Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Maine (22)
- Ballad (12)
- Roud (11)
- Lumberwoods (8)
- Sandy Ives (8)
-
- Laws (7)
- New Brunswick (7)
- Song (7)
- Joe Scott (4)
- Lumbercamp (4)
- Satire (4)
- Sea song (4)
- Folksong (3)
- Loggers (3)
- Prince Edward Island (3)
- Woodsmen (3)
- American Civil War (2)
- Androscoggin River (2)
- Bill Cramp (2)
- Death on the job (2)
- England (2)
- English (2)
- Ernest Lord (2)
- Grange (2)
- Ireland (2)
- Jeff McKeen (2)
- Larry Gorman (2)
- Lumber camp (2)
- Murder (2)
- New Hampshire (2)
- Publication Year
Articles 1 - 30 of 34
Full-Text Articles in History
Mf018 Folksong Student Papers, Special Collections, Raymond H. Fogler Library, University Of Maine
Mf018 Folksong Student Papers, Special Collections, Raymond H. Fogler Library, University Of Maine
Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History Finding Aids
This collection contains a series of student projects on folksongs in America.
The Little Mohea, Harvey Gurney
The Little Mohea, Harvey Gurney
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"The Little Mohea," also known by many other names and spellings, is an old song that likely developed from an older English broadside song known as "The Indian Lass." Most folklorists agree that "Mohea" probably developed in its American form among sailors, and some even point to whaling ships specifically.
Bye-Bye Longjohns, Jim Cahill, Dot Ruppell
Bye-Bye Longjohns, Jim Cahill, Dot Ruppell
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"Bye-Bye Longjohns" is a musical representation of how most Mainers feel by the time March rolls around. For some, this feeling comes even earlier. The song was written in western Maine over the course of the late twentieth century.
Krakoviak, John Supruniuk
Krakoviak, John Supruniuk
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"Krakoviak" is a tune named after a style of dance that originated in the area around Kraków in southern Poland (there the dance is called krakowiak). The tune heard here is one of many variants of the song to which the dance is performed.
The Spring Of ‘65, Eddie Rollins
The Spring Of ‘65, Eddie Rollins
Maine Song and Story Sampler
In the old days of the Maine Lumberwoods, March and April marked the end of cutting and hauling lumber for the winter. As loggers came out of the woods, either before returning for the river drives or just headed home until next Winter, many made their way to cities and went on drunken sprees that became legendary.
Jag Har En Vän (I Have A Friend), Chester Ringdahl
Jag Har En Vän (I Have A Friend), Chester Ringdahl
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"Jag har en van" is an old Swedish pietistic hymn, with words and music written by Nils Frykman in 1895. Swedish hymn writer Nils Frykman was part of the Swedish Free Church movement in old Sweden during the second half of the 19th century.
Raatikko, Walfred Hamari
Raatikko, Walfred Hamari
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"Raatikko" is a traditional Finnish song and dance. The song tells of a mountain in southern Finland, Kyöpelinvuori, which is known in Finnish mythology as the place haunted by the spirits of virgins who die young.
Youpe! Youpe! Sur La Riviere!, Mr. And Mrs. Lawrence Parent
Youpe! Youpe! Sur La Riviere!, Mr. And Mrs. Lawrence Parent
Maine Song and Story Sampler
A home-made song from Quebec, Youpe! came to Maine the same way many other songs traveled through Maine and the eastern Canadian provinces: with lumbermen who crossed the border in both directions. It was especially popular among French-Canadian lumberjacks who adapted to their own use an earlier song called "Le p'tit bois d'lail."
Green Corn Dance, Teresa Sappier
Green Corn Dance, Teresa Sappier
Maine Song and Story Sampler
The "Green Corn Dance" (or simply "Corn Dance") is a Penobscot song and dance tradition based on the legend of the first mother that tells of the origin of important horticultural plants. Briefly, the legend tells how first mother was sad because there was no food for her children.
The Wabassus Cannonball, George Macarthur
The Wabassus Cannonball, George Macarthur
Maine Song and Story Sampler
George MacArthur's song, "The Wabassus Cannonball," is a musical parody of the well-known American folk song "The Wabash Cannonball." The original song is about a fictional train and MacArthur's tune tells the story of how he and a friend, fellow guide Hazen Bagley, outsmarted two wardens and a judge to avoid a conviction for poaching.
The Irish Patriot, Dale Potter
The Irish Patriot, Dale Potter
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"The Irish Patriot" is a mysterious song. Judging by the title alone, one would guess it is of Irish origin, and after listening, the story told in the ballad would seem to confirm this suspicion. However, the song has only ever been collected in Maine, where it was likely a popular song among woodsmen, and the Maritime provinces of Canada.
The Picnic At Groshaut, Art Cahill
The Picnic At Groshaut, Art Cahill
Maine Song and Story Sampler
In Drive Dull Care Away: Folksongs from Prince Edward Island, Sandy Ives wrote, "This is one of those local songs you have to know something about ahead of time before it makes much sense, and the singing of it will almost always lead to comment on what really happened."
The Champion Of Moose Hill, Raymond Mace
The Champion Of Moose Hill, Raymond Mace
Maine Song and Story Sampler
“The Champion of Moose Hill” tells the true, comic story of a dance gone awry for one poor, inebriated soul.
The Banks Of Newfoundland, Mabel Worcester
The Banks Of Newfoundland, Mabel Worcester
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"The Banks of Newfoundland" is the title of at least six different songs. These are not variations on a single tune, but entirely different songs with different airs and lyrics. All share a common theme - the dangers of fishing or sailing off the coast of Newfoundland - but none are very similar.
Young Charlotte (Or Fair Charlotte), Ernest Lord
Young Charlotte (Or Fair Charlotte), Ernest Lord
Maine Song and Story Sampler
Young Charlotte is an old ballad native to North America. It has been a popular ballad all over North America from Newfoundland to South Dakota, and widely studied. It was so popular, in fact, that it inspired a doll called Frozen Charlotte.
The Blackwater Side, Bill Cramp
The Blackwater Side, Bill Cramp
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"The Blackwater Side" is one of many songs that came to Maine from the British Tradition. It is, as Bill Cramp called it, a "long love song." This ballad is one in a series of songs that consist of true lovers' discussions, but none are any more good humored than "The Blackwater Side."
The Depot Camp, Bill Cramp
The Depot Camp, Bill Cramp
Maine Song and Story Sampler
The song, written by James O’Hara, a woodsman from Maine, described the lumbering operation owned and operated by James McNulty of Bangor, Maine.
The Soldier’S Letter, Joseph Pagett
The Soldier’S Letter, Joseph Pagett
Maine Song and Story Sampler
“The Soldier’s Letter” was one of several songs from the American Civil War that became popular in Canada.
Cod Liver Oil, Omer Mckenna
Cod Liver Oil, Omer Mckenna
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"Cod Liver Oil" was a popular song from Newfoundland, so popular in fact that many have claimed it as a Newfoundland song. It's origins, however, are not so clearly traced.
The Teamster In Jack Macdonald’S Crew, Joseph Walsh
The Teamster In Jack Macdonald’S Crew, Joseph Walsh
Maine Song and Story Sampler
When Walsh sang "The Teamster in Jack MacDonald's Crew" for Sandy Ives, it was a song he had never heard before and did not hear from anyone after, despite his best efforts to find it. Walsh either learned the song while working near Katahdin Iron Works around 1911 or from a friend back on PEI, he was not entirely sure.
Wild Colonial Boy, Thomas Cleghorn
Wild Colonial Boy, Thomas Cleghorn
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"Wild Colonial Boy" is one of a few songs that came to Maine from Australia by way of Britain. This particular version was collected in Canada, but the singer learned it in the Maine woods, a point that underscores the close connections of Maine and the Maritimes economically and culturally.
John Roberts, Clarence Berry
John Roberts, Clarence Berry
Maine Song and Story Sampler
“John Roberts” is one of many woods songs that tells the sad tale of a river driver who died on the job.
The Schooner E.A. Horton, Margaret Hallett
The Schooner E.A. Horton, Margaret Hallett
Maine Song and Story Sampler
This song, which is native to Massachusetts, is based on a true story. On September 1, 1871 the E. A. Horton a Gloucester-based schooner was captured by the Canadian authorities in Nova Scotia.
Blueberries & Leathery Ice, Lindsey Smallidge
Blueberries & Leathery Ice, Lindsey Smallidge
Maine Song and Story Sampler
A pair of tall tales from Mount Desert Island.
The Good Old State Of Maine, James Brown
The Good Old State Of Maine, James Brown
Maine Song and Story Sampler
People have likely been singing, whistling, and humming while working for as long as music and work have existed. This relationship has developed twofold, both as a way to make work go faster (either by passing the time or establishing a rhythm for work) and as a means of expressing discontent with work or working conditions.
Canaday-I-O, Robert French
Canaday-I-O, Robert French
Maine Song and Story Sampler
The major recurring theme in these folksongs from Maine and Maritime Canada is the flow of cultural products and people within the area of New Hampshire, Maine, and eastern Canada. But while this cultural and demographic exchange helped define the region, it did not mean there was no rivalry or animosity between states, provinces, or nations.
The Bull Moose Song, Linwood Brown
The Bull Moose Song, Linwood Brown
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"The Bull Moose Song" is a local lumber camp satire, with the joke at the expense of the operator, Frankie Malcolm.
Old Horse Or The Sailor’S Grace, Robert French
Old Horse Or The Sailor’S Grace, Robert French
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"Old Horse" is an old sea song (dating at least back to the 1830s, and probably long before that) that expresses sailors' dissatisfaction with the quality of their food.
Heenan And Sayers, Mrs. Elwood Nickerson
Heenan And Sayers, Mrs. Elwood Nickerson
Maine Song and Story Sampler
The ballad "Heenan and Sayers" described an event so popular that it overshadowed a civil war.
The Dungarvon Whooper, Billy Price
The Dungarvon Whooper, Billy Price
Maine Song and Story Sampler
The Dungarvon Whooper is arguably the most famous ghost in New Brunswick (the Burning Ship of Northumberland Strait is also widely known in eastern Canada, but multiple provinces can claim it as “their ghost”).