Sealer's Song

The block house flag is up today,
To welcome home the stranger;
And Stewart's house is looking out,
For Barbour in the Ranger.

But Job's are wishing Blandford first,
Who never missed the patches;
He struck them on the twenty-third,
And filled her to the hatches.

And Bowring too will bet a few,
On Jackman in the Howler;
The little Kite she bore in sight,
With Billy Knee the Jowler.

The first of the fleet is off Torbay,
All with their colours flying;
The girls are busy starching shirts,
And pans of beefsteaks frying.

We left you see with Billy Knee,
Bound home with colours flying;
And were forced to stay at Trinity Bay,
Two weeks or more there lying.

Though short of grog still lots of prog,
To bring us home quite hearty;
Each Trinity Dove fell wild in love,
With Walsh and Luke McCarthy.

Oh, in the spring the flippers bring,
To lawyers, clerks or beagle;
We fought brave Neptune up and down,
And carried home the Eagle.

Though some may sing of lords or kings,
Brave heroes in each battle;
Our boys for fat, would gaff and bat,
And make the whitecoats rattle.

They kill their foe at every blow,
(Was Waterloo much grander?)
To face, who could, an old dog hood,
Like a plucky Newfoundlander?

We danced on shore in Bremner's store,
The darling girls were dancers;
Jemina Snooks our boys would hook,
At every set of lancers.

I felt afraid of the fuss they made,
Of each confounded villain;
I thought the floor would leave the store,
At the Trinity Bay Cotillion!

Don't talk to me of balls or sprees,
You never saw such a party;
That time on shore at Bremner's store,
Made all feel good and hearty.

For at a dance no girls can prance,
Nor dress in style more grander;
For an Irish reel, that takes the heel,
To please a Newfoundlander.

So here's success to Susie Bess,
And girls from all outharbours;
For a kiss set in on a sealer's chin,
Which never saw the barber.

####.... Author unknown. Original Newfoundland song ....####

Published in Gerald S. Doyle's Old-Time Songs Of Newfoundland: Songs Of The People From The Days Of Our Forefathers, Third edition, pp.52-53, 1955. Also published on pp.9-11 of Songs Of Newfoundland, a complimentary booklet of lyrics to twenty-one songs distributed by the Bennett Brewing Co. Ltd., of St. John's, NL, with the cooperation of the Gerald S. Doyle Song Book from which the words were obtained.