Our Island Is Covered With Fog

So now it's spring, we'll all rise and sing,
The snow it melts from the bog.
"Get ready for trouting!" our ladies are shouting,
While our island is covered with fog.

Some are out gunning, the rivers are running,
And uncle is towing a log.
More are scoffing, while are others are coughing,
Our island is covered with fog.

Some are wood chopping, others are scoffing,
Around to the store they do jog,
With jars on a string we know it is spring,
But our island is covered with fog.

The young lambs are bleating, this is our spring's greeting,
One man to the water did sog,
He's offended with Rachel, she lost her new satchel,
Our island is covered with fog.

Old Mrs. Bussey, she seems rather fussy,
Been searching all day for her dog,
She phoned to the station and told her relation,
Our island is covered with fog.

To the church they are flocking, the doors are unlocking,
With buckets they are feeding their hog,
Like birds of the feather, they all flock together,
Our island is covered with fog.

Uncle Bill Cleary, he feels rather weary,
Wishes he had a good grog,
States his condition, and swears by pro'bition,
While our island is covered with fog.

Poor old Aunt Viner, she is an old timer,
For the weather to change she do sob,
Her grandchildren assemble and say she's quite nimble,
Though our island is covered with fog.

####.... Chris Cobb. Collected in 1952 from the composer, Chris Cobb, of Barred Island, NL, by Ken Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, pp.89-90, by The National Museum Of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved. ....####

Kenneth Peacock noted that Barred Island is a small settlement a mile or so over a ridge of land from Joe Batt's Arm. The island referred to in the song is Fogo Island off Newfoundland's northeast coast where both outports are situated. Peacock further noted that outsiders unfamiliar with Newfoundland's geography would probably want to simplify things by imagining the foggy island as Newfoundland itself. And from what he was told of the soupy spring weather, he said they would not be far wrong. Trouting, Peacock explained, refers to recreational fishing in the freshwater ponds and streams. It was always a mystery to him how fishermen could work from dawn until dark on the sea for six days of the week and then spend Sunday fishing for trout as a relaxation. Kenneth Peacock's final note was that this is one of Chris Cobb's best-known songs in the northeast coast area of Newfoundland.