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Oh, tonight the west moon hangs over the harbour,
Shines down 'cross the headland and out 'cross the bay,
Shines down through the trees and rests on the graveyard,
The only reminder of a long ago day.
My mind takes me back to a time in that harbour,
When stout boats at anchor dozed on the sway,
When the laughter of children sent glad cries to Heaven,
And women looked seaward from meadows of hay.
But no longer I see those fish-covered flakes now,
No green rows of gardens stretched over the hill,
No punt in the beach gleaming red with fresh copper,
No fine sturdy stick freshly cut for a keel.
For the government men came bribing and preaching,
They convinced all the livyers to just move away.
Now they're scattered like dried leaves from hell to high water,
But the wind and the west moon elected to stay.
So, tonight the west moon hangs over the harbour,
Shines down 'cross the headland and out 'cross the bay,
Shines down through the trees and rests on the graveyard,
As if lookin' for the souls of the ones moved away.
Recorded by Pat Byrne (Towards The Sunset / Pat and Joe Byrne with Baxter Wareham, trk#1, 1983, Pigeon Inlet Productions, St. John's, NL, re-issued on compact disc in 2003).
A variant was recorded by Con Parsons (Rose Of My Heart / Con & Cheri Parsons, trk#7, 2005, arranged and produced by Bill Quilty, Eagle Productions, Placentia, NL).
A variant was also recorded by Allan Ricketts (Allan Rickets, trk#2, 2006, Avondale Music, St. John's, NL).
From the Dictionary Of Newfoundland English:
Flake - a platform built on poles and spread with boughs for drying cod-fish on the foreshore.
Livyer - a permanent settler of coastal Newfoundland (as opposed to migratory fisherman from England).
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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.
[G] Oh, tonight the west moon hangs [F] over the [G] harbour,
Shines down 'cross the headland and [F] out 'cross the [D] bay,
[G] Shines down 'thru the trees and [F] rests on the [G] graveyard,
The only [F] reminder of a [D] long ago [G] day.
