Fred McMahon - Howard Carey

The singer begins singing at the eighth stanza (according to Louise Manny's transcription).

This song appears elsewhere in the Manny collection as (024-01), (050-03), and (079-02). According to Manny's book this song was written by Joe Scott. This song is about a man from Grand Falls, NB named Howard Carey who leaves his home and four years later receives a letter from his dying mother but when he returns she had already died. Afterwards Howard goes to Maine (Rumsford or Rumford Falls) and forgets his mother s warning to avoid hard liquor and bad women and eventually hangs himself. The last words of the song, "shun bad whiskey and bad women that you will overthrow", are spoken, not sung.

Drawing on Edward Ives' book about Joe Scott, Peter G. Toner has written additional information about this song which you can read here. Interestingly, the song was based on a real person "Howard Carrick" who actually did move from Grand Falls, NB to Rumford Falls, ME where he took his own life.

This song appears in Louise Manny and James Reginald Wilson eds. Songs of Miramichi Brunswick Press Fredericton, N.B. pg. 111 and in Randall and Dorothy Dibblee eds. Folksongs from Prince Edward Island Williams & Crue Ltd. Summerside, P.E.I. as Howard Kerry on pg. 59.

001-02

Recorded by Stan Cassidy - Phone 1528 - for Radio and Electrical Service - 415 King Street, Fredericton, N.B.

[[Category:M]]