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.
Rant & Roar
Great Big Sea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll rant and we'll roar like true Newfoundlanders
We'll rant and we'll roar on deck and below
Until we strikes bottom inside the two sunkers
When straight through the channel to Toslow we'll go
I'm a son of a sea cook, I'm a cook and a trader
I can dance, I can sing, I can reef the main boom
Whenever I gets in a boat's standing room
Chorus
Farewell and adieu to ye young maids of Valen,
Oderin and Presque, Fox Hole and Bruley
I'm bound for the westward to the wall with the hole in
I can't marry all or it's yokey I'll be
Chorus x 2
The lyrics to Great Big Sea's song "Rant & Roar" are sung by someone who identifies himself as the son of a sea cook, a cook, and trader. He boasts about his abilities to dance, sing, and handle a jigger. The phrase "rant and roar" is repeated in the chorus, emphasizing the pride and joy of being a true Newfoundlander. This phrase also references a traditional style of Newfoundland folk music that is loud and boisterous, much like the sea shanties the sailors sing while at sea.
The song speaks of a journey across the sea, mentioning the places where the singer will bid farewell to the young maids before sailing westward to the wall with a hole in it. The singer suggests that he can't marry all of them or he will be in trouble. The song's final line is a repetition of the chorus, indicating that the voyage will continue until the sailors reach Toslow.
Overall, the song portrays the strong sense of pride and identity that is associated with being a Newfoundlander. The singer takes pride in his skills, and the chorus reinforces the idea that Newfoundlanders are strong, resilient, and able to withstand the challenges of the sea.
Line by Line Meaning
We'll rant and we'll roar like true Newfoundlanders
We will cheer and sing loudly like proud people of Newfoundland
We'll rant and we'll roar on deck and below
We will celebrate and make noise both above and below the deck of the ship
Until we strikes bottom inside the two sunkers
We will keep on making noise until we hit the bottom inside the two sunken rocks
When straight through the channel to Toslow we'll go
We will continue our journey straight through the channel until we reach Toslow
I'm a son of a sea cook, I'm a cook and a trader
I am the son of a cook who worked at sea; I am a cook and a trader
I can dance, I can sing, I can reef the main boom
I can dance, sing, and navigate the main mast of the ship
I can handle a jigger, I cuts a fine figure
I can handle a small sail and look good while doing it
Whenever I gets in a boat's standing room
In any boat, I can stand without bumping my head
Farewell and adieu to ye young maids of Valen,
Goodbye and farewell to the young women of Valen
Oderin and Presque, Fox Hole and Bruley
Also, goodbye to Oderin, Presque, Fox Hole, and Bruley
I'm bound for the westward to the wall with the hole in
I am heading westward to the wall with a hole in it
I can't marry all or it's yokey I'll be
I cannot marry everyone or else I will be in trouble
Chorus x 2
Repeat the chorus two times
Contributed by London J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Swannie
Lyic as logged in 1624 in the English Log:
Farewell and adieu unto you Spanish ladies
Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain
For it's we've received orders for to sail for old England
But we hope very soon we shall see you again
We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar across the salt seas
Until we strike soundings in the Channel of Old England
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues
Leslie hacker
Great song, brings me back to my childhood dancing around the living room while my Dad would blast this. <3 Such a great band. Wish they'd play more.
AuntieMHere
Sadly, this band disbanded several years ago.
MegaOrwell1984
This band was my childhood, I remember listening to their music a lot as a kid.
Nancy Arsenault
This song always brings a smile to my heart.
Loopcat
I just love this song. It really conveys a passion for the sea.
IndigoLily
I'm not from Newfoundland, and I've never been there, but I love this song and almost all other Great Big Sea songs.
Maddyreviews ASMR
I am 100% Dominican from the Dominican Republic, and I always liked this song! Amazing lyrics and song! :)
Solo Videos
This is an awesome song, just found it recently. Shocked I have not heard it before!
Jessica908170
I miss Newfoundland more than anything. I am only 15 but I have been to Newfie land so many times. I can't wait to move up there and see my family! Newfoundland=Best place on earth.
GWAILIN
Some Quebecers go on about Quebec being a 'distinct society'. It is a beautiful province for the most part, but you want to see distinct society, spend a week or two in Newfoundland! Most friendly, kind, welcoming, beautiful place I've ever been...and yes, they really do have their own language as well...many dialects! I can listen to the song over and over.