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Old Joe B. Langdon looking out the door,
Watching the Mayflower come ashore,
Come ashore all on the sand,
And there she smashed like an old tin pan.
Da da da da da diddle la
Da da diddle la diddle la da da
Diddle la diddle la da diddle diddle la
Diddle la diddle la da da.
Oh, out with the cargo, dry fish and ale,
Old Don Mills he stole the pail,
Nellie Peckham quick like a whistle
Grabbed some jars and stole the kettle.
Da da da da da diddle la
Da da diddle la diddle la da da
Diddle la diddle la da diddle diddle la
Diddle la diddle la da da.
Cookie Gillis, the second man,,
Carried the wood across Cape Sand,
He piled it up like an old church tower
And that was the end of the old Mayflower.
Da da da da da diddle la
Da da diddle la diddle la da da
Diddle la diddle la da diddle diddle la
Diddle la diddle la da da.
Kenneth Peacock noted that for hundreds of years vessels both large and small have been running aground on Newfoundland's treacherous coast. Once it has been established that the boat is abandoned or without a crew, its cargo and fittings are considered fair game by the local inhabitants. In the old days of French and English conflict over the island, many fine pieces of furniture found their way into outport homes from wrecked vessels. Peacock added that he had heard tales that the local settlers would deliberately set beacons in unaccustomed places to lure vessels onto a shoal or reef. Since they had always been left to fend for themselves, they did not much care what nationality the ships were.
Further information about 'chin' music can be found in the notes following the song I Got A Bonnet Trimmed With Blue, which was also sung by Mrs. Musseau.
