1. The Elders ar… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists which have used this name
1. The Elders are a six-piece Irish American folk rock band, that formed in Kansas City, Missouri.
The band has released six studio albums, The Elders, Pass It on Down, American Wake, Racing the Tide, Gael Day and Wanderin' Life & Times, as well as three live albums "The Best Crowd We Ever Had", "Live at the Gem" and "Alive and Live in Ireland" and one compilation album, "The Best of The Elders Volume 1" which includes some live tracks. They have toured in the United States, Ireland, and Europe, drawing faithful crowds and earning new fans wherever they go.
2. The Elders are a punk band from Tempe, Arizona
3) The Elders are a rock band Fullerton, California. They have released two live albums, both recorded at local venues in 2007. In addition, they have released two self-produced albums, "Castle Of Wood" in 2007 and "Bird Dog" in 2008.
Their current lineup includes Grant "Chowders" Boughter (lead vocals, bass), Jon "Une Twa" Collier (guitar, vocals), Brian "Splooges" Sturgis (guitar, vocals), and Michael "Moze" Karapetian (drums).
Ghost of Ontario
The Elders Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And in between ten thousand fish
Each week she would appear at the Straight Street pier
Where every able sailor got his wish
There was plenty half again - Captain Cathcart loved his gin
He gave a daily ration to the crew
He danced a blinding jig each time they hit it big
When the lookout would sound thar she blew
In the eye of the beast every man saw his face
Well the Ghost of Ontario sailed into the night
All the way from Nantucket to Saint John
How he ever found the way into Saint George's Bay
Harpoon and a live one hangin' on
And she dragged 'em all the way to Cape Breton
In town there was a rumor of a whale that dragged a schooner
Halfway back to Ireland in a tick
It was Halloween night but Captain wouldn't bite
He could tell she were no Moby d___
When they gaffed her in the side they were in for a ride
Straight off the Bay of Rocks with no place to hide
Well the Ghost of Ontario sailed into the night
All the way from Nantucket to Saint John
How he ever found the way into Saint George's Bay
Harpoon and a live one hangin' on
And she dragged 'em all the way to Cape Breton
I was clingin' to the wreckage, just a few of us were left
The lucky ones among us were better off dead
I swear I heard her creakin' in the wind from the west
But we never saw it comin' up ahead
They say he roams the seas just lookin' for a fight
His ship was lost a thousand miles from land
He haunts Coffin House for liquor every night
with a telescope and a pistol in hand
No tide that came his way could ever drown that man's thirst
No hurricanes or icebergs could lift that mighty curse
Well the Ghost of Ontario sailed into the night
All the way from Nantucket to Saint John
How he ever found the way into Saint George's Bay
Harpoon and a live one hangin' on
And she dragged 'em all the way to Cape Breton
The Elders’ “Ghost of Ontario” is a sea shanty that tells of the misadventures of a sea captain named Captain Cathcart and his crew as they chase whales in Saint George’s Bay. The first stanza talks about Cathcart’s success as a whaler, killing a hundred whales each year, as well as his daily ration of gin for his crew. The second stanza is about the Ghost of Ontario, a mysterious whale that appeared out of nowhere and dragged the ship to Cape Breton, causing chaos and destruction for the crew. The last stanza suggests that the ghost of Cathcart still roams the sea looking for a fight, armed with a telescope and a pistol in hand.
The song references real-life locations such as Straight Street pier, Saint George’s Bay, and Cape Breton, which are all located in Nova Scotia, Canada. The lyrics also mention Coffin House, a notorious tavern once located on George Street in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland, where sailors and whalers would gather to drink and swap tales.
Line by Line Meaning
A hundred whales a year at the peak of his career
The captain of the Ghost of Ontario used to hunt a hundred whales a year when he was at his best
And in between ten thousand fish
After each whale hunt, the crew would catch ten thousand fish in between
Each week she would appear at the Straight Street pier
The Ghost of Ontario would dock at the Straight Street pier every week
Where every able sailor got his wish
Every able sailor there would get a chance to crew on the Ghost of Ontario
There was plenty half again - Captain Cathcart loved his gin
Captain Cathcart loved his gin and would give plenty of it - half again as much - to the crew daily
He gave a daily ration to the crew
Aside from gin, the captain also gave a daily ration to the crew
He danced a blinding jig each time they hit it big
Every time the crew caught a big haul, the captain would dance a happy jig
When the lookout would sound thar she blew
When the lookout spotted a whale, they would alert the crew by blowing a horn
And the skipper would give chase as they heaved to the race
The captain would give chase as they started hunting the whale
In the eye of the beast every man saw his face
When they finally caught the whale, every crew member would see their reflection on the whale's eye - as if the whale was the beast and the crew members were the men reflected on it
Well the Ghost of Ontario sailed into the night
The Ghost of Ontario sailed into the night
All the way from Nantucket to Saint John
From Nantucket to Saint John, the Ghost of Ontario sailed
How he ever found the way into Saint George's Bay
It is unknown how the Ghost of Ontario found its way into Saint George's Bay
Harpoon and a live one hangin' on
The Ghost of Ontario caught a live whale and was dragging it with its harpoon
And she dragged 'em all the way to Cape Breton
The crew brought the whale all the way to Cape Breton
In town there was a rumor of a whale that dragged a schooner
There was a rumor in town that a whale had dragged a schooner halfway back to Ireland
Halfway back to Ireland in a tick
The whale had dragged the schooner halfway back to Ireland in a short amount of time (tick)
It was Halloween night but Captain wouldn't bite
It was Halloween night, but the captain wouldn't be scared or back down
He could tell she were no Moby d___
The captain knew that the whale was not Moby Dick
When they gaffed her in the side they were in for a ride
When they hooked the whale in the side, they were in for a wild ride
Straight off the Bay of Rocks with no place to hide
They were off the Bay of Rocks with nowhere to hide
I was clingin' to the wreckage, just a few of us were left
The artist was holding onto the wreckage and only a few crew members were left
The lucky ones among us were better off dead
The lucky ones were the ones who died rather than survive the ordeal
I swear I heard her creakin' in the wind from the west
The artist thought that he could hear the Ghost of Ontario creaking in the wind from the west
But we never saw it comin' up ahead
However, they never saw what was coming next
They say he roams the seas just lookin' for a fight
It is said that the captain of the Ghost of Ontario roams the seas just looking for trouble
His ship was lost a thousand miles from land
The Ghost of Ontario was lost a thousand miles from land
He haunts Coffin House for liquor every night
The captain of the Ghost of Ontario haunts Coffin House every night to drink liquor
with a telescope and a pistol in hand
He always carries a telescope and a pistol
No tide that came his way could ever drown that man's thirst
No matter what challenges he faces, the captain's thirst for adventure can never be quenched
No hurricanes or icebergs could lift that mighty curse
Even the worst hurricanes or icebergs could not get rid of the curse that the captain had brought upon himself
Contributed by Jackson K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.