Tickle Cove Pond

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Tickle Cove Pond was written by Mark Walker, a fisherman and song-writer who lived in Tickle Cove, Bonavista Bay in Newfoundland, Canada during the late 1800s. This song is prized locally for the beauty and wit of the lyrics, which turn a mundane event into an act of heroism. Although most Newfoundland songs are passed on by ear alone, in recent years it has been recorded by Sean Sullivan & Rob Slaney (Our Songs Vol. 2: Favourite Songs of Newfoundland & Labrador), Ron Hynes (Another Time: The Songs Of Newfoundland), and by Great Big Sea, who titled an album with a line from this song (The Hard and the Easy).

[edit] Lyrics

In cuttin' and haulin', in frost and in snow

We're up against troubles that few people know

It's only by courage and patience and grit

And eatin' plain food that we keep ourselves fit

The hard and the easy we take as they come

And when ponds freeze over we shorten our runs

To hurry my haulin' with spring coming on

I near lost me a mare out on Tickle Cove Pond

Chorus:

Lay hold William Oldford, lay hold William White

Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might

Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can

And give me a lift with poor Kit on the pond

I knew that the ice grew weaker each day

But I still took the risk and kept haulin' away

One evening in April bound home with a load

My mare showed some halting against the ice road

She knew more than I did as matters turned out

And lucky for me had I joined her in doubt

She turned round her head, with tears in her eyes

As if she were sayin', "You're risking our lives"

All this I ignored with a whip handle blow

For man is a stupid dumb creatures you know

And the very next moment the pond gave a sigh

And up to our necks went poor Kitty and I

Chorus

And if I had taken wise Kitty's advice

I ne'er would've made that short cut on the ice

Poor creature she's dead, poor creature she's gone

I'll ne'er get my mare out of Tickle Cove Pond

But I raised an alarm you could hear for a mile

And neighbours showed up in a very short while

You can always rely on the Oldfords and Whites

To render assistance in all your bad plights

To help a kind neighbour is part of their lives

The same can be said for their children and wives

And with the rope fastened around the mare's breast

William White for a shanty song made a request

There was no time for thinkin', no time for delay

Straight from his heart came this song right away

Chorus x2

[edit] See also

• List of Newfoundland songs