Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home / John Dead

Subject: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: Barbara
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 12:50 AM

I know you're out there, you that know this.
I heard it at Harmony from Malcolm and I can't quite make out what he's saying on my tape. Also, I'd love to know more about it, where it comes from, who sings it, stuff like that.

Lead: John's dead.
Chorus: Grey goose, gone home
         And the fox is (a)way on the morning (something like that).

Thanks
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: Peace
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 01:23 AM

"Subject: RE: Swansea Maritime Festival
From: alanww - PM
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 12:41 PM

Thanks to everyone who performed and particularly those who helped organise a great weekend! Well done Skipper Jack! It was also good to meet the other Mudcatters. I'll be at Hull too so will look forward to seeing the "new young lad" in Baggyrinkle performing his version of Sammy's Gone Away again.

Grey goose gone home and the fox in the way of the morning ...
Alan"

Try that thread.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: Barbara
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 02:02 AM

I did, Peace. Alan apparently signs his posts with that bit. Barry Finn knows it, as does Wotcha, but no joy in finding the rest of the words. it may be a West Indian shanty, and some posts say "John's dead," and others say "Tommy's dead", and one says "John Dead" and suggests the response line is talking about sailors when it says "grey goose".

Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: Barry Finn
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 02:12 AM

From 'Deep the Water, Shallow the Shore' by Roger D Abrahams

"Gray Goose Gone Home" (sometimes called "John Dead")

Solo: John dead,
All: Gray goose gone home,
      And the fox in the way of the morning,
Solo: John dead,
All: Gray goose gone home,
      And the fox in the way of the morning.

As collected by Roger from the Island of Barouallie, West Indies, I believe in 1966.
I believe there's an older thread on this with lots more discussion & information.
I have copies of the field recordings, from & thanks to Abby sale with the blessings of Roger first. Discussions & transcriptions are difficult but if there are questions that aren't answered here I'll try to set it up & give a new listen. I don't have a decent tape player or record player for that matter set up anymore.

Good luck with this.
Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 03:08 AM

Do you sing this one, Barry?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: GUEST,Dave (Bridge)
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 08:32 AM

Who'll dig his grave
Grey goose come home and the fox in the way of the mornin'
John Dead
Who'll lower him down
GGCH etc
John Dead
Who'll make his shroud
GGCH etc
John Dead
Who'll toll the bell
GGCH etc
John Dead
Who'll cover him o'er
GGCH etc

From the Windward Islands. It is a calling out song to entice lazy or scared whalers out of their beds in bad weather

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHN DEAD
From: Peace
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 03:52 PM

John Dead

refr.
Grey goose come home
And the fox in the way of the morning.

John Dead
Ref.
Who dug his grave
Ref.
John Dead
Ref.
Who made his shroud
Ref;
John Dead
Ref.
Who lowered him down
Ref.
John Dead
Ref. Who tolled the bell
Ref.
John Dead
Ref.
John Dead
Ref.

Thanks to Dave Bridge's post I found this at

www.overtuygt.nl/teksten/johndead.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: Barbara
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 06:57 PM

Thanks all, that solves all the things I couldn't hear or understand.
I couldn't tell if it was "We'll" or "who'll".
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: yrlancslad
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 06:58 PM

Hi Barbara, Only just found out you wanted this via Joe Offer,the version I sing is almost exactly like the ones given above and was collected by Roger Abrahams in the Windward Isles. As explained above he says it was a calling out song to try to persuade "chicken" whalers to goout after the whale (Mr Fox) during the dangerous hurricane season
Tarrah thisen, look forward to seeing you again soon
Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: Snuffy
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 07:25 PM

The only song ever to have more verses than words! :-)

Alanww performed it at the Travelling Song & Ale at Cookley this weekend: I'm sure he sings "gone home" rather than "come home"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: GUEST,Windsinger (decookied at work)
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 01:45 PM

Thanks to Grey Goose, I'm lucky I EVER "got home" this weekend. :P

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: yrlancslad
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 02:32 PM

Yes you're right Snuffy, I sing "gone home" not "come home" too.
Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: Jeri
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 05:42 PM

I haven't heard Barry do it, but I do it. I also sing 'gone home'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: Barbara
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 05:16 PM

Thanks all, Malcolm. Did we do it right at Harmony? Is the beginning solo line supposed to overlap the response line as well as the response line overlapping the solo?
Did that make sense?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: yrlancslad
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 06:53 PM

Think I know what you mean Barbara, yes I overlap tne end of the chorus with the beginning of the verse and the end of the verse with the beginning of the chorus, but thats just my choice. Never heard it done by a source singer so don't know if there is a "right" way.
Tek cur
Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: Barry Finn
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 07:57 PM

Hi Barbara
I just now set up to listen to the copy of Roger Abrahams's field recording of this. It's listed as Fox In The Way (Grey Goose Gone Home). It's a repeat of the verses I gave above, 5 in all, all the same. Two verses have a tail but they are not tag lines. They're more like chatter between the singer & those workers that are responding. An example, take this axe song the lead sings "raise 'em up higher" & some one in the group will yell before he sings out the next line "come on raise 'em, raise 'em up" than the lead sings "drop 'em on down". It's the same in Gray Goose Gone Home. That happens 2 times, (this appears in his book)on the recording the chatter is a bit lyrical, not unsingable as in the prison songs I've heard & not like the chatter you'd hear from the Manhaden Shantymen, so I guess you could sing it & it would hold true. Hell, I don't sing this but if I did & had others responding I would sing it that way, if it worked for me. This would be common, from what I've heard of the BWI style of sing & response. This part they didn't overlap though, actually they don't overlap at all during this song. Again, if it works & works well, all the better for you.

Again I'd like to thank Abby Sales for asking Roger if it was ok to copy his own copy of these field recordings, that he possessed & getting permission to send them to me, & for introducing me to Roger a few years back at a Mystic festival.

I hope this has been a help to you Barbara & the others here.

Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grey Goose, Gone Home
From: Barbara
Date: 19 Mar 06 - 04:56 PM

Yes, thanks to you all for setting it up so I could learn it.
We tried it at the pub last Tues, and it sort of worked, and will get better as we get more familiar with it.
Blessings,
Barbara