A few years ago I went on this great graveyard tour with my sister-in-law during the local festival. We were lead through the graveyard of the first settlers here by people in period dress, with stories and re-enactments. At the end of the tour, all the ghosts and players lined up and sang Barrett's Privateers. I'd heard sea shanties before, but not one so local - and when I turned to mention this to M, she was singing along lustily. As was the rest of the crowd. I think they learn it in school here.
This can be sung either slow and dirge-like or fast and sprightly (usually as a drinking and dancing song) - see how excited the audience is to hear it?
And it's like that every time this song is played! I'm a little surprised I wasn't required to learn it before they'd let me over the Nova Scotian border...
11 comments:
This is history done right!
Gotta love a concert at the rink!
If you're a broken man on a Halifax pier...
Come on, you know they don't stop you at the NS border. We're nice.
Wow. Nice to see tradition alive & loved.
I used to work for an Australian band called Weddings Parties Anything who did a kickass version of that song. They were quite big in Canada - for an Australian band, I mean.
Note to self: learn the lyrics and teach them to the rest of the family before we all hit NS in July! This got me really looking forward to our vacation - thank you!
hey, do you know Farewell to Nova Scotia? I LOVE that song, too : )
My husband used to play in an Irish band that had a strong component of sea chanties on their set lists. I like 'em.
It makes you fell kinda piraty.
-J.
He He....lol...they never taught the song in school....but you can guarantee that once I lived in Halifax for a year....I knew it by heart!!!!!
Crys
I love that song, Great Big Sea sings it too... :)
(And I'm not even from Nova Scotia... born in NB though, and my mother is a maritimer)
Mmmmmm Joke is right - it makes me feel piratey all over. Oh and just so you know, they won't let you cross the border without knowing all the words to Farewell to Nova Scotia.
Oooh, I love the GBS version of that song. Those boys can do a mean sea chanty.
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