Great big sea hove in ...

(A) GREAT BIG SEA HOVE IN
LONG BEACH

Time signature: 2/4
Tempo: various ~90 bpm (choirs), ~135 (sung quickly), ~175 (instrumental)

Traditional

Accordion Notation

Beats per bar = 2
Beat symbol = Two dots ( : ) or equivalent

Either row (high) = Buttons 5 to 8
Either row (low) = Buttons 2 to 5

Intro: Play last two lines of the verse.

Verse 1 (of 6)

.6 |    .5 .6 .6    .6 | .6* .7* :5    |
.3   |    .2   .3   .3    .3   | .2* .3* :2     |
A   great big sea hove in Long Beach, /

.5 .8    ;8 "7 |   "8* "7 "7* "6    .6* .5~ | ~: .r
.2 .5   ;5   "4   |   "4* "4 "3* "3       .2* .2~ | ~: .r
Right - fol lor - a tid - dle did  - dle, di - doh___, /

.5 | .8    .8   .8 .7 | .8* .8*    .8*
.2   | .5    .5   .5   .4    | .4*   .4*    .4*
A    great big sea hove     in Long Beach, /

.7 | .8* .7 .7* .6 | .6* .7* .5
.4   | .4*   .4   .3*    .3   | .2* .3* .2
And Gran-ny Snooks she lost her speech.  /

"5   "5   |   .6 .6 "7* "7* .6* | :6~     ~: |
"2   "2   |   .3     .3   "3* "3* .2* | :3~ ~: |
To me right fol - did - y - fol - day____.  /

Many performers insert a short Instrumental bridge between verses - sometimes repeating the last line, or part of it:

   "5   "5   |   .6 .6 "7* "7* .6* | :6~     ~: |
   "2   "2   |   .3     .3   "3* "3* .2* | :3~ ~: |

Embedded youTube VIDEOS

There is considerable variance in the nonsense refrain lines of the verses.

Key: D from time 0 to 1:11

Tempo: ~140 bpm

Singer: Gordon Pinsent

Posted by: Felix The Cat

Key: G from time 0:51 to 2:40

Tempo: ~130 bpm

Group: Shanneyganock

On accordion: Mark Hiscock

Posted by: townside99

Song begins at time 0:51

A lot of audience noise, but great accordion playing by Mark.

Key: G from time 0 to 1:30

Tempo: ~130 bpm

Group: Ryan's Fancy

Posted by: quickaccent2006

Key: F

Tempo: ?

Singer: Keith Murphy

Posted by: Keith Murphy

Singing begins at time 0:12

Key: A

Tempo: ~185 bpm.

Accordionist: Harry Hibbs

Posted by: quickaccent2006

Key: G from time 0:52 to 1:44 (end)

Tempo: ~160 bpm

Group: Baccalieu Rovers

Posted by: Gerard Broderick

An instrumental: The Great Big Sea tune
begins at time 0:52, at the end of
the Golden Jubilee tune.

Key: F     from time 0 to 0:50
         Gb from 0:50 to 1:08
         G    from 1:09 to 1:47
         Ab from 1:47 to end

Tempo: ~85 bpm.

Choir: Halifax Girls Honour Choir
Great singing.

Posted by: Martin Hickey

Key: F     from time 0 to 0:50
         Gb from 0:50 to 1:07
         G    from 1:09 to 1:46
         Ab from 1:46 to end

Tempo: ~95 bpm

Group: Kikimasu Choir

Posted by: Kokopelli Choirs

Located in Edmonton, Canada.

An enthusiastic performance.

Background Materials, Information & Links

Lyrics:

A great big sea hove in Long Beach,
Right fol lor- ah, tid-dle did-dle, di- doh
A great big sea hove in Long Beach,
And Granny Snooks she lost her speech.
To me right fol-did-dy fol-dee.

A great big sea hove in the harbour,
Right fol lor- ah, tid-dle did-dle, di- doh
A great big sea hove in the harbour,
And hove right up to Keough's parlour.
To me right fol-did-dy fol-dee.

Oh, mother dear, I wants a sack,
Right fol lor- ah, tid-dle did-dle, di- doh
Oh, mother dear, I wants a sack,
With beads and buttons down the back.
To me right fol-did-dy fol-dee.

Me boot is broke, me frock is tore,
Right fol lor- ah, tid-dle did-dle, di- doh
Me boot is broke, me frock is tore,
But Georgie Snooks I do adore.
To me right fol-did-dy fol-dee.

Oh, fish is low and flour is high,
Right fol lor- ah, tid-dle did-dle, di- doh
Oh, fish is low and flour is high,
So Georgie Snooks he can't have I.
To me right fol-did-dy fol-dee.

But he will have me in the fall,
Right fol lor- ah, tid-dle did-dle, di- doh
If he don't I'll hoist my sail,
And say goodbye to old Canaille.
To me right fol-did-dy fol-dee.

A great big sea hove in Long Beach,
Right fol lor- ah, tid-dle did-dle, di- doh
A great big sea hove in Long Beach,
And Granny Snooks she lost her speech.
To me right fol-did-dy fol-dee.

Background Link:

Click HERE for additional info about this song. A note near the bottom of this linked page seems to confuse the song's "Long Beach", which is near Bonavista, with the community of Long Beach in the South-West Arm of Trinity Bay. The "Canaille" reference connects the song to Bonavista.

The notes give two instances of a "great-big sea" heaving in Long Beach, one a tidal wave in 1755, and the other a storm surge in 1920. While I prefer the former as the source of the song, the latter is the more probable.

(A) GREAT BIG SEA HOVE IN LONG BEACH

(A) GREAT BIG SEA HOVE IN
LONG BEACH