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1497 (Fourteen Ninety Seven) with lyrics and two videos

       #244: YouTube video by NLTreasure ©2008
                   ~ Used with permission ~

In fourteen ninety seven, our island it was found,
John Cabot in the Matthew to Bonavista he was bound;
He claimed her for old England, a country of renown,
King Henry gave this man ten pounds for this island he had found.

When folks began to settle, it was hardship from the start,
They vowed to make their island a masterpiece of art;
When strangers tried to burn them out, they fought to keep their stand,
When the fighting it was o'er, they sang God Guard Thee Newfoundland.

She's Canada's tenth province, but I know that she comes first,
They say, here comes a Newfie with not a nickle in his purse;
Ah, but they can't hurt my feelings and someday they'll understand,
Why I feel so proud when someone says, there's a boy from Newfoundland.

So you can brag about Ontario or New Brunswick's towns galore,
But you can't compare the beauty that lies upon our rocky shore;
She's Britain's oldest colony and God's great gift to man,
And the island I stand guard for is that one called Newfoundland.

And the island I stand guard for is that one called Newfoundland.

####.... John Henry (Johnny) Drake [1936-2006] of Belleoram, NL ....####
Recorded by The Dorymen (1497, trk#9, 1974 LP, Marathon Records, Toronto, Ontario); also recorded on a compilation album of various artists (25th Anniversary Musical Celebration, trk#14, 1974 LP, Marathon Records, Toronto, Ontario); and (Original Newfoundland Gold : 20 Original Hits from Newfoundland, trk#5, 1980 LP, The Great Canadian Music Co., Toronto, Ontario); and also (Tiny Red Light, trk#4, 1980 LP, The Great Canadian Music Co., Toronto, Ontario); and (Tiny Red Light, trk#3, 1999 CD, Heritage Music, Scarborough, Ontario); and (Tiny Red Light, trk #3, 2003 CD, Heritage Music, New Market, Ontario).

Johnny Drake, along with Tom Rose of Bay du Nord, NL, co-founded The Dorymen in 1969.


See more songs by Johnny Drake.

The YouTube video below features a live performance of a variant by Maurice Dobbin on a snowmobile trip in the Long Range Mountains of Newfoundland.


       #1380: YouTube video by jsmallwood2007 ©2010
                   ~ Used with permission ~





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