Joe Batt's Arm longliners

Time signature: 4/4
Typical tempo: ~ 160 bpm.

Frank Dwyer (lyrics), Ron Kelly (music)

Accordion Notation

Beats per bar = 4
Beat symbol = Dot ( . ) or equvalent

Either row (high): Buttons 5 - 9
Inside row (low): Buttons 2 - 6 plus o3*

Verse 1 of 3:

"6 "7* | .7 .7 ;5 "5    | .5*     "6 ;6    "7 "7 | ;7* "7* "6 ;6* | ::6    | .:r
"3 "3* | .4 .4 ;2 "2    | .o3*    "3 ;3    "4 "4 | ;3* "3* "3 ;2* | ::3    | .:r
If you    come back home to New-found-land put a - side your cit - y    charm, /

"(7) "(8) | "9* ;9* .9* .9* | .8 .7 .7 .8 | "9*    ;8 .8 .7 |   ::7* | .:r
"(4) "(5) | "5* ;5* .5* .5* | .5    .4 .4 .5 | "5*    ;5 .5    .4 |   ::3* | .:r
Stop off at the    fish plant in a place called Joe Batt's Arm. /

"7 "(8) | .9* .9* .9* .9* | "8    ;7 .7     .8 | ;8* "7 .7* .6 |    :7 :r | .:r
"4 "(5) | .5* .5* .5* .5* | "5    ;4    .4     .5 | ;4* "4 .3* .3 |    :4    :r | .:r
As you ap - proach that    bus - y scene you'll   see some fish - er - men, /

"(6) "7* | .7 "7 ;5 .5 | .5* "6 .6 .6 | .7* .7* "6 ;6* | :6 :r | :r
"(3) "3* | .4 "4 ;2 .2 | .o3* "3 .3 .3 | .3* .3* "3 ;2* | :3 :r | :r
But most of all you'll see the big long - lin - ers com - ing in. /

Chorus:

"6 "7* | "7 ;7 .5 .5 | .5* :6 .7 | "7* ;7* .6 6* | :6 :r | :r
"3 "3*   | "4 ;4 .2 .2 | .o3* :3 .4 | "3* ;3* .3 2* | :3 :r | :r
For the Joe Batt's Arm long -    lin - ers, they're     com - ing home to - night, /

.7 .8 | :9* ;9* "9* | .8 .7 .7 .8 | .9* .8 .8 .7 | :7* :r | .:r
.4 .5 | :5* ;5* "5* | .5 .4 .4 .5 | .5* .5 .5 .4 | :3* :r | .:r
As they steam up the har - bour you can see their mast - head lights. /

"7 "8 |   "9* ;9* .9* .9* | .8 :7 "7 "8 | ;8* "7 .7* .6 | ::7 | .:r
"4 "5 |   "5* ;5* .5* .5* | .5 :4 "4 "5 | ;4* "4 .3* .3 | ::4 | .:r
With their har - dy crews and cap - tains, they're the fin - est fish - er - men, /

"6 "7* | ;7 "7 .5 .5    | "5* ;6 .6 .7    | .7* .7* "6 ;6* | :6 .r
"3 "3* | ;4 "4 .2 .2    | "o3* ;3 .3 .4    | .3* .3* "3 ;2* | :3 .r
And the girls are all ex - cit - ed the long   - lin - ers're com - ing in. /

Heads up 1: Notes above in parenthesis ( ) are to be played, and are matched to words in other verses.
Heads up 2: When playing final chorus, repeat last line, slowing last phrases, and hold final note for 4 beats.

Embedded youTube Videos

A total of 17 videos in various keys: A=1 D=7 E=6 F=1 G=2

Key: E

Tempo ~ 175 bpm.

Group: Middle Tickle

Singer: Ron Kelly

Posted by: charles williams

Key: D

Tempo: ~ 150 bpm.

Group: Three friends

Singer: Kevin Connors

Posted by: Kevin Connors

Key: D

Tempo ~ 150 bpm.

Group: Slainte in Newfoundland

Accordion: Doug Fleming

Posted by: slaintenl

Slainte is a talented group of musicians and singers in Clarenville, NL. For more about them, or to purchase their recent CD, click HERE.

Key: D

Group: Peter Conway, Marcus Careen
& Dale Conway

Posted by: hockeyplayer601

Key: D

Singer: Craig Young

Posted by: David Carroll

Key: D

Singer: Richard Woodrow

Posted by: Richard Woodrow

Key: D

Singer: Craig Anstey ?

Posted by: Craig Anstey

Key: D

Group: The Green Tea Jammers

Posted by: green tea jammers

Key: G

Tempo: ~ 160 bpm

Singer: Rhonda-Lou Blundon

Posted by: Rhonda-Lou Blundon

Key: G

Accordionist: Rob Keyes

Guitarist: Kurt ?

Posted by: Robert Keyes

INSTRUMENTAL

Key: A

Group: Flower Hill

Postd by: Alick Tsui

Members: Sherry Ryan, Maria Cherwick
and Andrea Monro

Recorded at the Battery Cafe

Key: E

Singer: Geraed Hamilton

Posted by: 1969themover

Key: E

Group" Randy & Darren Keating

Posted by: RandyKeating1

Key: E

Group: Derrek Sturge

Singer: Derrek Sturge

Posted by: Derrick Sturge

with great longliner footage.

Key: E

Group: McGinty

Posted by: McGinty - Topic

Key: E

Group: Middle Tickle

Singer: Ron Kelly (composed the music)

Posted by: Alick Tsui

Recorded at the Ship Pub in St. John's

Key: F

Singer: Arthur O'Brien

Posted by: Alick Tsui

BACKGROUND MATERIALS, INFORMATION & LINKS

Lyrics:

Verse 1:   If you come back home to Newfoundland put aside your city charm,
                Stop off at the fish plant in a place called Joe Batt's Arm;
                As you approach that busy scene you'll see some fishermen,
                But most of all you'll see the big longliners comin' in.

Verse 2:   There's Gilbert and the Stella, she's loaded down with skate,
                And Justin and the Endeavor, where Billy Burke is mate;
                With their hardy crews and captains they're the finest fishermen,
                And the girls are all excited the longliners are comin' in.

Chorus:    For the Joe Batt's Arm longliners they're comin' home tonight,
      As they steam up the harbour you can see their masthead light;
      With their hardy crews and captains they're the finest fishermen,
And the girls are all excited the longliners are comin' in.

Instrumental:

Verse 3:   They'll be dancin' at the motel until the early dawn,
                To the finest band at Tilton Club they're swingin' arm-in-arm;
                There's all those pretty island girls all servin' up the beer,
                But tomorrow mornin' all the boys must be back at the pier.

Chorus:

Background:

The "Notes on the Songs" at end of Come Big Ones & Small Ones (Vinland Music, 2009), state that these lyrics were written by Frank Dwyer (1912-1988) and the music composed by Ron Kelly. “Frank ws born in Tilting, Fogo Island and moved to Montreal in 1949 where he raised his family. He and his wife returned to Fogo Island in the late 70’s and lived for a few years in Joe Batt’s Arm. From his house Frank could watch the longliners coming and going in the harbour and wrote a poem to pay tribute to the fishermen who worked on them. Years later Ron Kelly, a native of Joe Batt’s Arm, wrote music for the lyrics and recorded the song with his group Middle Tickle on the album Breaking Water.

I recommend the music and song books from Vinland Music (which can be purchased in leading music stores, and online directly from Vinland Music by following this link.