Victoria Nautical Song Circle's
May 1999 Song Of The Month


THE SQUID JIGGIN' GROUND

Words:   Arthur R. Scammell (1928)
Sung to the traditional Irish tune "Nell Flaherty's Drake"

Oh... This is the place where the fishermen gather,
In oilskins and boots and Cape Annes battened down.
All sizes of figures with squid lines and jiggers,
They congregate here on the squid-jiggin' grounds.
 
Some are working their jiggers while others are yarnin',
There's some standin' up but there's more lying down.
While all kinds of fun, jokes and tricks are begun
As they wait for the squid on the squid-jiggin' grounds.
 
There's men of all ages and boys in the bargain;
There's old Billy Cave and there's young Raymond Brown
There's a red rantin' Tory out there in a dory,
A-runnin' down Squires on the squid-jiggin' ground.
 
There's men from the Harbour,there's men from the Tickle
In all kinds of motor boats, green, grey and brown
Right yonder is Bobby and with him is Nobby
They're chawin' hard tack on the squid jiggin'ground
 
God bless my sou'wester, there's Captain John Chaffey
He's the best hand at squid jiggin' here I'll be bound
Hello! what's the row?, why - he's jiggin' one now
The very first squid on the squid jiggin' ground
 
The man with the whiskers is old Jacob Steele
He's gettin' well up, but he's still pretty sound
While Uncle Bob Hawkins wears six pair o' stockins
Whenever he's out on the squid jiggin' ground.
 
Holy Smoke! what a scuffle, all hands are excited
'Tis a wonder to me that there's nobody drowned
There's a bustle, confusion, a wonderful tussle
They're all jiggin' squids on the squid jiggin' ground
 
Say's Bobby "The squids are on top of the water
I just got me jiggers 'bout one fathom down."
But a squid in the boat squirted right down his throat
And he's swearin' like mad on the squid jiggin' ground
 
There's poor Uncle Billy, his whiskers are spattered
With spots of the squid juice that's flying around;
One poor little boy got it right in the eye,
But they don't give a darn on the squid-jiggin' ground.
 
Now if ever you feel inclined to go squiddin'
Leave you white shirts and collars behind in the town.
And if you get cranky without your silk hanky
You'd better steer clear of the squid-jiggin' ground.

With thanks to Harry Martin who gave us the last two lines of verse three and the first two lines of verse 4 (we'd put our 4 lines all in one verse [his seem to make more sense]) as well as verses 5,6,7 and 9.

With further adjustments to the verse order after running across Edith Fowkes "Folksongs of Canada" on December 28, 2004

With further minor refinements to the words after running across the book "My Newfoundland" by Arthur Scammell in April 2005


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