This is a song that was written by my uncle years ago. My father and siblings spent most of their summers up in Belledune, New Brunswick where their mother, Doris "Grammy" Boulay Mullen, came from. The tradition somewhat continued when they had children as we would spend 4-5 days most summers up there.
Even though we were the next generation and were up there in the 70's and 80's, my generation still can relate to this song.
(Click on picture below for video)
On the north shore of New Brunswick
Beneath the summer's stars
There's a place they call God's Country
In the months without the R's.
I go there in my memory
And I'd go there if I could
To a kinder, gentler place in time
When the world was young and good.
(Chorus)
When my uncle owned my grandfather's farm
The wood stove in the kitchen made us feel so safe and warm.
I could smell my Grammy's homemade bread
And the new hay in the barn,
When my uncle owned my grandfather's farm.
You just drive north of Boston
Until someone says, "Bon jour!"
Then you take a right
And before it's night
You see the Bay Chaleur.
The crown jewel of the picture province
A place beyond compare
But it's only half as beautiful
As the beautiful people there.
They greet you when you visit
And call you by your name.
"Let's laugh and smile,
Stay a good long while.
We're mighty glad you came."
(Chorus)
My uncles taught me everything
I'd ever need to know
Like how to drive a tractor and how to milk a cow.
To sing a song and to tell a story
And to never show defeat,
And when playing cards with the women
You can beat them if you cheat.
(Chorus)
Men were treated different then.
I'll tell you how I know,
I can see my Granddad rocking
By the hat rack and the door
And he thought he'd like to be outside
But before he'd rise to go
He'd call upstairs to Grandmother,
"Bina, Bina mon chapeau."
(Chorus)
When you die and go to Heaven
You get to choose a place and time,
Make mine Belledune, New Brunswick
About 1959
When my uncle owned my grandfather's farm.
