- I's the B'y
"I's The B'y" (also I'se The Bye) is a traditional Newfoundland folk song/
ballad . "I's the B'y" is in theNewfoundland English dialect, and translates tostandard English as "I'm the Boy". TheCanadian Songwriters Hall of Fame decided to honour the song in 2005, officially accepting it as part of the Canadian Song Hall of Fame. [ [http://www.cansong.ca/en/inductees/2005.aspx Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame 2005] ]Native Newfoundland folk songs have fared well in terms of continued popularity, due in part to their appearance in widely-circulated publications such as Gerald S. Doyle's songsters. Doyle's company published five free and popular collections of Newfoundland songs, the first in 1927, as a means of promoting his
patent medicine business. These songs included "I'se the B'y", "Tickle Cove Pond ", "Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor ", "Old Polina ", "The Ryans and the Pittmans ", and "Lukey's Boat ".Professional musicians and the commercially successful group
Great Big Sea have included the Newfoundland song "I'se the B'y" on their 1993 album "Great Big Sea".Lyrics
I's the b'y that builds the boat
And I's the b'y that sails her
I's the b'y that catches the fishref|fish
And brings them home to Liza. (or "Lizer")"Chorus:"Hip yer partner, Sally Tibbo'
Hip yer partner, Sally Brown
Fogo, Twillingate, Moreton's Harbour
All around the circle!Sod s and rindsref|rindto cover your flakeref|flake
Cakeref|cake and tea for supperCod fish in the spring o' the year
Fried in maggoty butter."Chorus:"
I don't want your
maggot y fishref|magotty
They're no good for winter
I could buy as good as that
Down in Bonavista."Chorus:"
I took Liza to a dance
As fast as she could travel
And every step that she did take
Was up to her knees in gravel."Chorus:"
Susan White, she's out of sight
Her petticoat wants a border
Old Sam Oliver in the dark
He kissed her in the corner."Chorus:"Hip your partner Sally Tibbo O-oh o-ohHip your partner Sally BrownO-own o-own
Notes
#"fish:" Unless otherwise specified, "fish" in Newfoundland English almost always refers to codfish, [http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/azindex/pages/1643.html fish entry at the Dictionary of Newfoundland English]
#"rind:" A long strip of bark, normally from a standingspruce orfir , and used for various fisheries and building purposes, [http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/azindex/pages/3675.html rind entry at the Dictionary of Newfoundland English]
#"flake:" A platform built on poles and spread with boughs for drying codfish on land, [http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/azindex/pages/1670.html flake entry at the Dictionary of Newfoundland English]
#"cake:" Ship's biscuit orhardtack , [http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/azindex/pages/670.html cake entry at the Dictionary of Newfoundland English]
#"magotty fish:" Fish when not cured correctly would become infested withBlow-fly larva , [http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/azindex/pages/2811.html magotty entry at the Dictionary of Newfoundland English]References
ee also
*
List of Newfoundland songs External links
A recording of I's the B'y from the CBC's kids' website can be heard here, sung by [http://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc/#/friends/ 'Captain Claw']
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