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 have titled two albums with lines from this song (The Hard and the Easy) and (Courage & Patience & Grit).
[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
