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Full-Text Articles in History
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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”).
Guy Reed, Philip Walsh
Guy Reed, Philip Walsh
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"Guy Reed" is one of several songs by one of the great woods songmakers in Maine and the Maritimes, Joe Scott. Guy Reed, son of Joseph and Remember Mitchell Reed, was born in 1874 in the Byron, Maine area, and died in a logging accident just a few miles above Livermore Falls, Maine, on September 9, 1897.
Benjamin Deane, Chester Price
Benjamin Deane, Chester Price
Maine Song and Story Sampler
“Benjamin Deane” is a classic example of a confessional ballad, with a man in prison lamenting how he came to be there: bootlegging, adultery, and murder.
The Cambric Shirt, Jennie Gray
The Cambric Shirt, Jennie Gray
Maine Song and Story Sampler
"The Cambric Shirt" is one of the many British ballads chronicled by Francis James Child in the late nineteenth century. The song is titled "The Elfin Knight" in Child's collection, and "The Cambric Shirt" is one of many names of the many variations on the song.