"The Badger Drive"

No personal notes.

The MacEdward Leach Collection reports that "The Badger Drive" was;

Composed in 1912 by John V. Devine of King's Cove, Bonavista Bay. Rosenberg writes that "local and family tradition hold that Devine composed it in a Grand Falls boarding house after having been fired from his job as scaler for the Anglo Newfoundland Development Company (A.N.D.)" (in West 1: 54). He sang the song at a St. Patrick's Day concert at which company officials were present and allegedly won his job back. Additional discussion of this song can be found in John Aston's aritcle, "'The Badger Drive': Song, Historicity and Occupational Stereotyping."

It goes to explain that the tune is; "A triple metre, major key, tune with an "aa'ba'" strophe and "a 2 a 3 " refrain.", whatever that means...

The Badger Drive

There is one class of men in this country 
that never is mentioned in song.
And now, since their trade is advancing, 
they'll come out on top before long.
They say that our sailors have danger, 
and likewise our warriors bold,
But there's none know the life of a driver, 
what he suffers with hardship and cold.

Chorus: With their pike poles and peavies and bateaus and all
They're sure to drive out in the spring, that's the time
With the caulks on their boots as they get on the logs,
And it's hard to get over their time.

Bill Dorothey he is the manager, 
and he's a good man at the trade;
And when he's around seeking drivers, 
he's like a train going down grade,
But still he is a man that's kindhearted, 
on his word you can always depend.
And there's never a man that works with him 
but likes to go with him again.

I tell you today home in London, 
The Times it is read by each man,
But little they think of the fellows 
that drove the wood on Mary Ann,
For paper is made out of pulpwood 
and many things more you may know,
And long may our men live to drive it 
upon Paymeoch and Tomjoe.

The drive it is just below Badger, 
and everything is working grand,
With a jolly good crew of picked drivers 
and Ronald Kelly in command,
For Ronald is boss on the river, 
and I tell you he's a man that's alive,
He drove the wood off Victoria, 
now he's out on the main river drive.

So now to conclude and to finish, 
I hope that ye all will agree
In wishing success to all Badger 
and the A.N.D. Company.
And long may they live for to flourish, 
and continue to chop, drive and roll,
And long may the business be managed 
by Mr. Dorothey and Mr. Cole.

Found it at The Mudcat Cafe,