A great big sea hove in Long Beach,
Right fal-or-al taddle diddle I-do;
A great big sea hove in Long Beach,
And Granny Snooks she lost her speech.
To me right fol-didy fol-dee.
A great big sea hove in the harbour,
Right fal-or-al taddle diddle I-do;
A great big sea hove in the harbour,
And hove right up to Keough's parlour.
To me right fol-didy fol-dee.
Oh, mother dear, I wants a sack,
Right fal-or-al taddle diddle I-do;
Oh, mother dear, I wants a sack,
With beads and buttons down the back.
To me right fol-didy fol-dee.
Me boot is broke, me frock is tore,
Right fal-or-al taddle diddle I-do;
Me boot is broke, me frock is tore,
But Georgie Snooks I do adore.
To me right fol-didy fol-dee.
Oh, fish is low and flour is high,
Right fal-or-al taddle diddle I-do;
Oh, fish is low and flour is high,
So Georgie Snooks he can't have I.
To me right fol-didy fol-dee.
But he will have me in the fall,
Right fal-or-al taddle diddle I-do;
If he don't I'll hoist my sail,
And say goodbye to old Canaille.
To me right fol-didy fol-dee.
####.... Author unknown. Original Newfoundland song ....####
The YouTube video above features a variant arranged and recorded by Ryan's Fancy (Songs From The Shows, trk#13, 2001, produced for CBC Television by Jack Kellum, and recorded at CBC Television Studios, St. John's, NL).
Liner Notes: Vocal - Dermot O'Reilly.
This jocular song is reputed to describe a tidal surge that occurred as a result of heavy storm conditions during the fall of 1920 in the historic, picturesque town of Bonavista, Newfoundland. Because of the shows we were afforded the wonderful opportunity of visiting many such towns and villages in Newfoundland and throughout the Atlantic Region.
Note ¹: The small community of Long Beach, NL, is located east of the Trans-Canada Highway and north of the Isthmus of Avalon which connects the south-east part of Newfoundland with the Avalon Peninsula where 40% of the population lives and the Provincial capital of St. John's is located. According to a table of known coastal flooding events copyrighted by the Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, an earthquake in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 1, 1755, probably resulted in the emptying of Bonavista Harbour. Ten minutes later water returned and overflowed parts of the community. The table notes that this song may have originated with that event.
Note ²: Canaille - old district name in Bonavista that survives from the beginning of the eighteenth century along with names such as Mockbeggar and Bayley's Cove.
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Notes On Guitar Tabs:
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All guitar tabs have been contributed by visitors to this site and represent their interpretation of the tune. We are unable to verify their accuracy.
A [G] great big sea hove [D] in Long Beach,
[G] Right fal-or-al [C] taddle diddle [D] I-do;
A [G] great big sea hove [D] in Long Beach,
[C] And Granny Snooks she [D] lost her speech.
To me [G] right fol-[D] didy fol-[G] dee.
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