Musical Map of Newfoundland and Labrador: SAILING ALONG THE FRENCH SHORE

SAILING ALONG THE FRENCH SHORE

More about Lem Snow

Lem (Lemuel) Snow (1903-1986), originally of Campbellton, Notre Dame Bay, worked for Bowaters Company in Deer Lake. His job as caretaker of the company’s powerhouse left him with plenty of time for thinking, and he developed a talent for composing clever rhymes and verses. Accompanying himself on the tenor banjo, he performed his original songs at folk festivals in Newfoundland and later, across Canada.

Words and tune:

Lem Snow

Locations associated with this song:

Background Info:

This song was written in the 1950s by Lem Snow. It was recorded by the author on the album The Great Lobster Boil (Pigeon Inlet Productions, 1982) and more recently by Great Big Sea, on The Hard and the Easy (WEA, 2005).

Lyrics:

SAILING ALONG THE FRENCH SHORE – By Lem Snow

When I was a young lad just barely fourteen,
And craving adventure and lore;
I boarded a clipper, my dad was the skipper,
To sail all along the French Shore;
Yes, to sail all along the French Shore.

We soon weighed the anchor and hoisted our sails,
And straightway for Cape Bauld we bore;
To which destination, without hesitation,
We sailed all along the French Shore;
Yes, we sailed all along the French Shore.

What beautiful vessels were sailing those days,
Some bound for the North Labrador;
And so for this reason, en route there that season,
They too sailed along the French Shore;
Yes, they sailed all along the French Shore.

On each ship a maiden was hired to cook,
A beautiful girl to adore;
So young and cavorting, all ready for courting,
While sailing along the French Shore;
Yes, while sailing along the French Shore.

Being too young for courting, I soon did decide,
To spy on the lovers on shore;
I spied on a couple so loving and supple,
While sailing along the French Shore;
Yes, while sailing along the French Shore.

Their actions peculiar appeared to me then,
But now they are funny no more;
Their hugging and kissing, oh, what I'd been missing,
While sailing along the French Shore;
Yes, while sailing along the French Shore.

One Sunday I trailed them in over the hill,
And saw what I ne'er saw before;
And the knowledge I gained forever remained,
After sailing along the French Shore;
After sailing along the French Shore.

This couple got married that very same Fall,
As soon as the voyage was o'er;
Engendered, I'm certain, by secretly flirting,
While sailing along the French Shore;
After sailing along the French Shore.

This couple has children now, married I ween,
You see, they're not young any more;
Nor yet do they know that I witnessed the show,
That they staged all along the French Shore;
While sailing along the French Shore.

Now this ends my story of those bonny days,
Oh, that I could live them once more! For this now I know I’d produce my own show,
And I'd stage it along the French Shore;
Yes I'd stage it along the French Shore.