Farewell to Nova Scotia

Song Information

Composer: Traditional

Lyric Author: Traditional

Published: Circa 1914

Country of origin: Canada

General Interest

Likely adapted from an 1808 poem by Robert Tannahill called “The Soldier’s Adieu”.

The song gained mass popularity when it was a theme song for a Halifax CBC television program in the mid-sixties, and soon became an anthem.Today the song is used by many to reflect the sentiments of mass migrations of young people from Nova Scotia westward to Ontario and Alberta.

Some sources cite similar lines and phrases in the much older song "The Soldier's Adieu" from the 18th century, commonly attributed to Robert Tannahill, ad evidence it was the inspiration for Farewell to Nova Scotia.

Here's a link to the Lyric:

Farewell to Nova Scotia Lyric

Feel free to leave comments to share thoughts or information about this song. If it says you can't leave a comment, you need to sign in using a Google account.