Dink’s Song aka Fare Thee Well

Posted July 31st, 2009 by Lily

We didn’t make the cut for the 90 min. version of the Seeger 90th show that PBS is airing this Sunday night, so here we are doing Dink’s Song, our contribution. Kate, Bruce, Martha, Rufus, Chaim and Anna. We frankly thought it was beautiful but I guess it didn’t have enough star power. We first heard Dave Van Ronk sing it in Montreal in the early 60s. P.S. This performance was included in the 2 hr special that was aired in some markets. It’s also on the Seeger 90th DVD.

Dink\'s Song

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

37 Responses:

  1. David Prochazka says:

    July 31st, 2009 at 5:39 pm

    I’d love to see and hear this performance, but the clip won’t play for me. Quel dommage.

  2. Skronk says:

    August 1st, 2009 at 1:26 am

    unbelievable.

  3. gazzacymru says:

    August 1st, 2009 at 5:41 am

    Hi so pleased this has been posted, its absolutely beautiful, thanks too all to sung it.I’m looking forward to Not So Silent Night at the RAH London on the 9th December 2009.My first time to see you, cant you make the trip too Anna

  4. Peter Clarkson says:

    August 1st, 2009 at 8:02 am

    Great stuff, lets hope the DVD will include it. Dare we hope for a recording of it?
    Peter

  5. gazzacymru says:

    August 1st, 2009 at 8:56 am

    Any idea if/when a DVD is to be released

  6. anna says:

    August 1st, 2009 at 9:04 am

    it’s on the dvd and the extended 120 mins cut that has or will be aired in nyc and l.a. this week. we were asked to do the concert early on and i guess they ended up with a lot of acts that are better known. kate put herself in danger making this trip after complications from surgery landed her in hospital for 3 weeks. she left for nyc the day after being released with an open 6 in wound in her stomach. luckily her doctor was able to travel with her. i’m not sure we would have gone all that way gratis just to be on a dvd especially after being reassured by the producers that the song was ‘in the televised version.’ it was, but not the ‘right one.’

    anyway it was a lot of fun to do and we’re thinking of cutting it ourselves.

  7. gazzacymru says:

    August 1st, 2009 at 11:56 am

    Thanks Anna cut the cd of this .Are you coming to London for Not So Silent night.I’m from Merthyr “Bells of Rhymney “

  8. campbie- says:

    August 1st, 2009 at 8:43 pm

    anna’s spot on. i guess it’s kinda like seniority when i was a Metallos up in the iron mines of Gagnon QC. Jobs had nothing to do with competence but rather anciennetée seulement. Beau Dommage my Khyber !
    In this case seniority has been replaced by record sales.
    So much for the each according to his ability.

  9. Joe says:

    August 1st, 2009 at 8:53 pm

    I heard this song for the first time on PBS Pete Seeger Birthday celebration. So moving. Anyone with a heart would agree. Bravo!!

  10. Barry Barkan says:

    August 1st, 2009 at 10:12 pm

    I really want to tell you that after hearing your rendition of “Dink’s Song”, I made a conscious effort to stay up for each and every repeat of the program, on as many PBS outlets as I could find around here – just to hear it again!

    Not only is it “frankly beautiful” – my eyes were tearing up in anticipation of each subsequent hearing, and my eyes are tearing up now as I recall it (from just 15 minutes ago).

    I don’t know about any reviews of the program, and since I wasn’t there, I cannot comment about it having been the musical highlight of the evening…
    all I can say is, that for me,

    It’s five minutes of sheer heaven.

    Thank You!

  11. CGT™ says:

    August 1st, 2009 at 11:12 pm

    Does this mean that Dink has actually made it to air ?
    Has anyone actually seen it on a PBS broadcast.
    We know Water is wide is on but how bout Dink ?
    The whole GCT™ gang is kinda mixed up. Iamb at any rate.

  12. Jane says:

    August 1st, 2009 at 11:24 pm

    Oh goodness me that was quite beautiful! Living down here in Oz (read Australia) it is not always easy to hear what is going on with the sisters and extended family so thank goodness for this site. We will probably never see this program at all here but it is beyond me to understand why this performance would be omitted? The moving harmonies always tug at my heart and need to be shared with the world!
    By the way Kate and Anna,you both look gorgeous and it’s hard to imagine that Kate was so unwell.
    Cheers to the family and many more amazing musical moments!!

  13. gazzacymru says:

    August 2nd, 2009 at 7:11 am

    Hello Barry, I’m in the uk how can i get to watch the PBS programmes.

    Its good to see Campbie posting again

  14. Barry Barkan says:

    August 2nd, 2009 at 7:50 am

    I see it in New York on Thirteen and WLIW; if you can’t get those signals locally, the 2-DVD set is now available for a $90 pledge to support PBS on the PBS Website (something tells me that this will be a PBS “Best Seller” to rival the interest in Jospeh Campbell’s works over the years – let’s hope so).

    Here’s the link (I hope it works – I assume that PBS will be glad to ship it anywhere – good luck):

    https://secure2.convio.net/wnet/site/Ecommerce/2011747102?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=13341&store_id=1141

  15. Annie says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 2:50 pm

    I thought this was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. The whole concert was fantastic. This song really stopped me in my tracks – I couldn’t wait to get on the computer to find details about who all was singing (went by too fast on tv). Really lovely and haunting. Otherworldly almost. I’m a big Springsteen fan, and lifelong fan of Pete, Arlo and so many. But this song and “Gather ‘Round This Stone” were the two big standouts to me amidst a sea of great performances.

  16. zz dans le meteo says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 3:19 am

    What stops you in your tracks is a fascinating phenomenon. Whatever it is, these are cherished moments.

  17. anna says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 12:51 pm

    i’m sorry to have kvetched about not getting into the 90 min show and very happy so many people did get to see the 120 min. version in their viewing area. it was a once in a lifetime experience to be on stage with all those wonderful people.

  18. gazzacymru says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 1:46 pm

    Do you think you’ll make it to Not So Silent Night in London with the rest of the family Anna

  19. CGT™ says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 5:41 pm

    Anna you are a fetching lass not a kvetching lass.
    I have a friend who imbibes then rails against this and that.
    I call him ( wait for it)
    A Kvetcher on the Rye.

  20. Judy says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 8:57 pm

    I did see you do Dink’s song on PBS. It was hauntingly beautiful, and I’ve been listening to it since. It’s made me cry. Thank you so much.

    Judy

  21. Robin says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 1:53 am

    I absolutely loved this song and rushed to find more about it. You did a wonderful job with it.

  22. dashford says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 9:27 am

    Anna, this performance was my favorite of the entire concert — thank you and everyone else involved in it. Yes, it is a shame about the PBS situation. But the DVDs will be the lasting, permanent record of this event and I’m thrilled that this performance is part of it.

  23. Pat says:

    August 17th, 2009 at 12:30 pm

    Wonderful performance. Please record it, that song should not be lost.
    I first heard Dave van Ronk sing it in NYC about the same time but since then heard some -not all – of the same verses sung at a funeral in an old fashioned AA Baptist church. The folks in the choir told me it was an old slave hymn “everyone knows.”
    iirc Alan Lomax collected it from Dink, who was hanging laundry – only song he collected from a woman iirc.

  24. Anna says:

    August 17th, 2009 at 2:03 pm

    I’ve read that it was John Lomax’s wife who heard Dink singing it on the banks of the Miss where she was hanging out her wash.
    Anna

  25. mynalee johnstone says:

    September 24th, 2009 at 11:09 pm

    Marvellous!!!

  26. Jeff Knight says:

    October 30th, 2009 at 9:04 pm

    I was lucky enough to hear your version of Dinks Song on PBS. I had never heard this haunting song before. I have listened to your version so many times since. It strikes a chord deep in my heart every time I listen to it. Thank you so much for the beauty of your music.

  27. Fat Mickey says:

    November 5th, 2009 at 10:41 am

    Tears in my eyes, chills up my spine, lovely.

  28. Ray Beckerman says:

    January 19th, 2010 at 7:21 pm

    I was privileged to be at the concert, and this was a magical moment in that concert.

    It brought tears to my eyes then and now, and fills my heart.

    There are no words to describe it.

  29. JR Marcotte says:

    January 20th, 2010 at 6:47 pm

    À tous les McGarrigle et leurs amies et amis,
    Je viens d’écouter Fare Three Well en souvenir de Kate. Je suis encore sous le coup de l’émotion pour vous transmettre mes condoléances. J’ai perdu Rachel, il y a deux ans, au même âge, de cette même maladie. Kate a rejoint Rachel maintenant dans le monde du souvenir. Elle l’aimait tellement, comme elle vous aimait tellement vous, Anna, Martha,Rufus et les autres qui êtes encore vivants. Je partage votre peine et votre espoir. Vous savez que Kate vit dans vos coeurs, comme Rachel vit encore dans le mien.

    JRM

  30. John says:

    January 20th, 2010 at 10:39 pm

    Yes, it is beautiful.

  31. Sophie Hickman says:

    January 21st, 2010 at 3:58 am

    I very sorry to here about the loss of your sister/mother to cancer, my mum died of cancer 3 1/2 years ago. We spent may times singing your songs with our Mum and we had the pleasure to see you at the Cambridge Corn Exchange a few years ago. The swimming song was played at my Mum’s funeral, and I always play your album kate & anna mcgarrigle when I am remembering her. I’ll be playing your album today and remembering your sister for all the happy times she gave to our family. Sending you loads of love.

  32. Phyllis Sinclair says:

    January 22nd, 2010 at 9:53 am

    Tonight I pay tribute to Kate in song. What do I say of her, and how her delivery moved me: how it inspired me? As I lie here,this early morning I try to describe what is Kate. But, the words won’t come. Perhaps because there aren’t any.

    You were a gift to us and we thank you. Live on in notes above the staff.

  33. Ray Beckerman says:

    March 14th, 2010 at 8:25 pm

    Thought some of you might appreciate this bit of history about “Dink’s Song” made available by Roger McGuinn http://is.gd/aEequ

  34. Joyce Schoeppach says:

    March 26th, 2010 at 11:30 am

    I happened upon Dinks Song here yesterday and wanted to play it for a friend at work and was sad to see it was no longer available at this site today. I have the Clearwater DVD and Dinks song is my favorite cut. Any chance of putting it back here? It was such a wonderful performance by all of you.

  35. Joyce Schoeppach says:

    March 26th, 2010 at 11:41 am

    Anna the 90 minute brodcast, in the Washington DC area, was Billed as a Human Rights Concert. I guess that is how they deceided to make there cuts and why Dinks Song wasn’t included — Bad Choice, it was the best hope you will record it

  36. Paul says:

    July 2nd, 2010 at 9:03 pm

    I have the DVD. This song gives me chills. Beautiful beyond words. May Kate , as another person wrote above, “live on in notes above the staff.”

  37. Ryan P. Jama says:

    June 5th, 2011 at 4:58 am

    Simply wanna input that you have a very nice internet site , I like the design and style it actually stands out.

Leave a Reply

© 2009 Kate & Anna McGarrigle, All rights reserved.