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One evening as the sun went down,
The jungle fires were burning,
Fred Watson left his native home,
Saying, "Boys, I'm not returning."
Come roo-dem doo, come roo-dem-dee.
"Till I gets satisfaction
From Mr. Alderdyce,
When I tells him my story, b'ys,
Sure, he's apt to treat me nice."
Roo-dem-doo, come roo-dem-dee.
He went out to St. John's
And to the Public Works,
And he was soon thrown out of that
By half a dozen clerks.
Roo-dem-doo, come roo-dem-dee.
Sure, Freddy swore his maker
He'd have them all in gaol,
And going down the street,
Sure, he gave a cop a hail.
Roo-dem--doo, come roo-dem-dee.
And when the cop came up to him,
He quickly changed his mind,
Saying, "Billy Walsh, the member,
You are the next to find."
Roo-dem-doo, come roo-dem-dee.
He went to Billy Walsh's,
He made himself at home,
And Billy Walsh, the member,
He picked up the telephone.
Roo-dem-doo, come roo-dem-dee.
He rang up Lady Anderson,
Those words to her did say:
"There's a man here named Watson,
And he's from St. Mary's Bay."
Roo-dem-doo, come roo-dem-dee.
"He wants some of your clothing,
Some of your underwear,
And if you will assist him,
It's for you we'll say a prayer."
Roo-dem doo, come roo-dem-dee.
She said she'd send him clothing,
She'd send it in by mail,
And not forgetting a blanket,
To replace his dory sail.
Roo-dem-doo, come roo-dem-dee
Sure, Freddy was so delighted,
He nearly broke down and cried;
He said, "l must go hunt up Ryan,
And try to have a ride."
Roo-dem-doo, come roo-dem-dee.
And now he's in St. Mary's,
The good news for to tell,
About the blanket he got for Pete,
And the dress he got for Stell'.
Roo-dem-doo, come roo-dem-dee.
And now he's safely landed
Up in St. Mary's Bay;
And he never got a stitch of clothes
Up to this present day.
Roo-dem-doo, come roo-dem-dee.
Before my song is ended,
I'll make another start;
I will get a great big shavin' knife
And I'll take out Daly's heart.
Roo-dem-doo, come roo-dem-dee.
Collected in 1951 from John Molloy of St. Shott's, NL, and published in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).
