Lyr Req: Eyemouth Disaster / Eyemouth Tragedy

Subject: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 24 Sep 97 - 06:21 AM

I'm looking for the lyrics to a song titled Eyemouth disaster. Can someone help?

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: bigj
Date: 24 Sep 97 - 06:26 PM

Wolfgang, Any hints? So far I've come up with tragedies in Arbroath-Gosport-Berkshire-Yarmouth and The Urris Drowning..

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Ferrara
Date: 25 Sep 97 - 07:18 AM

Could this possibly be the one Gordon Bok sings as "Threescore and Ten"? The chorus has the line, "From Yarmouth down to Scarborough, many hundreds more were drowned..." One of my friends claims that Yarmouth is nowhere north of Scarborough and the line should read "From Earmouth...." I know, I know, we're still not to "Eyemouth," but maybe this will nudge someone's memory.

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Ferrara
Date: 25 Sep 97 - 07:51 AM

This is just another farfetched conjecture about a connection between the song you're looking for and "Threescore and Ten." When I was told that the song may have originally mentioned "Earmouth" rather than "Yarmouth", I wondered whether it could be pronounced "Errmouth" or "Yerrmouth." Anyone who lives or has visited in the area, etc who knows anything about it?

I'm not trying to get off the subject; it's just that this kind of puzzle grabs my attention for some perverted reason.

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Wolfgang (Hell)
Date: 25 Sep 97 - 10:49 AM

Hi Ferrara,

no it's not "Three score and ten" which I know, but some different song. I'll dig up some more information.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Bert
Date: 25 Sep 97 - 10:56 AM

Just found this with a search on Hotbot

http://www.scotborders.co.uk/eyemouth/festival1.html

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Wolfgang (Hell)
Date: 26 Sep 97 - 04:10 AM

That must be it, Bert, for among the few words I understand was "October '81".
Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Wolfgang (Hell)
Date: 26 Sep 97 - 04:41 AM

continuing...so the story is there, but not the song yet (written by: John Watt)

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: John Nolan
Date: 28 Sep 97 - 10:13 AM

Hmm. Looking forward to this one. I went to school with Eyemouth kids - they were bused to Duns, (like me from Coldstream) before Eyemouth High School was built. That was in the days of skiffle and early folk revival, and some Eyemouth teenagers, like Colin Browne, were pretty good musicians. They never mentioned that song though (maybe it written recently?) Then my sister lived in Eyemouth for years and gutted fish on the pier and sung it not, but she was a Tuneless Nolan (see Newfoundland thread). Then I used to drink in the fishermen's pub on the dock called The Ship, occasionally, and come to think of it, one night there was a Disaster. Aha! That was the time me and Wee Eck Elliot got in a fight with a rival duo of unknown singers who had travelled through from Glasgow (Matt McGinn and Billie Connelly - who knew they'd make it big?). Anyway, the Disaster was that, in the middle of the furore, a whole table of drink got couped over. Gee, to think that that spawned a song....

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Pete M
Date: 29 Sep 97 - 05:52 AM

I can add nothing about the original request I'm afraid. but I can throw some light on the point about "Three score and ten" by Ferrera. Scarborough is indeed north of Yarmouth, but in interpreting traditional folk songs you need to know a bit about the millieu in whivch they were created, The prevailing winds, currents and tidal streams of the East coast of Britain mean that going North is the "Downhill" direction, usually running with the wind on the port quarter, whilst going South meant beating into the wind. Hence amongst the sea farers the reference was always to going "down to the North".

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Wolfgang (Hell)
Date: 29 Sep 97 - 05:59 AM

The song is on a vinyl LP by "The Easy Club". Mostly I could get a 90% correct version by listening. In this special case, I hardly would surpass 50% correct if I tried.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Ferrara
Date: 29 Sep 97 - 08:32 AM

Thanks to Pete M for the information. Sorry I can't help on the original song request.

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: bigj
Date: 09 Oct 97 - 06:50 PM

Wolfgang - keep treading water; I recorded the song from Jim Prior (fine Scottish singer) - in the car park of Bernard O'hanlon's pub in Mullaghbawn, Northern Ireland last Sunday night. Once I find the cassette and write down the lyrics, you shall have them. Could be a short while though.

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: bigj
Date: 09 Oct 97 - 06:56 PM

Wolfgang - keep treading water; I recorded the song from Jim Prior (fine Scottish singer) - in the car park of Bernard O'hanlon's pub in Mullaghbawn, Northern Ireland last Sunday night. Once I find the cassette and write down the lyrics, you shall have them. Could be a short while though.

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Wolfgang
Date: 10 Oct 97 - 09:44 AM

I'm looking forward to this (had nearly) given it up.

Wolfgang

Subject: Lyr Add: EYEMOUTH TRAGEDY (John Watt)
From: bigj
Date: 12 Oct 97 - 06:21 PM

EYEMOUTH TRAGEDY
Written by John Watt of Fife within the past 20-30 years. Sung for me by Jim Prior.

By the dire rocks o' Urquhart, though deadly were the signs
Out sailed the Eyemouth 'fyvies' with a thousand baited lines.
Though a glasslike sea and a cloudless sky made the elders bid them stay
But these are the times the brave men die, but the 'halflins" (?) held the sway.

Three leagues from the shore the lines were cast while the wind it held its breath
And the sails hung limp from every mast and the sea was still as death
For death was the bride that came that day, cut the ribbons from the creels
'Twas a raging wave hit Eyemouth town and took her bonny chiels.

There's many a bride has lost her groom as the death-toll quickly grew,
Craig's and Collin's met their doom,aye, Bargain and Fairbairn too
Maltman, Scott all Eyemouth bred, they died in the wind and rain
Oh, the flooer o' Eyemouth town lay dead, but her sons would rise again.

The grinding turn o' the hearse wheel in October '81
Made every man and woman kneel in prayer for Eyemouth's sons,
For this was the price they had to pay, the livin' and the dead
And the price that Eyemouth paid that day tae earn her daily bread.

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Wolfgang
Date: 13 Oct 97 - 04:24 AM

What a happy day for me. Thanks so much, bigj. I'll hear tonight how close it is to the one I was looking for.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Wolfgang
Date: 14 Oct 97 - 04:39 AM

very close on verses 2 and 4, completely different on verses 1 and 3. Knowing the outline of the story now I might have a chance to write down the other two verses in the Easy Club version.

Subject: RE: Eyemouth disaster (Lyr. req.)
From: Wolfgang
Date: 15 Oct 97 - 06:34 AM

here are two additional verses from the Easy Club record: In their version they replace the verses 1 and 3 of Jim Prior's version respectively. I hope I'm close to the actual lyrics:

1. Three score and five sailed out that day, for the deep hole they were bound,
they all set sail from Eyemouth Bay, no better could be found.
Fourteen score of fishers brave sent out one heartful plea
that they be spared upon the wave (to reap?) white fish from the sea.

3. And from Orkney to the Channel Islands on that October day
wind it blew a thousand miles from Hoy to Newland Bay.
Seven score mothers' sons and nine were lost of(f?) Eyemouth shore,
those bonnie boys who held the line would plough the waves no more.

(I'm not sure about the place names in line 2; what they sing sounds like what I write; Hoy is an island in the Orkneys; the other place is unknown to me)

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr. req: Eyemouth disaster
From: sapper82
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 09:57 AM

With the revival of interest in "3 Score and Ten" I'm resurecting an ancient thread here! Wonder how many of the original posters are still on the 'cat?
First point, anyone got a link ot a midi or otherwise of the tune? I can't read music to dots & lines are useless to me!
Second point; Though it is several years since I've been to Eyemouth, the town museum has (still hopefully) an excellent display on the tragedy. Apparently, the general consensus of the fishermen on the fateful day was that a severe storm was approaching, and that they would not set sail.
However, one family decided to sail and with the one boat out, all boats out tradition of the community, the rest of the fleet followed with the tragic consequences given in the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr. req: Eyemouth disaster
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 10:08 AM

There is also a poetic lament from the time of the disaster, which might at a stretch be singable.

There is a recent book about it, which points out that the death toll was largely the result of the political situation at the time (i.e. the Church of Scotland was ultimately responsible for much of it).

Subject: RE: Lyr. req: Eyemouth disaster
From: GUEST,Billy
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 12:17 AM

Here is a link to "The Scotsman" newspaper describing the disaster Eyemouth Disaster

Subject: RE: Lyr. req: Eyemouth disaster
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 08 Aug 06 - 07:34 PM

Don't know which book Jack Campin is thinking of, but there is one by Peter Aitchison: Children of the Sea. The Story of the Eyemouth Disaster, Tuckwell Press, East Linton, 2001. ISBN 1 86232 240 6. Price (three years ago) £12.99.