Oh, - there's lots of fish in Bonavist Harbour,
Lots of fish right in around here;
Boys and girls are fishin' together,
Forty-five from Carbonear.
Oh, - Catch-a-hold this one,
Catch-a-hold that one,
Swing around this one, swing around she;
Dance around this one, dance around that one,
Diddle dum this one, diddle dum dee.
Oh, - Sally got a bouncin' new baby,
Father said that he didn't care
Because he liked the feller from Fortune,
What was down here fishin' last year.
Oh, - Catch-a-hold this one,
Catch-a-hold that one,
Swing around this one, swing around she;
Dance around this one, dance around that one,
Diddle dum this one, diddle dum dee.
Oh, - Sally goes to church every Sunday,
Not for to sing nor for to hear;
But to see the feller from Fortune,
What was down here fishin' last year.
Oh, - Catch-a-hold this one,
Catch-a-hold that one,
Swing around this one, swing around she;
Dance around this one, dance around that one,
Diddle dum this one, diddle dum dee.
####.... Author unknown. Original Newfoundland song ....####
Also published on p.9 of Songs Of Newfoundland, a complimentary booklet of lyrics to twenty-one songs distributed free by the Bennett Brewing Co Ltd, of St John's, NL, with the cooperation of Gerald S Doyle, Ltd.
A variant was also collected by Kenneth Peacock and published as
Lots Of Fish In Bonavist Harbour in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Vol 1, pp.53-54, by The National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved. A variant was also recorded as Lots Of Fish In Bonavist Harbour, on Kenneth Peacock's album, Songs And Ballads Of Newfoundland, Folkways FG 3505, LP (1956), cut #A.03.
A variant was arranged and recorded as Feller From Fortune by Omar Blondahl (Trade Winds: Omar Blondahl Presents The Saga Of Newfoundland In Song, side 1, trk#1, c.1956 LP, Rodeo International, Mt Albert, ON); and (Omar Blondahl Sings Of Newfoundland, Side 2, trk#4, 197? LP, Continental Records, Mississauga, ON).
The Bonavista branch of Newfoundland's narrow-gauge trans-insular railway was completed in 1913, and served the peninsula from 1915 through the summer of 1983. The very last run on the branch line departed Bonavista at 2:08 on November 19, 1988, with five cars and locomotive #802.
The video below features a recording by The Fables (St John's, trk#9, 2002, Chummy Jigger Productions, St John's, NL).
The variant in the video below was recorded as Fellow From Fortune by Harry Hibbs on his eighth album (Between Two Trees, trk#10, 1976 LP, Hibbs Records, Toronto, ON, recorded at Sound Canada in Toronto).
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Notes On Tabs:
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All tabs have been contributed by visitors to this site and represent their interpretation of the tune. We are unable to verify their accuracy.
Oh, [G] - there's lots of fish in Bonavist Harbour
[C] Lots of fish right in around [G] here.
[G] Boys and girls are fishin' together
[C] Forty-five from [D] Carbo- [G] near.
