| Author | Topic: Add: Land of the Silver Birch | |
| dmcg | Posted - 05 Nov 04 - 12:00 pm | |
Land of the silver birch, home of the beaver, Where still the mighty moose wanders at will. Blue lake and rocky shore, I will return once more. Hi-a-ya, hi-ya. Hi-a-ya, hi-ya, Hi-a-ya, hi-ya, Ah! Down in the forest, deep in the lowlands, My heart cries out for thee, hills of the north. Blue lake and rocky shore, I will return once more. Hi-a-ya, hi-ya. Hi-a-ya, hi-ya, Hi-a-ya, hi-ya, Ah! High on a rocky ledge, I'll build a wig-wam Close by the water's edge, silent and still. Blue lake and rocky shore, I will return once more. Hi-a-ya, hi-ya. Hi-a-ya, hi-ya, Hi-a-ya, hi-ya, Ah! Source: Singing Together, Autumn 1971, BBC Publications Notes: This is identified as a Canadian Folk Song, but it is not listed in the acknowlegements section, so the publication it was taken from is unknown. | ||
| Whifflingpin | Posted - 11 Aug 06 - 02:05 am | |
In the UK, this popular camp fire song was included, with slightly different words, in "The Scout Song Book" 2nd Edition 1954, and in the "Hackney Scout Song Book" 9th Edition 1957. In both books it was described as "Red Indian canoeing song" The song did not feature in the previous (pre-WWII) editions of those song books, nor in the Girl Guide Association's "Camp Fire Songs" 1944. The two Scout song books mentioned were careful to acknowledge copyrights, but did not acknowledge any copyright or give any source for "Land of the Silver Birch," so maybe it was not in print before 1954. If it is truly a Canadian song, it is not too fanciful to suppose that it was learnt from Canadian troops during WWII. The version in the "Scout Song Book:" Land of the silver birch, home of the beaver, Where still the mighty moose wanders at will, Blue lake and rocky shore, I will return once more, Boom did-di-eye-di, Boo did-di-eye-di, Boom did-di-eye-di Boom. My heart is sick for you here in the lowlands, I will return to you, hills of the north, Blue lake etc. Swift as a silver fish, canoe of birch bark, Thy mighty waterways carry me forth, Blue lake etc. There where the blue lake lies I'll set my wigwam, Close to the water's edge, silent and still. Blue lake etc. Source: The Scout Song Book, Second Edition 1954 (strictly, my copy is the 1963 reprint,) The Boy Scouts Association. | ||
| GEST | Posted - 11 Aug 06 - 07:30 pm | |
I show Land of The Silver Birch as a Girl Guides of Canada camp song at: http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/10/silverbirch.htm But certain words may justify this song being known as a traditional Canadian folk song. For example, moose [Alces alces] is native to northern North America but is also native to northern Europe where it is commonly called an elk. Silver birch [Betula pendula] is native to both Europe and southwest Asia. The beaver [Castoridae: castor] is native to both North America and Europe, but scientifically the two species are not related. The wigwam, however, is recognized strictly as a native American lodge and was never found in Europe. The wigwam is found in all variants thus far in this thread, so it should therefore be safe to conclude that Land of the Silver Birch is indeed a traditional Canadian folk song. :-) GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador http://wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/ Edited By GEST - 11 Aug 06 - 07:36 pm GEST Songs Of Newfoundland And Labrador | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 18 Aug 06 - 01:01 pm | |
Roud number 4550. Only one source is given: Fowke & Johnston, Folk Songs of Canada 1 (1954) pp.190-191. | ||