“A Noble Fleet of Sealers”

Description

"There's a noble band of sealers being fitted for the ice, They'll take a chance again this year though fat's gone down in price...." The ships set out to take the seal. When they get back to St. John's, the sailors hope for good luck and good food

Supplemental text

Noble Fleet of Sealers, A
  Partial text(s)

          *** A ***

As printed in Ryan & Small, Haulin' Rope & Gaff, pp. 114-115. From the third
(1955) edition of Doyle's Old Time Songs and Poetry of Newfoundland.

There's a noble fleet of sealers,
Being fitted for the "ice."
They'll take a chance again this year
tho' fat's gone down in price.
And the owners will supply them
as in the days of old,
For in Newfoundland the Sealing VOyage
means something more than gold.

    Chorus
For the ice is drifting "suddard"
It's getting near the Funks,
And men will leave their feather beds
to sleep in wooden bunks.
Tho' times are getting hard again
our men have not gone soft.
They'll haul their tows o'er icy floes
or briskly go aloft.

(5 additional stanzas)

Notes

This song bears many resemblances, in the first verse and the melodic pattern, to "The Ferryland Sealer" -- which also derives from eastern Canada. But this piece has a different chorus, and the latter verses are different, so I tentatively distinguish them. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "The Ferryland Sealer"
• cf. "The Old Polina" (tune)

References

1. Fowke/Mills/Blume, pp. 162-164, "A Noble Fleet of Sealers" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. Doyle3, pp. 10-11, "A Noble Fleet of Sealers" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Blondahl, pp. 74-75, "A Noble Fleet of Sealers" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. Ryan/Small, pp. 114-115, "A Noble Fleet of Sealers" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. ST FMB162 (Partial)
6. Roud #4530
7. BI, FMB162