Tickle Cove Pond

Tickle Cove Pond was written by Mark Walker (songwriter), a fisherman and song-writer who lived in Tickle Cove, Bonavista Bay in Newfoundland, Canada during the late 1800s. This song is prized locally for the beauty and wit of the lyrics, which turn a mundane event into an act of heroism. Although most Newfoundland songs are passed on by ear alone, in recent years it has been recorded by Sean Sullivan & Rob Slaney (Our Songs Vol. 2: Favorite Songs of Newfoundland & Labrador), Ron Hynes (Another Time: The Songs Of Newfoundland), and by Great Big Sea, who have released an album entitled (The Hard and the Easy). They have also released a DVD with a companion CD entitled (Courage & Patience & Grit) in reference to a verse from Tickle Cove Pond. In addition, this song has been masterfully recorded by a St. John's Traditional Folk group called Connemara.

Additional Info: Mark Walker was born at Tickle Cove, Bonavista Bay South (BBS), Newfoundland, Canada in 1846. His father was Marcus Walker of County Tipperary, Ireland; his mother - Jane Mackey of Bonavista, Newfoundland. Mark Walker moved to Sweet Bay, BBS, in the 1880s where he worked as post master, as well as in both the fishing and lumber trades. In 1908, he and his family moved to Massachusetts, USA. Walker died in 1928. Aside from "Tickle Cove Pond," Walker wrote other folk classics including "Fanny's Harbour Bawn," "The Antis of Plate Cove," "The Races on Tickle Cove Pond," and a second "Tickle Cove Pond" not long before his death. Captain John Russell, 101, of Bonavista (and a fine poet and singer himself) partied with Walker in the fall of 1927 in MA.

*Although widely misunderstood in the lyircs, the surname "Oldford" never existed in Tickle Cove until relatively recent years. The surname mentioned in the song is "Over" which at one time was "Ovier." The phonetic misunderstanding and subsequent use of both surnames, as well as other lines, in relation to this song is common.

"Tickle Cove Pond" was first recorded by Newfoundlander singer John White in 1965.

For more information on Mark Walker and Tickle Cove Pond, please read "When We Worked Hard:Tickle Cove, Newfoundland" by Newfoundland singer/songwriter and author Darrell Duke (Flanker Press 2007/www.flankerpress.com)). To see a photo of Mark Walker, please see the same book, soon to be available in its second printing (fall 2008). "When We Worked Hard...." is included in curriculum studies by the Department of Education, Newfoundland and Labrador, for the 2008-09 school year.

For more information on Captain John Russell, please read "Memories of a Lifetime" by Captain John Russell (ESP Press, 1997).

Lyrics

:In cuttin' and haulin', in frost and in snow
:We're up against troubles that few people know
:It's only by courage and patience and grit
:And eatin' plain food that we keep ourselves fit

:The hard and the easy we take as it comes
:And when ponds freeze over we shorten our runs
:To hurry my haulin' with spring coming on
:Nearly lost me a mare out on Tickle Cove Pond

:"Chorus":
:Lay hold William Over, lay hold William White
:Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might
:Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can
:And give me a lift with poor Kit on the pond

:I knew that the ice became weaker each day
:But still took the risk and kept haulin' away
:One evening in April bound home with a load
:The mare showed some halting against the ice road

:She knew more than I did as matters turned out
:And lucky for me had I joined her in doubt
:She turned round her head, with tears in her eyes
:As if she were sayin', "You're riskin our lives"

:All this I ignored with a whip handle blow
:For man is too stupid; dumb creatures to know
:And the very next moment the pond gave a sigh
:And down to our necks went poor Kitty and I

:"Chorus"

:And if I had taken wise Kitty's advice
:I never would take the shortcut on the ice
:Poor creature she's dead; poor creature she's gone
:I'll ne'er get my mare out of Tickle Cove Pond

:I raised an alarm you could hear for a mile
:And neighbours turned up in a very short while
:You can always rely on the Overs and Whites
:To render assistance in all your bad plights

:To help a poor neighbour is part of their lives
:The same I can say for their children and wives
:When the bowline was fastened around the mare's breast
:William White for a shanty song made a request

:There was no time for thinkin', no time for delay
:Straight from his head came this song right away

:"Chorus Final"
:Lay hold William Over, lay hold William White
:Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might
:Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can
:And with that we brought Kit out of Tickle Cove Pond

ee also

* List of Newfoundland songs