Schooner Fare | SchoonerKids

OGR 8936

Released 1997

Executive producers--Joel R. Feidelman, Jim McCullough and Anne and Fred Geldon

Produced by--Schooner Fare

Recorded at--Apple Valley Audio, Auburn, Maine. 207-783-9765

Recording engineer--Dave Rowe

Mixing engineer--Tom Rowe

Mastered at--Apple Valley Audio

Mastering engineer--Tom Rowe

Cover photo--Nina Carter

Roadie photo--Steve Romanoff

Dolls created and crafted by--Ann C. Miller

Layout and design--Jenny Adams, Skunk Hollow Design, South Paris, Maine

The Musicians

Chuck Romanoff--vocals, 12-string guitar, 4-string banjo

Steve Romanoff--vocals, 6-string guitar, 5-string banjo

Tom Rowe--vocals, bass guitar, 6-string guitar, tin whistle, saxophone, clarinet

Ray Mathieu--trombone

Dave Rowe--keyboards, 6-string guitar, tuba, bass vocal on "Nighty Night"

Vocals on "Nighty Night"--Ed Romanoff, Ellen Romanoff Beale, Kathy Romanoff Harriman

Back-up singers--Alex Bullett, Isaiah Rembert, Alex Romanoff, Vanessa Romanoff, Marin Rowe, Summer Rowe and Toni Rowe

Song List

MY OCEAN FRIENDS AND ME
words and music by Steve Romanoff

This song was written by Steve as the theme song for a television
production by the same title produced by the popular Maine marine
educators Jeff and Deb Sandler, "Mr. and Mrs. Fish."

Come walk by the seashore
You'll see that there's much more
Than the things that you think you might see.
You'll open the door and then you'll explore
With my ocean friends and me.

There are rock crabs and sea gulls
And hermits in seashells
And driftwood washed up on the shore.
There are fish made of jellies
And starfish with bellies
And sand dollars there by the score.

In the surf and the sunshine
Look hard and you will find
A Kingdom where everything's free;
So let's all lend a hand.
Build a castle of sand
For my ocean friends and me.

BONNIE HIELAND LADDIE
trad. arr. Schooner Fare

We learned this traditional Scottish sea song from the singing of
Tommy Makem. We added the Boston and Portland verses.

Now was you ever in Quebec?
Bonnie laddie, hieland laddie;
Dancing on a center deck,
Bonnie hieland laddie.

Hey ho and away we go.
Bonnie laddie, hieland laddie;
Hey ho and away we go.
Bonnie hieland laddie.

Now was you ever in Halifax town?
Bonnie laddie, hieland laddie;
Staggerin' up and staggerin' down,
Bonnie hieland laddie.

Now was you ever in Boston Bay?
Bonnie laddie, hieland laddie;
Eatin' codfish all the day,
Bonnie hieland laddie.

Was you ever in Merrimishee?
Bonnie laddie, hieland laddie;
There you tie fast to a tree,
Bonnie hieland laddie.

Was you ever in Baltimore?
Bonnie laddie, hieland laddie;
Dancing on a sanded floor,
Bonnie hieland laddie.

Now was you ever in Casco Bay?
Bonnie laddie, hieland laddie;
Eatin' lobsters all the day,
Bonnie hieland laddie.

SONG OF THE PLOUGH
words and music by Nick Keir/Causey Music PRS

Chuck found this song on a tape by the great Scottish folk group, the
McCalmons. Note that the song successfully imitates the plodding of
the horses in its tempo.

Just as the sun is rising, so we must rise and plough;
And tend and feed the plough team that stands so still and proud.
Their backs as strong as iron but their hearts so gentle and kind;
And yoke them to the ploughshare and leave the farm behind.

Turn, turn, the seasons turn;
The children sport and play,
But the ploughman's first to feel the wind
And the sun at the break of day.

His hands are sore and callused, he keeps them straight in line.
His eye is sure and steady, his team well matched and fine.
The earth is hard and frosty as a mist comes from the sea;
The open sky above him with gulls for company.

And when the land lies ready, we'll scatter and we'll sow;
And with God's help and sunlight the seeds shall surely grow.
When the harvest's ended we'll gather in the grain;
A bushel for the springtime to sow the fields again.

And now the yokin's over; the hard day's work is done.
The horses are but shadows in the waning of the sun.
The ploughman needs his sleep now for his back is weary and sore,
And early he must rise again and to ploughing come once more.

ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT
trad. arr. Schooner Fare

This is an old traditional Welsh melody. We opted to sing the most
popular of the many lyrics written to the melody which are
attributed to Sir Harold Bolton.

Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night.
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night.
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping;
I my loving vigil keeping,
All through the night.

While the moon her watch is keeping,
All through the night.
While the weary world is sleeping,
All through the night.
O'er thy spirit gently stealing,
Visions of delight revealing.
Breathes a pure and holy feeling,
All through the night.

I'SE THE B'Y
trad. arr. Schooner Fare

This old jig is one of the very popular Newfoundland traditional
maritime songs. Most likely the melody goes back to the British Isles.

I'se the b'y that builds the boats and I'se the b'y that sails her;
I'se the b'y that catches the fish and takes 'em home to Liza.
Hip your partner, Sally Tiboo, hip your partner, Sally Brown.
Fogo, Twillingate, Morton's Harbor, all around the circle.

Sods and rinds to cover your flake,
Cake and tea for supper;
Codfish in the spring of the year,
Fried in maggotty butter.

I don't want your maggotty fish;
That's no good for winter.
I can buy as good as that
Down in Bona Vista.

I took Liza to a dance
And faith, but she could travel;
And every step that she did take
Was up to her knees in gravel.

WAY DOWN BELOW
words and music by Tom Rowe

This one was penned by Tom for yet another "Mr. and Mrs. Fish"
television show and video entitled "The Treasure in the Eel's Cave."
Chuck played several character roles in the production.

If I believed in dragons, rainbows ends and fairy tales;
If I believed that wishes could come true,
I'd wish to be a pirate, the bravest one who ever sailed,
And then I'd wish for you to be the crew.
We'd be the pride of the Spanish Main,
And the toast of the Barb'ry coast;
We'd look for booty, gold and ships of pleasure.
Then we'd sink it all beneath the waves,
And leave it in abandoned caves,
And make up maps to find our sunken treasure.

For it's way down below, where only fishes go;
We'll find a place of many mysteries.
Creatures large and small we're sure to meet them all,
When we search for sunken treasure at the bottom of the sea.

So if you believe in pirate ships and treasures hid in caves;
If you believe that wishes can come true.
Then join our merry band for a trip beneath the waves;
We'll have some fun and learn a few things too.
And as we go down in the bay,
We'll meet adventure on the way,
And some people that you've never met before.
So if you want to go along
Join us in this little song;
Sing it well and we'll be off to the ocean floor.

A CAT NAMED PATRICK FINNEGAN
words and music by Chuck Romanoff

Patrick really is one of the Romanoff family cats. The song is
dedicated to the memory of "Mr. Kitty," the much beloved and very
missed Rowe family cat.

I've got a cat named Patrick Finnegan,
Scritch, scratch, scratchin' at the door.
He wants someone to let him in again,
Then let him out again once more.

He wants to come in. He wants to go out.
I guess he forgot where he was just a minute before.
He wants to come in again. He wants to go out once more.
He's always on the wrong side of the door.

Can you hear him meowing at the front door?
It's OK to leave it open just a crack.
He'll only be staying for a minute or so,
Then diddly bop boppin' out the back.

He can pass up a tasty meal, there's nothing to it.
But when he sees an open door, he's got to go through it.

Trip trap trippin' on his tippy toes...
Munch a little kibble for a snack....
Once around the livingroom and out he goes,
Lollygaggin' on the welcome mat.

APPLES AND BANANAS
trad. arr. Schooner Fare

We first heard this one while visiting a middle school in Calgary,
Alberta. Many thanks to Principal Johnny Worrell for this version.

I like to eat my apples and bananas.

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO SING
words and music by Steve Romanoff

This is one of our most-requested songs and the only one of the
Schooner Fare originals that predates the group.

Somewhere between your noon hour and alarm clock setting day,
If you are lucky, must be lucky, but we're all lucky anyway,
Set aside your routine pleasures for this most important thing,
And take the time to teach your children to sing.

Oh, you know it's not like working and the kids will call it play,
And as you teach them, they will teach you, we're all teachers in a way.
Set aside your routine pleasures sit together in a ring,
And take the time to teach your children to sing.

Now I know what you are thinking, he's a dreamer, he's a fool,
I can't even sing myself, they used to keep me after school;
But if the parent is the playmate and the playground is your mind,
Take a lesson from the piper, kids choose music every time.

Before the fighting, or the silence that they find when they're at home,
And when they grow they turn to battle, or find some way to be alone;
Away from life, away from loving, away from nearly everything
That gives us all our own good reason to sing.

No, it won't take away your sorrows or be a cure-all for your pain,
It won't end all wars tomorrow, or bring all the deserts rain,
But if we start now with our children, while we still have got the time,
They'll be much less apt to quarrel when a song is on their minds.

Somewhere, somewhere, between your noon hour and alarm clock setting day,
If you are lucky, must be lucky, but we're all lucky every day,
Set aside your routine pleasures for this most important thing,
And take the time to teach your children,
Take the time to teach your children,
Take the time to teach our children to sing.

THE RATTLIN' BOG
trad. arr. Schooner Fare

The Irish counterpart to "The Green Grass Grew All Around," There's
a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea" and "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
Over the years our version of this traditional song has taken on a life
of its own and actual adults have been known to practice it.

Rare bog the rattlin' bog, the bog down in the valley-o
Rare bog the rattlin' bog, the bog down in the valley-o
And in the bog there was a tree, a rare tree a rattlin' tree;
A tree in the bog and the bog down in the valley-o
And on the tree there was a limb...
And on the limb there was a branch...
And on the branch there was a twig...
And on the twig there was a leaf...
And on the leaf there was a nest...
And in the nest there was a bird...
And in the bird there was an egg...
And in the egg there was a bird...
And on the bird there was a wing...
And on the wing there was a feather...
And on the feather there was a flea...
And on the flea there was a rash...

DOWN IN JUNGLE TOWN
Words by Edward Madden, music by Theodore Morse (E.M.I./Feist ASCAP)

This is the first song Charlie Romanoff taught each of his five kids to play on the ukelele.

Down in Jungle Town a honeymoon is coming soon;
And we'll sing a serenade to a pretty monkey maid.
And up in a tree a chimpanzee sings merrily.
I'll be true to monkey doodle-doo,
Way down in Jungle Town.

NIGHTY NIGHT
words and music by Charlie Romanoff

Nighty Night was written by Chuck's and Steve's dad, Charlie, shortly
after little brother Ed was born. All the Romanoff siblings--Chuck,
Steve, Eddie, Kathy and Ellen--are heard on the last verse and Tom
and son Dave provide the bass voices.

Nighty night, little friend
Another day is at end
How I wish you could stay
As you are.

But you must grow, that I know
Because the Lord has willed it so.
Nighty night, little friend
Nighty night.

I just can't keep from feeling blue
When I say nighty night to you;
For I know that I've lost another baby day.

So nighty night, go sleepy bye
The sand man comes to close your eyes.
Nighty night little friend
Nighty night...Sleep tight.