(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.