Lyr Req: Go Off On Your Way (Ronnie MacEachern)

Subject: Go Off On Your Way (Ronnie MacEachern)
From: GUEST,Anna D'Intino
Date: 16 Feb 07 - 09:45 AM

Does anyone know ALL the lyrics for the song Go Off On Your Way by Ronnie MacEachern, I need them and I can't find them anywhere.
Help!

Anna

Subject: RE: Req: Go Off On Your Way (Ronnie MacEachern)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 04:19 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Req: Go Off On Your Way (Ronnie MacEachern)
From: Peace
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 04:43 PM

One might try an e-mail to the following folks. Ask after The Klunkers and how one might get in touch with them. Possibly they will be able to direct a person to the words.

http://www.mahonebayclassicboatfestival.org/festival/contact.php

PS, I can't locate the lyrics anywhere.

Subject: RE: Req: Go Off On Your Way (Ronnie MacEachern)
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 05:29 PM

Here's a health now to the Andersons ...

I know that line. Okay, someone else give us the next line. We'll get it eventually.

Subject: Lyr Add: GO OFF ON YOUR WAY (Ronnie MacEachern)
From: Peace
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 06:05 PM

Thanks to memyselffor the line.

I couldn't get the thing to link, so here's a copy of the post.

It is from the thread entitled "Lyr Req: songs of parting "





'Subject: Lyr Add: GO OFF ON YOUR WAY (Ronnie MacEachern)
From: OtherDave
Date: 01 Dec 06 - 09:13 AM

One of the most poignant songs of departure I know is Ronnie MacEachern's elegaic "Go Off on Your Way." Here's what he says about it himself, in "The Cape Breton Song Collection" (1985):


...I was saying...how I was never, never going to leave Cape Breton, and that they could never drive me out, and all this kind of thing. But she said, 'Well, you're in a different position, Ronnie. You don't have six kids and no job; you're not being forced to leave...' "


So he decided to write a song with actual people's names in it. The verses are filled with them, interwoven with the chorus:

Here's a song now for the Andersons
For the Abbasses and the Arsenaults
For the Anthonys and the Annestys,
For the Archibalds and the Atkinsons.

Go off on your way now
And may you find better things
Don't wait around till you have no fare to leave.
All the best if you're staying
All the best if you should choose to leave
Here's to kindness on your journey
Here's to joy in your new home.

He remembers forty or more family names on his way to the last three verses -- the first of which smiles as what might be the most common Cape Breton name:

...Let's tie one on now for the MacIntyres,
The MacLeods and the MacInnises,
The MacEacherns and the MacDougalls,
The MacDonalds and the MacDonalds...and the MacDonalds

And with each sunset, they'll be leaving
When it rises, some return again
Just one penny for each broken heart
I'd surely be a millionaire

If I said your name, I apologize
If I left you out, I apologize
Keep on singing if you're up to it
Good luck with X, Y, and Z...

You can hear Ronnie sing the chorus in this Real Audio clip from the CD Cape Breton by Request, Volume 1.

(As you might guess, I too am part of the Cape Breton diaspora)
Somehow this brought to mind Ronnie MacEachern's Cape Breton Island elegy, "Go Off on Your Way." If memory serves, this appeared in one of the first versions of the revue, "The Rise and Follies of Cape Breton." Lyrics and music appear in "The Cape Breton Songbook,"'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go Off On Your Way (Ronnie MacEachern)
From: GUEST,ronnie
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 07:15 PM

hey anna, send me your address snail mail and i will send you the lyrics...ron maceachern/ apt 410. 347 portland hills drive, dartmouth, n.s. b2w 0a7

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go Off On Your Way (Ronnie MacEachern)
From: meself
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 12:29 AM

Ronnie,

Don't know if you noticed, but the original request was made back in 2007 - I know that's only yesterday to some of us, but .... Good to have you checking in!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go Off On Your Way (Ronnie MacEachern
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Aug 11 - 08:38 AM

Max MacDonald also sings GO OFF ON YOUR WAY on his album "Songs of Home." (On that page, click "Play Audio Clips" to bring up a menu.) I got some additional verses from a sample. I hope I spelled all the names right!

Here's a song now for the Andersons
For the Abbasses and the Arsenaults,
For the Anthonys and the Annestys,
To the Archibalds and the Atkinsons.

Best of luck to all the Bruces,
All the Bakers, Burkes and Bannermans,
To the Bagmans and the Budrows,
To the Bannets, Bests, and the Brocklehursts.

And here's a new verse for the Cannings,
For the Campbells and the Cadigans,
To the Camerons and the Corbetts,
The Crimos and the Cormiers.

And a different verse to the Delaneys,
To the Dixons, Drones and Devereauxs,
To the Doucets and the Downings,
The Davinskys, Dillons, Davidsons.

Go off on your way now,
And may you find better things.
Don't wait around
Till you have no fare to leave.
All the best if you're staying.
All the best if you should choose to leave.
Here's to kindness on your journey.
Here's to joy in your new home....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go Off On Your Way (Ronnie MacEachern)
From: GUEST,Do you still want these lyrics?
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 10:25 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Go Off On Your Way (Ronnie MacEachern)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Sep 13 - 07:51 PM

There's a recording on YouTube. The performers are unidentified, but the comment says:

The Steel City Players' production of "The Rise and Follies of Cape Breton Island" - ripped from vinyl to MP3

.
GUEST, if you have the lyrics, please post them. If not, I may try to transcribe them later, but I don't have time right now.