote Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary's. Given how often it's been used, the song should have been a modest meal ticket for Kelland. For years though, all Kelland got was a dribble of royalties. That's because he was credited only as the arranger, not as the composer.
Jocelyn Kelland, Otto's daughter, manages his affairs now. She's not sure how much money her father is owed, but she figures it's a lot. Jocelyn Kelland says her father can certainly prove he composed the song. He registered his copyright as composer in 1960.
The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada deals with copyright issues and arranges performance royalties for composers. Jocelyn Kelland says they thought her father was dead.
"He was really hurt to think that these mainlanders -- as he calls them-- would go around saying that he wasn't alive," laughs Kelland, "that he didn't compose it. As a matter of fact the first man to read Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary's is quite willing to testify you know."
SOCAN only pays for plays the song gets on radio and television. Kelland's publishing company, Star Quality Music, must also pay the correct royalties for publishing and recording it.<
Jocelyn Kelland says its records also show Kelland as arranger, not composer. She says both SOCAN and Star Quality Music have agreed to change their files but they still have to pay up the missing royalties.
The Music Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador is looking into the situation. It's president is Arch Bonnell. "It could affect other artists as well," he says, "so we would certainly monitor the situation from the point of View of our membership and in general Newfoundland creators and artists and if we can help out the Kelland family in any way, we certainly will."
Kelland's daughter wants to know who did get paid composer royalties. She says her father is not so much worried about the money as putting the record straight.

11 Aug 01 - 06:07 PM (#525851)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: Charley Noble

Refreshing. Interesting news.

11 Aug 01 - 07:17 PM (#525894)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: Clinton Hammond

I just put it on and noodled around with it a bit, and I'm pretty sure that Stan is playing his 12 string in DADGAD capoed 5th fret to put it in G...

Just like he did for Mary Ellen Carter... lots of the same chord runs in common...

That's some great really cool minimalist finger picking... and ya gotta love Garnets fiddle work on this song!!!!!! They were so good for each other...

;-)

19 Aug 01 - 10:18 AM (#531122)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca

CBC's Sunday Morning has a half hour interview today with Mr. Kelland and his family. Starts at 11AM.

29 Apr 03 - 01:31 AM (#942509)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: GUEST,BobMcKechnie

The words you have posted are the ones Stan Rogers published, and are slightly different from the original by Kelland. Do you want the originals posted here too?

Bob

29 Apr 03 - 06:26 AM (#942597)
Subject: RE: Cape St Mary's - chords
From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca

That would be excellent, Bob. Please also advise where you found these words.

Always interested in correcting discrepancies whenever we find them. Thanks for the offer.

21 Jan 12 - 12:43 PM (#3293961)
Subject: RE: Chords Req: Let Me Fish Off Cape St Mary's
From: GUEST

Maybe it's my ear, but shouldn't the third line in the verse follow this chord sequence?

D G A7 D
With my friends the Browns and the Clearys

Admittedly, I'm very much a novice.

21 Jan 12 - 10:50 PM (#3294200)
Subject: RE: Chords Req: Let Me Fish Off Cape St Mary's
From: GUEST

From

http://www.explorenewfoundlandandlabrador.com/newfoundland-music/fish.htm

Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary's

Written by Otto Kelland

Take me back to my Western boat,
Let me fish off Cape St. Mary's
Where the hagdowns sail and the foghorns wail
With my friends the Browns and the Clearys.
Let me fish off Cape St. Mary's.

Let me feel my dory lift
To the broad Atlantic combers
Where the tide rips swirl and the wild ducks whirl
Where Old Neptune calls the number
'Neath the broad Atlantic combers . . .

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 oil skins all a streamin' . . .

Let me view that rugged shore,
Where the beach is all a-glisten
With the Caplin spawn where from dusk to dawn
You bait your trawl and listen
To the undertow a-hissin'.

When I reach that last big shoal
Where the ground swells break asunder,
Where the wild sands roll to the surges toll.
Let me be a man and take it
When my dory fails to make it.

Take me back to that snug green cove
Where the seas roll up their thunder.
There let me rest in the earth's cool Breast
Where the stars shine out their wonder -
And the seas roll up their thunder.

22 Jan 12 - 09:17 PM (#3294756)
Subject: RE: Chords Req: Let Me Fish Off Cape St Mary's
From: Ross Campbell

YouTube - Stan Rogers singing "Let Me Fish off Cape St Mary's"

23 Jan 12 - 08:15 PM (#3295215)
Subject: RE: Chords Req: Let Me Fish Off Cape St Mary's
From: Sandy Mc Lean

As much as I am a hardline fan of both Stan Rogers and Ryan's Fancy and enjoy both of their renditions, Harry Hibbs is the name that I associate with this song, and I believe that he set the standard. He recorded it earlier than the others and popularized it from his native isle to the rest of Canada.
Harry Hibbs

23 Jan 12 - 10:10 PM (#3295238)
Subject: RE: Chords Req: Let Me Fish Off Cape St Mary's
From: meself

Thanks, Sandy, that practically brought a tear to my eye. I wonder if that would be me ol' shipmate Reg Watkins on harmonica? Anyone know?

23 Jan 12 - 11:04 PM (#3295252)
Subject: RE: Chords Req: Let Me Fish Off Cape St Mary's
From: GUEST

God Bless you Harry. You left us way to early.

23 Jan 12 - 11:05 PM (#3295253)
Subject: RE: Chords Req: Let Me Fish Off Cape St Mary's
From: GUEST

BEER on last post.