Nathan Rogers: The Flowers Of Bermuda

This is the most beautiful rendition of this song.
He was the captain of the Nightingale,
Twenty-one days from Clyde-In-Coal;
He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale,
When he died on the North Rock Shoal.
Just five short hours from Bermuda, in a fine October gale,
There came a cry: Oh, there be breakers dead ahead!
From the collier, Nightingale,
No sooner had the captain brought her 'round,
Came a rending crash below;
Hard on her beam-ends, groaning, went the Nightingale,
And overside her mainmast goes.
Oh, captain, are we all for drowning?
Came the cry from all the crew.
The boats are smashed! How are we all then to be saved?
They are stove in through and through!
Oh, are ye brave and hardy collier men,
Or are ye blind and cannot see?
The captain's gig still lies before ye whole and sound,
It shall carry all o' we.
He was the captain of the Nightingale,
Twenty-one days from Clyde-In-Coal;
He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale,
When he died on the North Rock Shoal.
But when the crew was all assembled,
And the gig prepared for sea,
'Twas seen there were but eighteen places to be manned,
Nineteen mortal souls were we;
But cries the captain: Now do not delay,
Nor do ye spare a thought for me.
My duty is to save ye all now, if I can.
See ye return quick as can be.
He was the captain of the Nightingale,
Twenty-one days from Clyde-In-Coal;
He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale,
When he died on the North Rock Shoal.
Oh, there be flowers in Bermuda, beauty lies on every hand,
And there be laughter, ease, and drink for every man,
But there is no joy for me;
For when we reached the wretched Nightingale,
What an awful sight was plain:
The captain, drowned, was tangled in the mizzen-chains,
Smiling bravely beneath the sea.
He was the captain of the Nightingale,
Twenty-one days from Clyde-In-Coal;
He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale,
When he died on the North Rock Shoal.
He was the captain of the Nightingale,
Twenty-one days from Clyde-In-Coal;
He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale,
When he died on the North Rock Shoal.

[@anglefan85]

These videos with Nathan Rogers are criminally under-watched. He took his father's song and made it his own. Just absolutely beautiful, Stan would have been proud of him.

[@danh3075]

Clearly

[@splatttt]

5:35 Wow. I could have sworn I heard his father’s voice... so beautiful.

[@therealskull4786]

Apple doesn't fall far from the tree

[@PrestonFrankel]

Agreed. Rarely do things like this make me emotional at all, but this absolutely did. Rest easy, Stan.

[@averylividmoose3599]

2:13 too

[@BrokenCarbide]

I was at that show, and it came as quite the shock. The beauty of Stan was that he could sing this song with a cheerful tempo and still bring the emotion through, but similar to what Nathan said, the music is a living thing, and if it doesn't work the way you're singing it, don't stop singing it, just change what you're doing. Well done. I think this is my favourite version not sung by Stan.

[@skilletborne]

First off, still made respect to him before anyone gets me wrong The sadness of the lyrics and the happy way it's sung tells another part of the story The captain was glad to have given his crew the first opportunity to save themselves and was totally at peace with his decision

[@nightswimmer99]

I wasn't sure anyone could do this and get it right.Your father's music is so safe in your hands, Nathan Rogers. Bravo.

[@candytwo2653]

I lived in Bermuda. As soon as you arrive the smell of flowers and wild fennel is prevalent. I love your rendition.

[@12188185s]

Has Nathan ever made an album of his covers of his father's music? I would love to hear a studio version for some of these. I love his take on Northwest Passage - he uses just a bit more of a rock and roll sound than the original.

[@Sinvisigoth]

I've been in love with and heartbroken by the original version of this song since I found it a couple years ago. I'm glad that if anyone was going to sing a version of it so beautiful and yearning, that it was the son of the man who wrote it. I think Stan would be so very proud.

[@Syllogyzym]

Wow. And the story is so similar to how Stan himself left this world.

[@Diesel-ship23]

Nathan, your father is an inspiration for my guitar playing and singing. You are a talented artist just like your father. You have done this song justice.

[@jasonphines]

I have listened to this song 1000 times in the past I feel like I have have just heard it for the first and best time. perfection

[@4632925]

Stan Rogers... a folk legend....Nathan is a living memory (as well as a fine artist in his own right!)

[@keithharvey7478]

Sometimes he sounds just like his father

[@1775Dreamer]

Nathan captures the heart-wrenching tragedy of this song. His father's version was an odd juxtaposition of bouncy music and a tremendously sad story, but this version is just pure sadness and tragic power. Beautiful, and heartbreaking...

[@northroad8346]

Stan was a genius. This a lovely tribute to his much missed talent.

[@TheDonprov]

Nathan sang this with the help of the Riel Gentleman's Choir at the recent Stan Rogers Tribute Concert at the West End Cultural Centre here in Winnipeg. He did take it down a bit and with 25 odd enthusiastic guys helping, it was amazing. Melody has stuck with me for the entire holidays!

[@dmitritelvanni4068]

Never even knew about him. But stan is my all time favorite folk singer. Stumbled on him today and I'm amazed. He has his own voice, but you can almost feel stans voice within him.

[@sarahhughes2910]

This is how the tempo my friend taught it to me around 1995! Such a powerful set of lyrics. Beautifully sung. Love the rawness and the sweetness in different bits of the song.

[@2borX2b]

Nathan did this song as an encore at the Musquodoboit Valley Bicentennial Theatre recently and it simply took my breath away. Very accessible, he now has a life long fan in my daughter (and me) after taking the time to talk with her and sign a CD after the show. Funny, sweet, raucous and tender all rolled into one awesome entertainer - don't miss your chance to go see this brilliant young man!

[@squeakyratatosk1028]

I'm trying to keep up with where he goes! facebook.com/nathanrogersfans

[@robertm7889]

Superb...Stan is looking down from heaven....with a huge proud smile. Stan Rogers was one Canada's very best singer songwriters I am glad to see his work is still enjoyed by many and always will be.

[@stevemarsden9386]

Lovely.

[@hamr3773]

This guy can sing!

[@karenpetkau7651]

Beautiful, just beautiful. Would love to see you one day in concert, Nathan, since you are so very talented to take your father's song and do this to it.

[@jameshiggins9864]

Beautiful.

[@jonscott623]

Wow - wonderful. This has been one of my favorite songs since I was in high school in the eighties. The slight and gentle changes in the melody sung by Nathan are powerful and beautiful. They gently coax a different nuance from the song. Not better or worse than Stan's - just from another perspective. I love it - thanks.

[@murraybrown4226]

A vocal resurrection! A brilliantly rendered version that magically plays like a father and son duet. Nathan Rogers combines his own powerful and unique talent with a haunting ability to majestically reproduce his father’s prolific sound. Truly moving. Quite simply a masterpiece!

[@matthanrahan6492]

Brought both goosebumps and tears... amazing rendition Nathan

[@alanogle6098]

Wow, incredible!!! Your father is/was my favorite artist. You join him as at least equal with your artistry singing these songs. You truly mean each, with skill and care. Thank you!

[@pudops]

Nathan i'm speechless!!! Excellent job bud!!!! You rock!!!!!!!!

[@frsbaboys]

He soudns so much like his Father!!!

[@heidithomas5455]

I'm late getting here, but now I don't want to leave....wow, amazing. He has his dad's passion, and exceeds his dad's talent. I prefer this version over the instrumental one.

[@MadCapMag]

No way does he exceed Satan’s talent. Satan’s voice never cracked unless he wanted it to.

[@scrumdr]

Beautiful, you sound similar to your father. I appreciate that you try to explain and define the music

[@billy101cat]

I do absolutely love this cover by Nathan. He does a similar thing with Puddlers tale, which in my opinion doesnt work as a song catching the workers anger at greedy indifferent managers/owners, works much better as an angry upbeat song over a slower mournful one. Once saw him at a music festival, great singer!

[@maxringold5872]

Wow! That was stunning

[@VickyBorean]

Love this! Creativity and ingenuity! And made by more than ONE person, this, Is Folk/Filk, Is about in my mind.

[@buckmiller5320]

This is unreal. Wow.

[@lilygg8018]

Just beautiful Nathan! You do your Dad proud! :o)

[@pointsettaqueen]

Nobody does it better than the original.

[@candytwo2653]

Hey Nathan. I bought all of his CD's.

[@jackhawkins9768]

His father's vocal ghost... Marvelous.

[@gabeleavitt]

Brilliant. Thank you for this.

[@andrewmunro44]

just awesome!!!

[@housewiferevolution4750]

WOW!!! Was any more of this concert recorded ? DANG!!!

[@pitchwest]

Housewife Revolution pretty much the whole thing

[@honeyrideout9105]

Wow..what an amazing voice..

[@deliathrana6212]

1:39 he starts singing

[@tipsywizard7865]

He has so many of his father’s mannerisms..

[@ringodingo]

Like this song wasn't already sad enough! (sniff-sniff) (I'm just chopping onions here in the kitchen) (cough!) er...YA!

[@ableasdale2000]

He is singing for his father.

[@altareggo]

GREAT rendition and wonderful singing and story-telling. One caveat: too high!!! When Nathan dips into his baritone register, he sounds WONDERFUL, but its a bit thin on the top. Will see if he has fixed this, in more recent recordings!!

[@digitalis2977]

I think that was the point. Nathan seemingly decided to perform it more as an Irish style Lament or Dirge (which is usually sung in a high tenor for men and soprano for women) whereas Stan played with it more musically and (as he was wont to do) juxtaposed the rollicking tune of the song (such as one would find in a bar on shore with many "manly" voices singing along in drunken approval) with the somber subject matter, thus driving home the emotion of the "singer" in the next to last verse... "Oh, there be flowers in Bermuda Beauty lies on every hand And there be laughter, ease and drink for every man But there is no joy for me..." ...as he stands in a port full of life and merriment riddled with grief and sorrow. The end result is much the same, but Nathan's rendition makes you feel the building emotion of the song from the onset, whereas Stan's version shanks you with all of it at the very end (even though he telegraphs the outcome from the start and in every return to the chorus.)

[@oomflem]

Does anyone know what key this is in? I can't figure it out.

[@lambdaweaponscache5394]

1:40

[@shirleywhitelaw4295]

What mode is he singing in?

[@Iz0pen]

What tf did I just see/ hear?

[@legrandfromage9682]

Boy looks like a bald Robb Stark

[@timothyjordan5731]

This song is similar to The Mary Ellen Carter.

[@jasonsexton8869]

Yep, although in this case the captain was a good one, rather than a greedy drunk.

[@robertm7889]

Similar in that it is about a shipwreck...but the melody, tune and meaning are very different, they along with Barrett's Privateers are my favourite Stan Rogers songs but all of his music was/is great.

[@ffggddss]

I find it more similar to "Let Her Go Down" by Steeleye Span. Fred

[@cerdwynable]

More intense vocally and musically than his father. Not bad but I like the original myself

[@IO-mo2os]

is nathan still making music? all his videos are nearly a decade old

[@pkellyspurles]

I heard that he was touring shortly before the corona lockdown in 2020.

[@DavidBarilAlmonte]

Beautiful! But please take it down a couple of semi-tones before you hurt yourself!