Friday 20 May 2016

Rise Again!

All this week I've been listening to the greatest hits of Stan Rogers, one of Canada's best singer-songwriters in the traditional/maritime/folk music genre. He died tragically young in a 1983 airplane fire and is still mourned in this country. But thankfully, he left us a treasure trove of classic songs!

One of his most beloved works is "The Mary Ellen Carter." Every year at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, it is sung as the final song of the final concert, both as a tribute to Stan Rogers and because its conclusion is a rousing, enheartening clarion call to all who struggle against the unfairness and misfortunes of life:

And you to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
With smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.

Rise again! Rise again!
Though your heart it be broken or life about to end
No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend
Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.

I'm dedicating this video to all the forest fire evacuees of Fort McMurray and elsewhere who are waiting to return to their communities and rebuild their lives. And to any of you out there in the blogosphere who are currently waging your own personal battles.



39 comments:

Anonymous said...

what a perfectly beautiful tribute,

Lynn said...

Love this! This reminds me of the singer who performs all weekend at the Stone Mountain (Georgia) Highland Games - I host my Scottish Clan's tent every October. Colin Grant-Adams has a performance tent next to ours.

I was about to list all the adversity that has been in and around my life this week, but no need for that - just know that this post has helped. I love that this song is sung like that at the end of the folk festival.

Anonymous said...

What a great song to choose as a tribute, Debra, and what great lyrics. My heart goes out to those who have been affected by the wildfires and to the brave firefighters.

Marie Smith said...

One of the best...the man, the song! Great tribute!

Mark said...

I don't know if you know about this already but two wrestlers have put together a Go Fund Me for the victims of that fire. The Canadian government is promising to match all donations too. I wish I had a direct link but I'm a bit too busy to find it right now.

The Captain said...

Never heard of the guy before but it's a great song.

Anna of Mutton Style and Years said...

Lovely post. I can't listen to the song as at work on lunch break but the lyrics are beautiful

Mistress Maddie said...

What a lovely tribute and touching sentiment Debs! You have a huge heart.

Jeanne said...

Beautiful! My heart goes out to the people affected by the fire at Fort McMurray. ♥

MrsDuncanMahogany said...

You know, I have a confession. I am a bad Winnipegger. I have never, ever been to the Folk Fest. Yikes! What have I been missing all these years?

Miss Val's Creations said...

Great dedication! Folk music is fun to listen to with its stories.

yellowdoggranny said...

did you see where heart in hands husbands own he worked in got burned as is home?

DEZMOND said...

sorry to hear there are fires in Canada :(

Magaly Guerrero said...

I needed this song today. Thank you, Debra. Thank you very much.

Oh, and thank you for this line: "With smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go". What a treasure.

John M said...

It's a great song of encouragement. Thanks

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this wonderful post

Cperz said...

I really enjoyed that. I wasn't familiar with Stan Rogers but I do enjoy fold music.

The song reminds me a bit of all the paddlewheelers that sunk in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The Mary Ellen Carter song/story
At the risk of boring you to tears...there is a museum here in Kansas City for the Arabian Steamboat.(I have no idea how it got that name)

During the mid 1800s through the end of the Civil War in 1865 more than 400 steamboats sank in the Missouri River. (longest river in the US). The owners didn't even try to recover them because it only took one successful trip to pay the entire cost of the boats. In other words, if the steamboat was on trip 5 it had paid for itself many times over. Anyway these steamboats averaged about 700 tons of freight and stayed buried by the silt that eventually covered them. NOW...in the last few decades people are digging up these boats and recovering all the merchandise, jewelry, gold, etc. The mud they are buried under has preserved the contents so everything looks brand new. The actual hull of the Arabian steamboat including the paddle wheel is now in a museum here along with a lot of its 222 tons of merchandise.

Cperz said...

I really need to proof before I send..Of course I meant FOLK music and a had some serious typos. Not only did I bore you, I did it with sentence fragments and misspelled words.

Guillaume said...

I have once uploaded on my blog a song by Stan Rogers (Barrett's Privateers). I know too little of Stan Rogers really. Thanks for sharing this one and making me discover it.

Dr. Theda said...

interesting... my name "Stacey" means "One who will Rise Again".
A great weekend to you and yours, dear Lady Debra.

Martha said...

What a cool tune. I've never heard it before!

Ol'Buzzard said...

I love folk music. Hadn't heard of Stan Rogers
thanks
the Ol'Buzzard

The Happy Whisk said...

I never heard this before. My foot is tapping. How fun is this? Thanks.

Willym said...

A lovely and loving tribute to both Stan and the many displaced by the fire in Fort McMurray.

Jamie Meyers said...

Stan's brother Garnet is an accomplished touring musician in his own right. If you like folkie/singer/songwriter stuff you can do much worse than listening to his music. He is also a funny and very friendly man.

This N That said...

Love it!! Nice tribute and well deserved..nice post

Dr. Theda said...

Not my normal music, but a very pleasing tune... Have a great weekend.

Comox Valley and beyond said...

A lovely tribute and the perfect song.

Vest said...

You mentioned the god ISIS on the gods are bored post.. not a good idsa for one guy who used the slogan 'ISIS PLUMBING' on his vehicle named after the local river Isis in Oxford England. Due to the current commotion with ISIS Terrorists, local loonies trashrd his vehicle.

Magic Love Crow said...

A beautiful tribute!!! I love this song! You have a big heart my friend! Thanks for being you!

Dawn@Lighten Up! said...

Great song - love the lyrics! Could apply to so many different situations. Thanks for posting, Debra.

DB Stewart said...

Speaks to me! Love it.

bj said...

Not my kind of music but my hubby and one of the grands loves this kind.

Rommy said...

Thank you for introducing me to wonderful new music <3

A Beer for the Shower said...

I love the words (any song with 'smiling bastards' in it has to be good), and I love the song. Big fan of folk music.

Unknown said...

Old songs have more meaning and heart.
I love a few new tunes once in a while but most new songs lyrics are cringe-worthy.
I hope the fires are contained and everybody is ok.

Hindustanka said...

Yes, we were reading about the fires in Alberta and specifically about Fort McMurray.. it's a disaster and I pray that people and animals are as safe as they could be...

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

Big fan of Stan Rogers. We used to sing 'Baretts Privateers' whenever we were drinking or camping or canoeing.

Jono said...

Sorry I didn't chime in sooner. I am a Big fan of Stan. Still like to listen or watch video performances.