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Tickle Cove Pond

[ Roud 7313 ; Ballad Index Doy18 ; DT TCKLCOVE ; Mark Walker, late 1800s]

Newfoundland singer Matthew Byrne sang Tickle Cove Pond on his 2025 album Stealing Time. He noted:

Written by Mark Walker in the late 1800s, this is a fixture in the Newfoundland folksong canon. I particularly love the line “for man is too stupid, dumb creatures to know”.

Lyrics

Matthew Byrne sings Tickle Cove Pond

In cuttin’ and haulin’, in frost and in snow
We’re up against troubles that few people know
And 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
Near lost me my mare out on Tickle Cove 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
Lucky for me had I joined her in doubt
When she turned ‘round her head with tears in her eyes
As if she were sayin “You’re risking our lives”

All this I ignored with a whip handle blow
For man is a stupid, dumb creatures do know
And the very next moment the pond gave a sigh
And up to our necks went poor Kitty and I
For if I had taken wise Kitty’s advice
I ne’er would have made that 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 showed up in a very short while
You can always rely on the Oldfords 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 heart came the song right away

Lay hold William Oldford, 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
Lay hold William Oldford, 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