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.
Great Big Sea / Gone by the Board
Great Big Sea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do,
Great big sea hove in Long Beach,
Granny Snooks she lost her speech,
To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
Great big sea hove in the Harbour
Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do,
Hove right up to Keough's Parlour
To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
Mother, dear I wants a sack
Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do,
Mother, dear I wants a sack
With beads and buttons all down me back
To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
"Me boot is broke, me frock is tore
Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do,
Boot is broke, me frock is tore
But Granny Snooks I do adore.
To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
Fish is gone and the flour is high
Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do,
Fish is gone and the flour is high
Granny Snooks she can't have I
To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
She will have me in the fall
Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do,
If she don't I'll hoist my sail
Hove right up to old Canaille.
To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
Great big sea hove in Long Beach,
Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do,
Great big sea hove in Long Beach,
Granny Snooks she lost her speech,
To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
The lyrics to Great Big Sea's song "Gone by the Board" are playful and whimsical, telling a tale of the sea coming into Long Beach and the Harbor. The chorus repeats several times throughout the song, proclaiming the arrival of the great big sea and Granny Snooks, who loses her speech upon seeing it. The verses follow a loose narrative about a young woman asking her mother for a sack with beads and buttons down her back, lamenting her torn dress and broken boot, and the scarcity of fish and high cost of flour. She expresses her love for Granny Snooks and her intention to visit her in the fall, or else set sail to old Canaille. The lyrics are made up of nonsensical phrases and onomatopoeia, creating a humorous and catchy song that invites listeners to sing along.
It is unclear what the true meaning behind the lyrics of "Gone by the Board" is, but it is possible that they are simply meant to be entertaining and whimsical. The use of onomatopoeia and nonsense words adds a childlike quality to the song, and the repeated chorus creates a sense of unity and excitement. The use of specific names like Granny Snooks and Keough's Parlour may have historical or cultural significance, but without more information, it is difficult to say for certain. Overall, "Gone by the Board" is a lighthearted and fun song that captures the playful spirit of Great Big Sea's music.
Line by Line Meaning
Great big sea hove in Long Beach, Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do, Great big sea hove in Long Beach, Granny Snooks she lost her speech, To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
The Great Big Sea arrived in Long Beach, accompanied by the sound of music. Granny Snooks was so astonished that she was unable to speak, causing uproarious joy among the onlookers.
Great big sea hove in the Harbour Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do, Great big sea hove in the Harbour Hove right up to Keough's Parlour To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
The Great Big Sea arrived in the harbor, with music and singing filling the air. The boat pulled up next to Keough's Parlour, causing excitement and anticipation for the revelry to come.
Mother, dear I wants a sack Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do, Mother, dear I wants a sack With beads and buttons all down me back To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
The singer expresses their desire for a new garment, adorned with beads and buttons. They make this request to their mother, with much enthusiasm and cheer.
"Me boot is broke, me frock is tore Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do, Boot is broke, me frock is tore But Granny Snooks I do adore. To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
The artist laments the state of their broken boots and torn dress, but despite this inconvenience, they still hold deep affection for Granny Snooks.
Fish is gone and the flour is high Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do, Fish is gone and the flour is high Granny Snooks she can't have I To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
The artist bemoans the high cost of flour and the scarcity of fish. They humorously state that Granny Snooks cannot have them, indicating they must prioritize other expenses.
She will have me in the fall Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do, If she don't I'll hoist my sail Hove right up to old Canaille. To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
The singer jokes that Granny Snooks will claim them in the fall, but if not, they will sail away to old Canaille. It is a light-hearted statement, meant as a playful threat.
Great big sea hove in Long Beach, Whack fal-o-ral tad-dle did-dle i-do, Great big sea hove in Long Beach, Granny Snooks she lost her speech, To me right fol-di-dy fol-dee.
The Great Big Sea returns to Long Beach, with music and singing once again present. This time, Granny Snooks once again loses her ability to speak, adding to the joyfulness of the scene.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TRAD, Alan Thomas Doyle, Darrell Power, Robert Bruce Hallett, Shawn McCann
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind