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GEST Songs Of Newfoundland And Labrador
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Heel ya ho, boys, let 'er go, boys,
Keep her head 'round and all together;
Heel ya ho, boys, let her go, boys,
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.
What care we how white the Minch is,
What care we, boys, for snow and weather?
Bring her 'round, boys, for every inch is
Weaving homeward to Mingulay.
Heel ya ho, boys, let 'er go, boys,
Keep her head 'round and all together;
Heel ya ho, boys, let her go, boys,
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.
Far behind us, hills of Quinlon,
Soon before us, the hills of heather;
And you know, boys, the candles glow, boys,
In the windows of Mingulay.
Heel ya ho, boys, let 'er go, boys,
Keep her head 'round and all together;
Heel ya ho, boys, let her go, boys,
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.
Wives are waiting on the bank, or,
Looking seaward from the heather;
Bring her 'round, boys, and then we'll anchor,
Ere the sun sets on Mingulay.
Heel ya ho, boys, let 'er go, boys,
Keep her head 'round and all together;
Heel ya ho, boys, let her go, boys,
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.
Heel ya ho, boys, let 'er go, boys,
Keep her head 'round and all together;
Heel ya ho, boys, let her go, boys,
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.
Neither the words nor the melody originate anywhere near Mingulay; it is a romantic invention of the 20th century, devised in 1938 by Glasgow-born Sir Hugh Roberton, who was very fond of the melody of 'Creag Ghuanach', a song from Lochaber, which celebrates a crag near Loch Treig. He needed a sea shanty, and so he adapted the music, chose the romantic name Mingulay, and composed the words.Variants of this song have been recorded by many artists, including Ryan's Fancy, Tommy Makem, Liam Clancy, the Francis McPeake family of Ulster, The Corries, and Schooner Fare. A variant was also featured in the 2006 movie Diggers with an arrangement by Dan Zanes of Exeter, New Hampshire (Sea Music, trk#11, 2002, Festival Five Records, Brooklyn, New York).
Chord Shape: [G]= 3,2,0,0,3,3
Intro: [G]
Chorus:
[G] Heel ya ho, boys, [D] let 'er [G] go, boys,
Keep her [D] head 'round and [G] all to- [C] gether;
Heel ya [G] ho, boys, [D] let her [G] go, boys,
Sailing [D] homeward [G] to [C] Mingu- [G] lay.
[G] What care we how [D] white the [G] Minch is,
What care [D] we boys for [G] snow and [C] weather?
Bring her [G] 'round, boys, for [D] every [G] inch
Is weaving [D] homeward [G] to [C] Mingu- [G] lay.
Chorus:
[G] Heel ya ho, boys, [D] let 'er [G] go, boys,
Keep her [D] head 'round and [G] all to- [C] gether;
Heel ya [G] ho, boys, [D] let her [G] go, boys,
Sailing [D] homeward [G] to [C] Mingu- [G] lay.
[G] Far behind us, [D] hills of [G] Quinlon,
Soon be- [D] fore us, the [G] hills of [C] heather;
And you [G] know, boys, the [D] candles [G] glow, boys,
In the [D] windows [G] of [C] Mingu- [G] lay.
Chorus:
[G] Heel ya ho, boys, [D] let 'er [G] go, boys,
Keep her [D] head 'round and [G] all to- [C] gether;
Heel ya [G] ho, boys, [D] let her [G] go, boys,
Sailing [D] homeward [G] to [C] Mingu- [G] lay.
[G] Wives are waiting [D] on the [G] bank, or,
Looking [D] seaward [G] from the [C] heather;
Bring her [G] 'round, boys, and [D] then we'll [G] anchor,
Ere the [D] sun sets [G] on [C] Mingu- [G] lay.
Chorus:
[G] Heel ya ho, boys, [D] let 'er [G] go, boys,
Keep her [D] head 'round and [G] all to- [C] gether;
Heel ya [G] ho, boys, [D] let her [G] go, boys,
Sailing [D] homeward [G] to [C] Mingu- [G] lay.
Chorus:
[G] Heel ya ho, boys, [D] let 'er [G] go, boys,
Keep her [D] head 'round and [G] all to- [C] gether;
Heel ya [G] ho, boys, [D] let her [G] go, boys,
Sailing [D] homeward [G] to [C] Mingu- [G] lay.
~ Chords contributed by Bob Dumais ~