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Lukey's boat is painted green, aha, my boys,
Lukey's boat is painted green,
The prettiest little boat you ever seen.
Aha, me boys, a riddle I day.
Lukey's boat got a fine fore cutty, aha, my boys,
Lukey's boat got a fine fore cutty,
And every seam is chinked with putty.
Aha, me boys, a riddle I day.
Lukey's boat got high stop sails, aha, my boys,
Lukey's boat got high stop sails,
And she was planched with copper nails.
Aha, me boys, a riddle I day.
Oh, Lukey's boat got a high stopped jib, aha, my boys,
Oh, Lukey's boat got a high stopped jib
And a patent block to her foremast head,
Aha, me boys, a riddle I day.
I think, says Lukey, I'll make her bigger, aha, my boys,
I think, says Lukey, I'll make her bigger,
I'll load her down with a one claw jigger.
Aha, me boys, a riddle I day.
Lukey's rolling out his grub, aha, my boys,
Lukey's rolling out his grub,
One split pea in a ten pound tub.
Aha, me boys, a riddle I day.
Oh, Lukey he sailed down the shore, aha, my boys,
Oh, Lukey he sailed down the shore
To catch some fish from Labrador,
Aha, me boys, a riddle I day.
Aha, says Lukey, the blinds are down, aha, my boys,
Aha, says Lukey, the blinds are down,
My wife is dead and underground.
Aha, me boys, a riddle I day.
Aha, says Lukey, I don't care, aha, my boys,
Aha, says Lukey, I don't care,
I'll get me another in the spring of the year.
Aha, me boys, a riddle I day.
As a sealing family, the Keans are the most famous in Newfoundland. Captain Job Kean and his wife, Virtue Marie Hann who was born in Cape Cove, NL, in 1858, constructed the general store around 1890. Kean was an active businessman in the community, owning eight vessels, mastering several of his ships to the ice during the seal hunt in the spring or to the coast of Labrador to fish for cod in the summer.The YouTube video below features a variant recorded by John White of St. John's, NL (Voice Of Newfoundland / John White With The Ray Walsh Band, trk#2, 1966, International Artists, Toronto, Ontario).
Kean's General Store was a centre for commerce in the Brookfield area. It was located near the harbour front so Kean's ships had easy access to the store when they arrived in port with supplies and merchandise. Kean also supplied other sailing vessels in the area, operated a telegraph and post office on the premises, and supplied dry goods to Brookfield Cottage Hospital. The Keans were greatly responsible for the creation of the hospital as well. The first hospital telephone, it is said, was installed in the residence of Job and Virtue Kean because many doctors arriving in Brookfield resided with the Kean family.
'Aunt' Virtue Kean, as she is known locally, is responsible for writing the folk song Lukey's Boat sometime before her death in 1929. According to local legend, she performed this song at a concert held at the church hall in Brookfield, making fun of a local resident, Lukey Gaulton. After several verses poking fun at this man's boat, his thrifty supplies, and immoral marriage practices, the crowd was roaring with laughter. However, the height of the performance came when Lukey himself jumped up on stage and added this verse to Aunt Virtue's song:Aunt Virtue Kean she wrote this song, ah ha, me b'ys,
Aunt Virtue Kean she wrote this song,
Up with the doctors all night long!
Ah ha, ah ha, me riddle I day!
[G] Lukey's boat is [C] painted green, [G] aha, my boys,
[G] Lukey's boat is [C] painted green;
The [G] prettiest little boat you [D] ever seen,
[G] Aha, me [C] boys, a [D] riddle I [G] day.
