While it has been confirmed that the band has officially retired, former members Alan Doyle and Séan McCann have continued performing in their own solo careers typically including music from Great Big Sea in their setlists.
The band played its first official concert on March 11, 1993, opening for The Irish Descendants at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, Newfoundland. The founding band members included Alan Doyle (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin), Séan McCann (vocals, bodhrán, guitar, tin whistle), Darrell Power (vocals, bass, guitar, bones), and Bob Hallett (vocals, fiddle, accordion, mandolin, concertina, bouzouki, whistles, bagpipes).
Power, McCann and Hallett had already been playing together in another band. In the winter of 1989, the band, a six-piece with guitar, bass, fiddle, accordion and mandolin played its first show at the Memorial University's winter carnival talent show under the name "Newfoundland Republican Army" or NRA, and won first prize. The band's only other appearance as NRA was later that winter at the university "Grad House". The band then dropped the fiddler, accordion player and the name.
The band found its new name as original bassist Jeff Scott rented an apartment on Rankin Street, St. John's, where the members first met and discussed the formation of the band. As a four-piece, the band first appeared as "Rankin Street" at a little pub in downtown St. John's called "The Rose and Thistle", playing for $100 and beer. They played through Sean McCann's stereo system, as renting a PA would have cost more than the night's earnings. Susan Hickey (guitar and vocals) left the band months later to attend school in Halifax and was replaced by Darrell Power. The band gained much popularity playing such local pubs as Bridget's and Greensleeves. In 1991 Jeff Scott was replaced by Jackie St. Croix on bass. The band released one recording on cassette titled "Rankin Street".
In 1997, the band reached the top ten of the Canadian RPM pop chart with "When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down)", a cover of a song by the British folk group Oysterband. They performed at the 1999 Stardust Picnic festival at Historic Fort York, Toronto.
The band won the Entertainer of the Year award at the East Coast Music Awards for every year between 1996 and 2000. In 2001, they decided not to submit their name for nomination in order to allow other bands to compete. They have also been nominated for several Juno Awards, including Group of the Year in 1998, 2005, 2009, and 2011.
Darrell Power retired from Great Big Sea in 2003 to spend more time with his family and friends. Supporting members of the band include Canadian freelance drummer Kris MacFarlane (2002) (drums, accordion, guitar, backing vocals) and Murray Foster (2003, formerly of the band Moxy Früvous) (bass, backing vocals).
In late 2005, the band released its long-awaited "traditional" album, The Hard and the Easy, on which they recorded their favourite Newfoundland party songs. The title of the album comes from a line of the song "Tickle Cove Pond", one of two songs on the album about a horse falling through ice.
On June 13, 2007, the band announced they would return to the studio with producer Hawksley Workman. On March 14, 2008, the band announced that the title of the new album would be Fortune's Favour, borrowing a phrase from one of the songs on the album, "England". The album was officially released on June 24, 2008 across all of North America.
On February 23, 2010, band member Séan McCann released his debut solo album Lullabies for Bloodshot Eyes to pleasing critical success.
On July 13, 2010, Great Big Sea released their new album Safe Upon the Shore in North America. Alan's "From the Road" blog on the band's website, originally confirmed its production in an April posting, speaking also of the album's subsequent release in July. "Nothing But A Song" was the first single off the bands' ninth studio recording, with a subsequent tour kicking off at the end of the summer 2010.
Great Big Sea announced a 'greatest hits' album titled "XX" in October 2012, accompanied by a 20th anniversary tour with 32 dates in 28 cities across the US and Canada which kicked off on March 5, 2013 in Los Angeles and finished in St. John's on April 23, 2013.
In 2013, McCann announced that he would be leaving the band at the end of the XX tour, much to the dismay of his bandmates. Struggling to maintain his new sobriety, he told his bandmates in January of 2013 that XX would be his last tour with the band, but the rest of the band and its management refused to announce this publicly. Finally, in November 2013 with XX almost over, McCann announced his departure himself in a tweet, feeling that the fans needed to know. While largely vilified by Great Big Sea fans with little said by the band or management to counter this view, McCann claims he was devastated by how Great Big Sea ended and wishes it could have gone differently.
Following McCann's departure, the remaining band members spent a year or so trying to find an amicable way that they could continue without him. Eventually coming to the realization that they didn’t want to go on like that, and happily retiring the band.
Good People
Great Big Sea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hard to keep your faith in the human race.
We're runnin' outta trees,
And we're runnin' outta space,
But we'll never run out of good people.
Ask 'em for a shovel,
And they'll dig you a hole.
And drag you in from the cold.
If you get lost,
They'll show you where to go,
Even give you a ride, good people.
Good people aren't hard to find:
They're right around the corner,
At the end of the line, it's true!
Good people got peace of mind,
And I'd like to spend some time with you!
Ooh ooh ooh.
A man ain't nothing if he ain't got a friend,
Down and out without a penny to spend.
The bells above will ring in the end,
For good people.
Good people aren't hard to find:
They're right around the corner,
At the end of the line, it's true!
Good people got peace of mind,
And I'd like to spend some time with you!
Ooh ooh ooh.
[Accordion Solo]
Rich and poor are born to be free,
Fly around the world or sail the seven seas.
There ain't no place that I'd rather be,
Then here right now, with good people.
Good people aren't hard to find:
They're right around the corner,
At the end of the line, it's true!
Good people got peace of mind,
And I'd like to spend my time with you!
Good people aren't hard to find:
They're right around the corner,
At the end of the line, it's true!
Ooh ooh ooh.
The world today can be a scary place;
Hard to keep your faith in the human race.
We're runnin' outta trees,
And we're runnin' outta space,
But we'll never run out of good people.
The song "Good People" by Great Big Sea talks about the goodness that still exists in humanity despite the challenges that we face in the world today. It acknowledges that the world can be a scary place with the looming threats that we have to deal with every day like climate change, depletion of resources, and other social issues. However, the song emphasizes that amidst these problems, there still are good people who are willing to lend a hand to those in need.
The lyrics describe how good people are always willing to help someone out, no matter how big or small the task is. They are the kind of people who will dig you a hole if you ask for a shovel or even help you find your way if you are lost. Good people are always there to put the coffee on and provide warmth in times of need. The song also acknowledges that having good people in our lives is important for our well-being, as they can provide us with peace of mind.
Overall, "Good People" is a heartwarming song that recognizes the power of human kindness and encourages us to be good to one another. It motivates us to seek out the goodness that exists in the world and reminds us that we will never run out of good people.
Line by Line Meaning
The world today can be a scary place;
The world can be a scary place to live in today.
Hard to keep your faith in the human race.
It can be difficult to have trust in humanity.
We're runnin' outta trees,
Our natural resources such as trees are being depleted.
And we're runnin' outta space,
Space is becoming limited due to overpopulation and urbanization.
But we'll never run out of good people.
There will always be good people despite the limited resources and overcrowding.
Ask 'em for a shovel,
Good people are willing to lend a helping hand when required.
And they'll dig you a hole.
They will assist you in any way they can, without expecting anything in return.
Put the coffee on,
Good people welcome you warmly and offer you hospitality.
And drag you in from the cold.
They take care of the people who need help, often giving them shelter in bad weather.
If you get lost,
Good people will guide and help you find your way.
They'll show you where to go,
They will use their experience and knowledge to direct and support you.
Even give you a ride, good people.
Good people will go the extra mile and offer their assistance in every possible way.
Good people aren't hard to find:
Good people are all around us, and we can easily identify them.
They're right around the corner,
Good people can be found in our immediate surroundings.
At the end of the line, it's true!
Even if we go to the end of the line, we will still find good people.
Good people got peace of mind,
Good people are contented, satisfied, and at ease in their minds.
And I'd like to spend some time with you!
The singer is expressing a desire to be with good people.
A man ain't nothing if he ain't got a friend,
A person needs friends or companions to make life worthwhile.
Down and out without a penny to spend.
Being broke and hopeless is demotivating and sad.
The bells above will ring in the end,
After death, our destiny lies in the hands of a higher power.
For good people.
Good people will be remembered and celebrated at the end of their lives.
[Accordion Solo]
Musical interlude with accordion solo.
Rich and poor are born to be free,
People from different backgrounds should have equal rights and freedom.
Fly around the world or sail the seven seas.
People should have the freedom to travel and explore the world.
There ain't no place that I'd rather be,
The singer is content with being among good people.
Then here right now, with good people.
The singer is emphasizing that the best place to be is with good people in the present moment.
Contributed by Bentley H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tony Reddin
Great song by Sean McCann & Paul Lamb! lyrics:
The world today can be a scary place;
Hard to keep your faith in the human race.
We're runnin' outta trees,
And we're runnin' outta space,
But we'll never run out of good people.
Ask 'em for a shovel,
And they'll dig you a hole.
Put the coffee on,
And drag you in from the cold.
If you get lost,
They'll show you where to go,
Even give you a ride, good people.
Good people aren't hard to find:
They're right around the corner,
At the end of the line, it's true!
Good people got peace of mind,
And I'd like to spend some time with you! Ooh ooh ooh.
A man ain't nothing if he ain't got a friend,
Down and out without a penny to spend.
The bells above will ring in the end,
For good people.
Rich and poor are born to be free,
Fly around the world or sail the seven seas.
There ain't no place that I'd rather be,
Then here right now, with good people.
The world today can be a scary place;
Hard to keep your faith in the human race.
We're runnin' outta trees,
And we're runnin' outta space,
But we'll never run out of good people.
Smoothfonzo
Such a great song. I had lost my wallet this evening and someone had found it and was kind enough to turn it in and when I got it back, I immediately thought of this song and was comforted by it.
space druid
I love Great big sea, about 3 days after I first heard one of their sons they became my favorite band. I'll listento them forever. They seem like such humble amazing GOOD people. =]
thisisnotthebleepyouarelookingfor
Even good people have to go their separate ways sometimes. I feel lucky to have been around for so much of this band's existence. This is a very gentle GBS song, but it means something, especially in times of turmoil.
Rena Steer
this song puts a lump in my throat and a tear in me eye!
Kelly Bowman
I love your music.
Andrea Havrila
you are better than the Beatles hands down all day long.
Tony Reddin
Great song by Sean McCann & Paul Lamb! lyrics:
The world today can be a scary place;
Hard to keep your faith in the human race.
We're runnin' outta trees,
And we're runnin' outta space,
But we'll never run out of good people.
Ask 'em for a shovel,
And they'll dig you a hole.
Put the coffee on,
And drag you in from the cold.
If you get lost,
They'll show you where to go,
Even give you a ride, good people.
Good people aren't hard to find:
They're right around the corner,
At the end of the line, it's true!
Good people got peace of mind,
And I'd like to spend some time with you! Ooh ooh ooh.
A man ain't nothing if he ain't got a friend,
Down and out without a penny to spend.
The bells above will ring in the end,
For good people.
Rich and poor are born to be free,
Fly around the world or sail the seven seas.
There ain't no place that I'd rather be,
Then here right now, with good people.
The world today can be a scary place;
Hard to keep your faith in the human race.
We're runnin' outta trees,
And we're runnin' outta space,
But we'll never run out of good people.
memphisbandman
I can VERY definately hear an "Eagle-esque" quality. Listen to FIVE-part harmony! (The Eagles sang in seven, at times.) Listen to the Dominant-to-Tonic ascending bassline that leads into the chorus.
thisisnotthebleepyouarelookingfor
Point taken, though having heard 5 to 7 part harmonies in older music gives me the impression that this is something not necessarily, definitely derived from one example of another gifted band, but one of many patterns that some humans come back to, again and again. (That said, yes, I think the Eagles are flying around this song. Or some of their influences, who knows?)
Baron Taylor
This song is so true on Canada's East Coast