Archie Fisher was born in Glasgow on 23 October 1939. In 1960 he moved to Edinburgh and appeared regularly at a folk club called "The Howff" run by Roy Guest. In 1962 Ray & Archie Fisher released a single on the Topic label, "Far Over the Forth". They appeared on the BBC programme 'Hootenanny'. In 1965 the whole family released an album "Traditional and New Songs from Scotland" under the name The Fisher Family.
Bert Jansch visited The Howff in 1960 and received guitar lessons from another regular performer, Len Partridge. Archie met Robin Williamson, Clive Palmer and Mike Heron, later to become The Incredible String Band.
By 1964 the Edinburgh Fringe could boast a folk festival in its own right. An album of the participants was released on Decca. It was called "Edinburgh Folk Festival vol 2" and contained tracks by Ray Fisher, Archie Fisher, Anne Briggs, and the Ian Campbell Folk Group (including Dave Swarbrick). Jansch and Briggs performed together but this was never recorded. At an early stage Archie recognised the power of Barbara Dickson's singing and in 1969 invited her to guest on his albums. His live act included 'All Around My Hat', later to become a hit for Steeleye Span. His song "Witch of the Westmorland" was recorded by Barbara Dickson in 1971 on her album "From the Beggar's Mantle", by Archie on "The Man With a Rhyme" in 1976, by Stan Rogers in 1979 and by Golden Bough in 1983.
In 1983 he started hosting a folk programme on Radio Scotland, called Travelling Folk. It is still running. He appeared as the lead guitarist on Tom Paxton's 1986 album, The Very Best of Tom Paxton. After Barbara Dickson achieved fame as an easy listening singer it was many years before she sang folk songs again. When she did, Archie was invited back to join her. Archie has toured Canada and the USA. His style of singing is very gentle and he avoids all electronic instruments. "Dark-Eyed Molly" has been recorded by Fairport Convention, Eva Cassidy, Stan Rogers, and Sheena Wellington. He now lives in the north of England.
Discography:
Ray & Archie Fisher
* Far Over the Forth (1962)
The Fisher Family
* Traditional and New Songs From Scotland (1965)
Solo Recordings
* Archie Fisher (1968)
* Orfeo (1970)
* Will Ye Gang, Love (1976)
* The Man With A Rhyme (1976)
* Sunsets I've Galloped Into (1995)
* Windward Away (2010)
With Barbara Dickson
* The Fate o' Charlie (1969)
* Thro' The Recent Years (1970)
With Garnet Rogers
* Off the Map (1986)
The Final Trawl
Archie Fisher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sing haul away my laddie O
And the owners say that she's had her day
And sing haul away my laddie O
So heave away for the final trawl
Sing haul away my laddie O
It's an easy pull for the catch is small
Then stow your gear, lads, and batten down
Sing haul away my laddie O
I'll tak the wheel an' I'll turn her 'round
And sing haul away my laddie O
We'll join the Venture and the Morning Star
Sing haul away my laddie O
Riding high and empty towards the bar
And sing haul away my laddie O
For I'd rather beach her on the Skerry rock
Sing haul away my laddie O
Than to see her torched in the breaker's dock
And sing haul away my laddie O
And when I die you can stow me down
In her rusty hold where the breakers pound
Haul away
Haul away
I'll make the haven of the Fiddler's Green
Sing haul away my laddie O
Where the grub is good, and the bunks are clean
And sing haul away my laddie O
For I've fished a lifetime, boy and man
Sing haul away my laddie O
And the final trawl scarcely makes a cran
And sing haul away my laddie O
And sing haul away my laddie O
"The Final Trawl" by Archie Fisher is a melancholic ballad that speaks of the end of a fishing boat's life. The verses tell of the captain's reluctant decision to let go of his vessel after years of use. The owners have finally declared that the boat's time has come and the crew must go on one last voyage. The final trip is not as hard as some of their previous runs, as the catch is small; they sing of how easy it is. They sing of the voyage and the journey towards the bar, joining other boats that are making their final journeys as well.
As the boat makes its final journey, the captain sings of his reluctance to see it destroyed by the owners for scrap. He would rather it be beached on the Skerry Rock than being towed into port to be torched in the breakers dock. Finally, he speaks of his impending death and how he would like to be buried at sea, in the hold of his final boat where the breakers will pound.
"The Final Trawl" is an excellent example of storytelling through song. Archie Fisher's lyrics transport the listener to the realm of the deep sea, immersing them in the reality of a life spent hunting for fish. The song nicely captures the gritty, hardworking spirit of the crew that spends their lives fishing in the North Atlantic.
Line by Line Meaning
Now it's three long years since we made her pay
It has been three years since we last paid her
And the owners say that she's had her day
The owners think that it is no longer worth having her
So heave away for the final trawl
Get ready for the final trip
It's an easy pull for the catch is small
The catch will be small and therefore the task is less difficult
Then stow your gear, lads, and batten down
Pack your belongings and secure everything before we set off
I'll tak the wheel an' I'll turn her 'round
I will steer the ship and turn it back myself
We'll join the Venture and the Morning Star
We will meet with the other ships Venture and Morning Star
Riding high and empty towards the bar
We will return empty-handed and with the ship riding high on the water
For I'd rather beach her on the Skerry rock
I would prefer to run her aground on the Skerry rock
Than to see her torched in the breaker's dock
I would rather do that than see her burned in the breaker's dock
And when I die you can stow me down
When I die, bury me in her hold
In her rusty hold where the breakers pound
In the hold of the ship where the waves crash against it
I'll make the haven of the Fiddler's Green
I will go to the Fiddler's Green when I die
Where the grub is good, and the bunks are clean
Where the food is good and the sleeping arrangements are clean
For I've fished a lifetime, boy and man
I have spent my whole life fishing, as a boy and as a man
And the final trawl scarcely makes a cran
The last catch will be so small that it hardly makes a difference
And sing haul away my laddie O
Sing the chorus 'haul away my laddie O'
Contributed by Noah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mike O
That voice is as mellow and as sweet as it was 50 years ago. Keep it up Archie
musik102
I first saw Archie in Liverpool, UK 1964. Thankfully, I've also seen him many times since then.
Dan Frechette
This is one of the greatest songs ever written. The version on Windward Away is astounding.
Teenie Pink
This is one of the most beautiful songs ever.
NSResponder
Beautiful song, Archie. I've heard Emily Smith and Garnet Rogers do great performances of this, too.
Troy Ball
What a beautiful song.
m hubin
fantastic and moving. thank you for posting
Beemerguy53
I was in the audience that night...it was magical... :-)
James Aviv
What a treasure....
Tom Greene
Only came across this fellow recently..yes , a real treasure..devoid of gimmicks and shouting.