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There stands an old building down near the shore,
The waves wash in under and the steerins fly o'er;
It was carved from the forests of a century gone by,
When wind pushed us seaward and the birds ruled the sky.
With a horse and a sleigh and a buck saw in hand,
They'd leave their small island and walk to the mainland;
They'd cross o'er the ice with a horse and a sleigh,
Cut down their timbers and return home each day.
There were no saw mills then to cut out their planks,
No electrical saws or compressed air tanks;
With a pit saw and a buddy they cut out each stick,
Their hard work was all that they used to stay fit.
Many's a boy grew up in that place,
Reared up a family and tried to keep pace,
With the changing of tides and faces of the moon,
Hoping their fortune would get better soon.
Down in that stage where the boys came of age,
The wood shavings curl for the kids to unfurl,
As they carve out the planks that will carry them back to the banks,
Down in that stage where the boys came of age.
It's a memory now like salt spray on my brow,
Recalling with fondness the times spent in the stage.
There is no place as dear as that old stage,
Where men folk would all gather no matter the age;
They spoke of the hardships but also the fun,
Of those they had known and the work they had done.
They'd talk of the people both now and gone by,
That put smiles on their faces and a twinkle in their eye;
That old stage was the center of many a man's life,
Where they planned out their days and got away from their wives.
Down in that stage where the boys came of age,
The wood shavings curl for the kids to unfurl,
As they carve out the planks that will carry them back to the banks,
Down in that stage where the boys came of age.
It's a memory now like salt spray on my brow,
Recalling with fondness the times spent in the stage.
Recalling with fondness the times spent in the stage.
From the Dictionary of Newfoundland English:
Stage - elevated platform on the shore with working tables, sheds, etc, where fish are landed and processed for salting and drying, and fishing gear and supplies are stored; fishing stage.
Steerin(e) - also stearin, stearine, stearing, steering, stern; northern common tern; (Sterna hirundo) and/or arctic tern (S. paradisaea); Both are called 'steerings' by the settler-name which their cry suggests. Some few small islands around the coasts of Newfoundland have been named Steering Islands from the number of terns which breed on them.
