Fanny's Harbour Bawn (Mark Walker)

As I roamed out one evening in the lovely month of May,
Those verdant hills I rambled to view the distant bay;
The craft were flocking down the shore, and pleasant looked the day,
When to my surprise a pair I spied that caused me to delay.

'Twas then I saw a young man embracing fondly,
The charms of a fair one that once was loved by me;
My heart with jealous notions felt eagerly the wrong
Which caused this fearful contest on Fanny's Harbour Bawn.

I did address this young man and unto him did say,
"Are you from Bonavista or are you from the Bay?
I think you are a Northern man - a Bayman, I presume,
So I pray to be gone all from the Bawn or I'll boot you in your bloom."

He quickly made an answer, and this to me did say:
"I'm not from Bonavista but I am from the Bay,
I do reside where storms and tide have swept down buildings strong,
Here in full glee from T. and C. to meet you on the Bawn."

He stood no hesitation, but struck immediately,
This damsel mild stood like a child to witness the affray;
A pain then in my chest he rose before 'twas very long,
My person, pucked and darling, took on Fanny's Harbour Bawn.

He skinned my nose down my poor face as I instantly did rise,
And soon unto my eagle brow he joined a bunch of fives;
I lay there prostrated and quite lifeless on the Bawn,
And when I came to my senses the Bayman he was gone.

Now when you meet with Northern men you'll think they're somewhat green,
You'll treat them with a scornful look as unfit to be seen;
You'll scoff them and rebuke them with a scolding tongue,
Till you them enrage and in a fight engage, then from baymen you will run.

I will not fail to tell the tale nor yet my true love's name,
Her name is Catherine Murphy and she dwells in Roger's Lane;
And I'm a youth from Carbonear once loved by her I know,
My curse attend that Northern man that proved my overthrow.

Now to conclude these painful lines, from courting I'll refrain,
And the rest of my companions I hope they'll do the same;
For in courting there's great jealousy, and likewise envy strong,
Which caused my claret blood to flow on Fanny's Harbour Bawn.

####.... Mark Walker [1846-1924] of Tickle Cove, Bonavista Bay, NL ....####

See more songs by Mark Walker.

Published in Gerald S. Doyle's Old-Time Songs And Poetry Of Newfoundland: Songs Of The People From The Days Of Our Forefathers (First edition, p.3, 1927, Second edition, pp.34-35, 1940).

Gerald Doyle noted that "the fight related in these verses occurred on the Labrador Shore over half a century ago, or more [c.1877]. The Bawn is a place used by fishermen for spreading fish on. The girl whom the love-sick swains fought over was said to have been a handsome damsel in her day."

Additional notes: 'T and C' (verse four) refers to Tickle Cove, NL, and a 'bunch of fives' (verse six) is a fist.

Three variant tunes all with similar lyrics were collected in 1951 from Bill Brennan of King's Cove, and in 1959 from George Decker of Rocky Harbour and Everett Bennett of St. Paul's, NL, by Kenneth Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, pp.185-188, by The National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.

From the Dictionary Of Newfoundland English:
Bawn - grassy land or meadow near a house or settlement.

Kenneth Peacock noted that the flowery language of this love adventure is typical of older native songs and betrays an Irish influence (see The Maid Of Newfoundland).

Another variant was collected in 1980 from Pius Power, Sr. of Southeast Bight, NL, by Genevieve Lehr and Anita Best and published as #36 in Come And I Will Sing You: A Newfoundland Songbook, pp.62-63, edited by Genevieve Lehr (University of Toronto Press © 1985/2003).

Genevieve Lehr noted that the incident described in this song apparently took place in the mid-1800s - the young damsel being a native of St John's. Lehr also noted elsewhere that Mark Walker seems to have had his share of misfortunes with women - the loss of Lovely Katie-O is another example.

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