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FAREWELL  TO  NOVA SCOTIA

Time signature:  4/4

Nova Scotian adaptation of the 1803 Scottish
folk song "The Soldier's Adieu," attributed to
Robert Tannahill (1782 to 1872).

Go to youTube Videos
Go to Guitar Chords
Button Accordion  Notation
​Beats per bar = 4
Beat symbol  =  Dot ( . ) or equivalent
Either row  =  buttons 4 to 7
For Intermediate to Advanced players: 
  • As you follow the accordion notation below, you may observe that although each verse and chorus begins on "push" button 6, as expected, each is dominated by, and ends on, "pull" button 5*, which suggests that this tune is written in a natural minor key, based on 5*.   
  • If you have a strumming guitar accompaniment, it will provide minor chords, as appropriate.
  • Otherwise, if your right hand is playing on the inside treble row, you may make use of the minor chord available on the left-hand's  inside base-chord row's "pull" button 1*, as appropriate, especially when the right-hand is playing the inside treble "pull" button 5*.
  • The lyrics tell of a young man, who has ready lost three brothers, sailing away to war, leaving his Nova Scotia home, his friends, his parents and his "bonnie lassie".  Hence his feeling of sadness and melancholy heightened, for us, by the minor key.  At the same time, there is the sense of his excitement driven, for us, by the tempo and rhythm.  A beautiful and meaningful song.
Order:  Verse 1 + Chorus + Verse 2 + Chorus + Verse 3 + Chorus  + Verse 4 + Chorus

  "6   |   ;6       "7*     .6    "4  "4*   |     .5    "5  "4      .5   
The    sun    was    set -  ting__         in    the__    West;
​   I      grieve  to    leave  my___       nat - ive__    land;

   I      have   three  brothers and   they are  at     rest;
The   drums  they  do   beat and   the wars do  alarm


"6 "6*   |     ;5*      "6*    "6    "6     .7*   |     .7       .5*    .5*     
The__      birds  were  sing-ing    in         ev  -   'ry    tree.
  I____    grieve    to    leave  my___      com - rades  all.

Their      hands are      fol - ded____      on     their   chest.
The__       cap - tain    calls,  we___      must     o  -   bey.


'"6  '7*   |    ;7  "7        .7*      "7* "6*  |     .5      "5 "6*       .7*
All__         na-ture  seemed   in___  - clined   for__      rest,
And my    par-ents  whom    I____      held     so__      dear,

But a        poor and  simple        sail - or,       just like    me,
So fare  -  well, fare-well       to  No  -  va      Scotia's  charms,


'"6 '7*    |   "7 "6   "6  "6*   "5* "6*   "5* "5   |   .4      .5*     .5*
But__         still__,   there      was__      no__        rest    for      me.
And  the    bon-ny  bon-ny   las-sie     that   I        do     a  -    dore.

Must be    tossed    and       turned       on the    deep,  dark   sea.
For it's       early      in the   morning;     I  am    bound  far a - way.


Chorus

'"5*  '6*   |   '"6    '6*   '"6  '7*    .6   "4     "4*   |   .5     "5 "4      .5 
​Fare__  -    well  to    No-va   Sco-tia,   the     sea - bound  coast,

 "6    "6*   |   ;5*    "6*       .6      .7*   |     .7    "5* "5    .5*  
Let  your  moun-tains  dark  and      drear - y___    be.

'"6      '7*   |   "7   "7    '"7    '7*  .7*    "7*  "6*   |   "5  "5   "5  "6*        .7*
For  when      I   am    far    a-way     on  the        bri-ny   o-cean  tossed,

 '"6    '7*   |  "7  "7*   "6    "6*   "5* "6*   "5*  "5   |   .4    .5*   ;5*   

​Will  you       ev - er   heave  a     sigh__     and   a      wish  for  me?

​Guitar - Chord Notation
 
(First Draft)
Key of Em in G collection: To play in Em, but sound in key of F#m or Gm - place capo at 2 or 3
Key of Am in C collection: To play in Am, but sound in Dm - place capo at fret 5
​(
The chords shown below in parenthesis can be omitted for simplicity.)
Order:  Verse 1 + Chorus + Verse 2 + Chorus + Verse 3 + Chorus  + Verse 4 + Chorus

         G                                   (Bm)
         C                                   (Em)

The  sun    was  setting        in   the     West;   
I       grieve to    leave my     native      home;

I     have three brothers and they are at rest;
The drums do  beat and the  horns do alarm.


           Em              (C)               Em
           Am              (F)               Am
The    birds were singing in  every tree.
I         grieve to  leave my     comrades all,

Their hands are folded on  their chest.
My     captain  calls;  we      must  obey.


                G           D
                C           G
All           nature  seemed   inclined    for   rest,
And my  aged    parents whom  I  hold so dear,

But a  poor and simple  sailor,   just   like  me,
Fare - well, fare-well, to Nova    Scotia's  charm.


                Em                     (C)                  (Am)              Em
                Am                     (F)                  (Dm)              Am
But,         still,    there      was     no       rest       for    me.

And  the bonny, bonny  lassie   that I    do         a  -  dore.

Must be  tossed and  turned   on the deep, dark sea.
​For  it's   early    in the morning; I am  bound  far away.


Chorus

           G                                                   (Bm)
           C                                                   (Em)
​Fare-well to Nova Scotia, the sea-bound coast,

                  Em                   (C)                Em
                  Am                   (F)                Am
Let your mountains dark and dreary be.

                   G                    D                   
                   C                    G                  
For when  I  am far a-way,  on the briny ocean tossed,

                   Em                          (C)                  (Am)           Em
                   Am                      (F)                (Dm)         Am
Will  you   ev-er heave a sigh and a wish for  me?
​
 
Embedded youTube VIDEOS
Go to Lyrics & Background
Seventeen videos in these "key" (accordion row) collections:    Ab=1   A=4     Bb=2     C=2      F=2      G=6
Most played in corresponding (natural) relative minor keys:    F=1  F#=4    G=2     A=2     D=2    E=6
(Except for electronic ones, it is unusual to find a dual-row diatonic accordion with Ab or Bb rows.)

Collection (accordion row):   Ab

Key:   F minor

​Tempo:  ~115 bpm

Group:  Ryan's Fancy

​Posted by:  Betamax King

Collection (accordion row):   A

Key:   F# (or Gb) minor

​Tempo:  ~105 bpm

Singer:   Catherine McKinnon

​Posted by:  AlbertGeorge

Collection (accordion row):   A

​Key:   F# (or Gb) minor
​
Tempo:   ~115 bpm

Group:  Ian and Sylvia

Posted by:  Ian & Sylvia - Topic



Collection (accordion row):   A

Key:   F# (or Gb) minor
​
Tempo:  ~125 bpm

Singer:  Stan Rogers

​Posted by:  Sports Maniac

Collection (accordion row):   A

​Key:   F# (or Gb) minor

Tempo:  ~125 bpm

Singer:  McGinty

​Posted by:  quickaccent2006


Collection (accordion row):   Bb

Key:   G minor

Tempo:  ~120 bpm
​
Singer:  Harry Hibbs

​Posted by:  UnidiscMusic



Collection (accordion row):   Bb

Key:   G minor

Tempo:  ~115 bpm

Group:  Irish Rovers

​Posted by:  Patrick Brousseau


Collection (accordion row):   C

Key:   A minor

Tempo:  ~90 bpm

Singer:  ?

​Posted by:  A Cappella Trudbol

Collection (accordion row):   C

Key:   A minor

Tempo:  ~115 bpm  ?
​
Accordionist:  B. M. Lush?

Posted by:  bmlushma

​Instrumental


Collection (accordion row):  F

Key:   D minor
​
Tempo:  110 bpm
​
Group:  Touchstone

Posted by:  forevaclevah



Collection (accordion row):  F

Key:   D minor

Tempo:  ~115 bpm

Group:  Tom Eastland & Susanne Kozo

​Posted by:  Tom Eastland



Collection (accordion row):  G

Key:   E minor

Tempo:  ~200 bpm  ?

Singer:  Bonnie Dobson

​Posted by:  andrijadragon

Collection (accordion row):  G

Key:   E minor

Tempo:  ~125 bpm
​

Group:  Pirates for Sail

​Posted by:  A Pirate's Life

Collection (accordion row):  G

Key:   E minor

Tempo:  ~120 bpm
​
Singer:  Stompin' Tom Connors

​Posted by:  Stompin' TomConnors



Collection (accordion row):  G

Key:   E minor

​Tempo:  ~115 bpm

Singer:  Tommy Makem
​
​Posted by:  Daniel Pollard

Collection (accordion row):  G

Key:   E minor

​Tempo:  ~120 bpm

Singer:   Alan Giddens
​
​Posted by:  Alan Giddens

Collection (accordion row):  G

Key:   E minor

​Tempo:  ~115 bpm

Accordionist:   ?
​
​Posted by:  Syntheway - Topic

​Instrumental

 
Background Lyrics, Information & Links

​Lyrics:

​





​Verse 1




​Chorus




Verse 2




Verse 3




Verse 4
Sing chorus after each verse.  Some begin with the chorus, and some omit verse 4. 

​The lyrics tell of a young man, who has ready lost three brothers, sailing away to war, leaving his Nova Scotia home, his friends, his parents and his "bonnie lassie".  Hence his feeling of sadness and melancholy heightened, for us, by the minor key.  At the same time, there is the sense of his excitement driven, for us, by the tempo and rhythm.  A beautiful and meaningful song.
​
The sun was setting in the West;
The birds were singing in every tree.
All nature seemed to be at rest,
But, alas, there was no rest for me.

​          Farewell to Nova Scotia, the sea-bound coast,
          Let your mountains dark and dreary be.
          For when I'm far away, on the briny ocean tossed,
          Will you ever heave a sigh and a wish for me?


I grieve to leave my native home;
I grieve to leave my comrades all,
And my aged parents whom I hold so dear,
And the bonny, bonny lass that I do adore.


The drums do beat and the horns do alarm.
My captain calls; we must obey.
Farewell, farewell, to Nova Scotia's charm.
For it's early in the morning; I am bound far away.


I have three brothers and they are at rest;
Their hands are folded on their chest.
But a poor and simple sailor, just like me,
Must be tossed and turned on the deep, dark sea.


Return to Top of Page
Background
​Links:
Click HERE for (Wikipedia) information on the song "Farewell to Nova Scotia".

Click HERE for the lyrics and background of the original song "The Soldier's Adieu".