When the Crop Comes (Fair Meaghan)

from Canada Songs by John Spearn

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lyrics

Oh, why, fair Meighan, did you come to the west
To join me out here on this unbroken ground
And give up your life, all the finest and best
Out of fair Charlottetown
Out of fair Charlottetown.
Come dance, pretty Meighan, my partner, my wife
Tell me what made you choose such a hard, lonely life.
No doubt, we could never afford to go down
To see again fair Charlottetown,
To sea again fair Charlottetown.
But when the crop comes in, we’ll dance again
We’ll paint these bare walls if a good rain falls.
And the bad news from France about your brother
We’ll pray for him
When the crop comes in.
And when the crop comes in we’ll dance again
When the threshing crew is through I’ll be home to you
And the bad news from France about your brother
We’ll pray for him
When the crop comes in
Oh how, mother dear did you stay in the west
And bear these five sons and a daughter so fair
With only the riches of the grand-kids at best,
And a sweet song when Sunday comes ’round
And a sweet song when Sunday comes ’round.
Now at last, your spirit is free to go down . . .
To see again fair Charlottetown . . .
To sea again fair Charlottetown.

credits

from Canada Songs, released January 1, 2002

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about

John Spearn Edmonton, Alberta

You’ll instantly catch these deep influences threaded through John’s fine vocals, lyrics, and rootsy, guitar-mastered songwriting works. This is pure Canadiana: forgotten but deserving heroes, the humility in our international image, and a superb range of tender ballads through to raw, foot-stompin’ stories that need to be told. ... more

johnspearn.ca

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