The Government Game

[@mickdaniels1]

The same thing is happening now in Ireland to the fishermen and Farmers, The Government Game intends to put them all out of business

[@johnduravetz2603]

Glad that this song is sung and the sad story told....so that true history is transmitted and facts are relayed....the ineptitude of the govt is staggering and the effects upon the people has been lasting !

[@newfoundlandmapping4493]

My families always lived in st.johns, I’ve lived in the city my entire life, Yet tales of the dying bay culture always strikes me with a sense of grief and sorrow, There’s no culture on earth like the bay culture, A culture that is dying by the day, And continues to become more unsalvageable as the new generations play the governments game,

[@codo27]

we are a small island with a small population, with oil, fish, forestry, renewable power and more. everything any locale could want. our streets should be paved with gold, but are not even paved with quality asphalt. may the name smallwood forever lie in misery and disgrace

[@newfoundlandmapping4493]

@@codo27 if only we were free. If only our mothers and fathers listened to Cashin. Why did we ever believe that throwing in our lot with a country that had consistently neglected its coastal regions was a good idea? I hope one day the majority of Newfoundlanders will realize the reality of the corrupt confederation of Canada

[@idonotliveinparaguay.2361]

Same things happening in Ireland. The government isn't involved, but there's no way to make a living in the country. I had to move to Cork from my village. I've Heard the same thing happens in the US. The modern age is a blessing and a curse.

[@johnduravetz2603]

Very well expressed and sad as ever....something that should never be forgotten..... especially the details involved !!

[@kevinpine2658]

Wat a disruption of people's lives don't trust government's still sad to this day

[@darrenhickey5195]

No one out side of home realizes that this is still happening!!! From home to my grandfather's dad's grave use to the alone takes 4 hour drive and an hour boat ride to castle Rock to see a forgotten graveyard, all the families did the best they could to keep em up but after being fucked over so often no one could afford to

[@joshuasnook1206]

This song means so much to so many Newfoundlanders. Thanks for sharing.

[@OutdoorWarrior]

My Grandfather is a Lake from St. Kyran's. My dad was also born there and they resettled in Placentia in the late 60s. They were never poor that's for sure.

[@jasonlake5403]

I’m a lake from littleharbour west not far from st joesephs

[@johnduravetz2603]

Thanks for singing the truth and so people away from NFLD hear the truth about what had occurrred

[@ProtectKids-v1j]

I visited NFL a few years ago on my motorcycle. What an amazing part of the world. It fits my personality so well. I felt at home amongst my people. I would move there if Canadian. Since I'm a US citizen, I live in the closest US place to NFL I could find.

[@jackj6457]

Were Newfoundlanders, not Canadians, Responsible Govt for Newfoundland

[@jackj6457]

Simply meaning we stand on our own two feet, a proud people of the Sea whom have been bullied for centuries by British, Canadian and American imperialism, God bless you sir

[@kennethgoudie5658]

I can see my Grandfather house floating across the bay to relocate on the Island while this song is playing. Like many Newfoundlanders during that time it was sold as Centralization for Government Services, “but me I just calls it the Government Game.” There was money and promises tied to this deal but both faded quickly. - God Guard Thee Newfoundland!

[@mrHBarry]

Very little money for the people who moved but lots of promises made.

[@ringotomb]

a nation once again

[@jackj6457]

Responsible Government for Newfoundland in British Union with Canada

[@wanda2white]

And it is still happening with all the cuts to services!

[@Bixby1979]

GREAT song...By a GREAT man!! Good stuff!!

[@wiliamcobb6070]

first time listening what a extraorindary song GREAT.

[@cleanandsober4ever]

Well done Lad for keeping this music alive!!

[@peteremberley6314]

We were resettled from Davis Cove in 1969. Now most return to cabins.

[@aprilyvonne23]

great song and true song

[@juliacorcoran8416]

Great story sad but true

[@poundtacos4006]

The government has got what it takes to take what you got!

[@maggiepower6046]

Very cool and good

[@BillytheRed]

It's from the album Towards the Sunset by Pat and Joe Byrne with Baxter Wareham. I'm not sure if it is Pat or Joe singing this particular song.

[@formatthew6232]

Thank you so much for this I wish it was on Spotify I've been searching for the artist and the name for a very long time

[@wiliamcobb6070]

restelement fogo island fought back formed a cooperative survial 2oo6 zita cobb came home built another leg on the ecomey with the fogo island inn according to globe magzine number 2 spot to visit in the world fogo island which joey wanted to get of is now the most viable communtiy in nfld power to the people.

[@robmayo1417]

My favorite song Baxter tought my cousin in Arnold's Cove

[@scottbreon9448]

Who sings this anyway? (Oh nevermind, it's Pat Byrne, just goggled it) I would love to see someone do a remake of this song...I think Fred Jorgensen of the Navigators could pull it off well

[@leohandrahan615]

Scott Breon Y

[@matthewvlogs1323]

Scott Breon they are my cousins!

[@druidville2006]

Scott Breon

[@jamespfp]

It is also a re-worded reprise of an older Irish song, called "The Patriot Game". I think the Dubliners recorded it....

[@bishkof]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/roa9eHp8hLtpfK8

[@knbgrace]

wonderful... history will written....

[@michaelmerrigan8229]

I grew up in Newfoundland but we had to move I grow up up in carbonear the mainland look like us we couldn't survive

[@maggiepower6046]

Very inspirational

[@gdgest]

Very well done. Thanks for sharing. :-)

[@idonotliveinparaguay.2361]

Can someone please explain how to research this? I know about the centralization program, but I can't find anything about it online. I doubt anyone will see this, but if you do, please respond.

[@MystNLMusic]

Newfoundland resettlement would be a good start to type in your search bar. Here on KZbin the cbc has uploaded all the old land and sea television shows from over the years. The ones from Gaultois actually are about this specific issue. Hope this helps.

[@wiliamcobb6070]

codo27 good luck thanks for uploading this.

[@gregoryvess7183]

Such a sad song. . . .

[@Paul-yi4mb]

Reminds me of our time on the rock Sept 2015

[@scottnyc6572]

My grandparents were forced to leave Bar Haven.All the gravestones of my ancestors are hidden upon a hillside among buried in forests.Everyone will be forced again,The writing is on the wall.

[@randykeeping2661]

Beautiful pictures

[@Chuckles17]

Might want to mention in the description that this was written by the great Al Pittman.

[@jamespfp]

The re-worded lyrics, Yep; it's based on a pattern, though, from an Irish song called "The Patriot Game".

[@jamespfp]

THANK YOU!

[@mcscotty325]

I know it's terrible to talk about a dead man, but Joey Smallwood was a fool. Set Newfoundland back a hundred years.

[@wiliamcobb6070]

joey to me was a tratior.

[@SuperCyril2]

Joey really screwed Newfoundland over that's a proven fact.

[@darrenhickey5195]

Davis cove as well for the pictures

[@ladyslipperland]

Why did they leave?

[@codo27]

the government took away schools and such so people had no other choice but to leave

[@JBurdoo]

The government felt it was too costly and complex to provide services to hundreds of tiny, isolated communities scattered far from the centers of population, so basically tried to concentrate them closer to those centers. Whether this had the intended effect is still a matter of controversy, and whether or not it did, the whole affair was carried out badly.

[@jamespfp]

They also offered an economic incentive that wasn't nearly large enough to reflect the reality they were moving into; the song puts it as "to a place called Placentia some of them went / but in finding a new home their allowance was spent / so for jobs they went looking, but they looked all in vain / the roof had caved in on the government game." The Allowance payment was proposed and made to people who were not fully aware of how much they really would need, nor how little the new Canadian dollars were worth. To put it another way -- the British government had been forced to rule the former Dominion of Newfoundland since 1933, when the war debts of WW1 finally collapsed the Dominion. "Commission of Government" practically meant that we were using British pounds, American dollars, and very very infrequently Canadian dollars, although the Commission had Canadian members. Placentia was one of the centers for concentration because of its proximity to the U.S. Naval Base at Argentia. The US provided a significant amount of work to Newfoundland during WW2, and the base remained important until the 1980s; but it didn't provide enough to employ all the resettled. Care to check what the average trading ratio between British Pounds and Canadian Dollars is? When I was a kid, the Pound was about 2.5 times more... so $1000 Canadian sounds like twice as much as it is, if you only hear the number.

[@formatthew6232]

What's the actual name of the song

[@user-ConnorKaroThompson]

The government game

[@TrifidStudio]

Does anyone know the name of the performer?

[@TheBarmbrackthecat]

Raffi

[@nicolemilley8251]

Joe and pat byrne

[@dbyrd]

In retrospect I believe what Joey Smallwood and confederation represented to outport NL is what residential schools represented to Indigenous Canadians. You could almost say this verse is applicable in both scenarios: "They tell me our young ones the benefits will see, But I don't believe it - oh, how can it be? They'll never know nothing but sorrow and shame, For their fathers were part of the government game." There are many parallels to draw between First Nations and Newfoundlanders, the fundamental erosion of culture which was the glue of their society. Now government reliance sustains the empty shell of what once was a proud, and independent people.

[@MOI-qq8zc]

Waste