Digital Tradition Mirror

The Whistle Punk's Song

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

The Whistle Punk's Song

1.  They stand by the cold deck a-wastin' my time,
    Not settin' no chokers nor tendin' no line
    When up comes a fella and he says, "I suppose
    You works on the riggin' by the looks of your clothes."

2.  "No, I'm a whistle blower, and that's my desire,
    You should hear me perform on the old whistle wire.
    When I blows a tight line I makes no mistake,
    On a haywire Skagit without any brake."

3.  "Oh, the hooktender's crazy and the riggin' slinger's worse
    When I blows three whistles, they both start to curse
    I wish I was in Rupert instead of down here,
    Where there's all kinds of women and plenty of beer."

note:- collected by Keith Crowe.  PJT Coll.  Another variant collected
     by Al Grierson at Port MacNeill in 1977 from Dave Jorgensen.
     "High-lead logging" song. JB
note: tune not supplied, but it seems clearly to be another
     Strawberry Roan offshoot. RG
JB
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apr97

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!