Woman of Labrador,
Children 'round your cabin door,
Wondering when their daddy will be home.
He's gone on the trapping lines.
Seems like such a long long time
Since he waved his last farewell
And left you alone.
Woman of Labrador,
Turn your mind to daily chores,
Hunting and catching fish
To feed your family.
At night when they're all in bed,
You go outside and raise your head,
Watch the northern lights go dancing
High over the sea.
Daughter of Labrador,
Those days are here no more,
You wonder if your baby will ever understand
The hardship that you endured
When everyone you knew was poor,
Sharing everything you had
And living off the land.
Woman of Labrador,
Children 'round your cabin door,
Wondering when their daddy will be home.
He's gone on the trapping lines.
Seems like such a long long time
Since he waved his last farewell
And left you alone.
####.... Andy Vine. Performing rights administered by SOCAN. All rights reserved ....####
The video above features a live performance by the composer Andy Vine and the Island Time band performing Andy's song at Cafe Montmartre in Vancouver, BC.
Andy Vine notes: The lady in question in the song is Elizabeth Goudie. She was delighted when she heard my song and made the comment, "From now on I'll think of you as one of my sons." I regret never having met her face to face. She was a wonderful lady. However, the song has brought me much joy and has acquired a life of its own. It was recently recorded by the Northern Harmony choir from Happy Valley-Goose Bay (not my favourite version) and has appeared in various collections of songs. The song also inspired a dance piece set to the Figgy Duff recording.
Additional notes: Elizabeth Goudie (née Blake) [1902-1982] was born in Mud Lake, Labrador, and between 1963 and 1971 wrote her autobiography, Woman Of Labrador (Peter Martin Associates, Ottawa, 1973). Her story of life in the Labrador bush was considered so important for its historical record that she was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree in 1975 by Memorial University of St John's, Newfoundland. In 1980, the provincial government building in Happy Valley-Goose Bay was named after her.
