Lukey's Boat
1. Lukey's boat was painted green
Aha, me b'ys
Lukey's boat was painted green
The prettiest boat that ever was seen
Aha, me diddle I day
(similarly:)
2. Lukey's boat got a fine fore cutty
And every seam was chinked with putty.
3. Lukey's boat got a high-stopped jib (sic: ?hoist-up)
And a patent block to her foremast head.
4. "I think," says Lukey, "I'll make her bigger -
Load 'er down with a one-claw jigger."
5. "And now," says Lukey, "Get aboard your grub,
One split pea and a ten-pound tub."
6. Lukey he sailed down [up] the shore
To get some fish from Labrador.
7. Lukey he looked 'round and 'round
"Me wife is dead for the blinds are down."
8. "Waho!", says Lukey, "I don't care -
I'll get me another in the fall of the year!"
from the singing of Alan Mills, "Folk Songs of Newfoundland",
1953; a composite version from Doyle, who had it from
Greenleaf & Mansfield, Twillingate, 1929 and Creighton
("Loakey's Boat"), 1932. Mills is the one who got the
geography wrong; it's right in Creighton, the unique
source for the verse. JB
JB
apr96
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!