10 of My Favorite Songs by Great Big Sea

Great Big Sea is a Canadian folk-rock/pop band from Newfoundland and Labrador. Their music is best described as a vivacious, eclectic, and spirited mix of traditional and modern influences. The island of Newfoundland has a 500 year history, which blends Irish, English and French cultural and musical influences. GBS uses this as a starting point from which to launch their musical odyssey.

Below is a 10 song introduction to the exciting music of Great Big Sea.

1. Ordinary Day- Rant and roar
This was the first song I ever head by GBS. In college, while taking 20th Century American Literature, the professor played this song to introduce The Shipping News, a book by E. Annie Proulx, which takes place in Newfoundland. This song starts with the beep, beep, beep- ing S.O.S. of Morse code. After that begins an acoustic guitar and the rhythmic beating of a bodhrán. The slightly raspy vocals of Alan Doyle join in and then the song jumps in feet first. The lyrics talk about how life is "a double edged knife, but there's always tomorrow". That no matter what happens it all is just an ordinary day.

2. I'm A Rover - Turn
This is a traditional Scottish tune about drinking, roving, and seducing young women. I think a lyrical extract can describe this song better than I ever could:

I'm a rover, seldom sober
I'm a rover of high degree
And when I'm drinking, I'm always thinking
How to gain my love's company

That about says it all, I think.

3. Donkey Riding- Play
A deceptively simple sounding song featuring bodhrán, fiddle, piano, and vocals, this is a modern day variant of a traditional work shanty. I've never done a day of traditional manual labor in the colder parts of the world at a time before motorized transportation. None of that matters with this though, since one is transported to a land and time by the heartfelt modern interpretation of these fellows.

4. End of the World As We Know It- Play
Here we have a modern rock classic by anyone's list, originally by R.E.M. as played through the GBS filter. They make this song a foot tapping, feel good, and sit around the campfire, acoustic, good time song. I never thought of this song as one that could be sung through a smile, but I was wrong.

5. Mari-Mac- Up
This is another traditional variation by GBS souped-up for modern audiences. Mari-Mac is a song about a lass, one which the author the song is pursuing. Unlike Rover, this story involves no alcohol, but it does involve strong chasing of Mari-Mac in the country. Over the course of the song GBS steps up the pace with each verse. In a live concert setting this can, and does, often lead to a delirious frenzy of singing and bouncing of everyone in the audience and on the stage.

6. The Old Black Rum- Rant and Roar
Here we have another song about having fun, consumption of alcohol, and the pursuit of women. This one is definitely high energy which sounds very traditional yet is written by the boys themselves. In the tradition of jaunty, leg stomping, sing along songs this one will get any group going.

7. Run Runaway- Up
This is another cover from GBS of a song by the band Slade. I remember the video for this song on MTV in 1984 and my 8 year old self was jumping around even then to this infectious up-beat tune. GBS was able to keep that original feeling while also infusing it with their unique blend of energetic contemporary traditional. Somehow this song can make one feel a musical veteran and excitingly new at the same time.

8. Hangin' Johnny- Road Rage (live)
This is a fun little vocal song found on the live album Road Rage. This is a song about a lad that spends his days, it seems, hanging people for fun. In the song the protagonist hangs his mother, sister, brother, and his granny. He only hangs family and not for money," it's just that hangin' is so bloody funny." This is sung by Séan McCann and in the live version he changes it to Hangin' Seany, which elicits a large round of cheering from the crowd.

9. Boston and St. John's- Turn
This song has a much slower and more thoughtful pace than many of the songs covered so far. The story told in the song is of a sailor that must leave his love in the morning to sail away. The sailor tells his love that," I'm a rover and I'm bound to sail away, I'm a rover can you love me anyway." The lyrics paint a picture of heartfelt yearning across the distance that lovers must sometimes face.

10. Straight to Hell- Fortunes Favour
This last one is from the band's most recent album from 2008. The song is a musical step into new territory for GBS; it has electric guitar! With slight distortion no less! This will anger many fans I am sure. What we need to remember is that GBS are a contemporary band that is made up of musicians who have grown up, and come of age in the era of modern rock, who write their own music. True, the traditional songs, and the traditional style of modern songs that the band performs has helped them become popular. That being said I must now say that this song rocks! There is still acoustic styling and the up-beat tempo that is par-for-the course for GBS songs, but now there is a slight edginess to it. Alan's gravelly voice is given more freedom to sneeringly grunge through the lyrics. Live your life to the fullest here and now since that is all there is. Also it is just fun to stand up and sing along with the chorus, "I'm going straight to hell!"

Great Big Sea has continually surprised me in the 10+ years since I first heard of them. My musical tastes have ranged from heavy metal, classical, industrial, goth, punk, hardcore, bluegrass and everything else in between. GBS has been one of the few bands that I have consistently been able to keep on the top of my CD pile, or the top of my playlists on my iPod.