Tickle Cove Pond was written by Mark Walker (songwriter), a fisherman and song-writer who lived in Tickle Cove, Bonavista Bay in Newfoundland, Canada during the late 19th century. This song is prized locally for the beauty and wit of the lyrics, which turn a mundane event into an act of heroism. Although most Newfoundland songs are passed on by ear alone, in recent years it has been recorded by Sean Sullivan & Rob Slaney (in Our Songs Vol. 2: Favorite Songs of Newfoundland & Labrador), Ron Hynes (in Another Time: The Songs Of Newfoundland), and by Great Big Sea, who have released an album entitled The Hard and the Easy. They have also released a DVD with a companion CD entitled Courage & Patience & Grit in reference to a verse from Tickle Cove Pond. In addition, this song has been recorded by a St. John's Traditional Folk group called Connemara. It was also recorded by the Vermont-based ensemble Nightingale.
Additional Info: Mark Walker was born at Tickle Cove, Bonavista Bay South (BBS), Newfoundland, Canada in 1846. His father was Marcus Walker of County Tipperary, Ireland; his mother - Jane Mackey of Bonavista, Newfoundland. Mark Walker moved to Sweet Bay, BBS, in the 1880s where he worked as post master, as well as in both the fishing and lumber trades. In 1908, he and his family moved to Massachusetts, USA. Walker died in 1928.
Aside from "Tickle Cove Pond," Walker wrote other folk classics including "Fanny's Harbour Bawn," "The Antis of Plate Cove," "The Races on Tickle Cove Pond," and a second "Tickle Cove Pond" not long before his death.
Although widely misunderstood in the lyrics, the surname "Oldford" never existed in Tickle Cove until relatively recent years. The surname mentioned in the song is "Over" which at one time was "Ovier." The phonetic misunderstanding and subsequent use of both surnames, as well as other lines, in relation to this song is common."Tickle Cove Pond" was first recorded by Canadian folksinger Alan Mills in 1953 and released on Folk Songs of Newfoundland (Folkways Records FP 831).
In cuttin' and haulin', in frost and in snowWe're up against troubles that few people knowAnd it's only by courage and patience and gritAnd eatin' plain food that we keep ourselves fitThe hard and the easy we take as it comesAnd when ponds freeze over we shorten our runsTo hurry my haulin' with spring coming onNear lost me a mare out on Tickle Cove PondChorus:Lay hold William Oldford, lay hold William WhiteLay hold of the cordage and pull all your mightLay hold of the bowline and pull all you canAnd give me a lift with poor Kit on the pondI knew that the ice became weaker each dayBut still took the risk and kept haulin' awayOne evening in April bound home with a loadThe mare showed some halting against the ice roadShe knew more than I did as matters turned outAnd lucky for me had I joined her in doubtShe turned round her head, with tears in her eyesAs if she were sayin', "You're riskin' our lives"All this I ignored with a whip handle blowFor man is too stupid; dumb creatures to knowThe very next moment the pond gave a sighAnd down to our necks went poor Kitty and IChorusFor if I had taken wise Kitty's adviceI never would take the shortcut on the icePoor creature she's dead; poor creature she's goneI'll ne'er get my mare out of Tickle Cove PondChorusSo I raised an alarm you could hear for a mileAnd neighbours turned up in a very short whileYou can always rely on the Oldfords and WhitesTo render assistance in all your bad plightsTo help a poor neighbour is part of their livesThe same I can say for their children and wivesWhen a bowline was fastened around the mare's breastWilliam White for a shanty song made a requestThere was no time for thinkin', no time for delayStraight from his head came this song right awayChorus FinalLay hold William Oldford, lay hold William WhiteLay hold of the cordage and pull all your mightLay hold of the bowline and pull all you canAnd with that we brought Kit out of Tickle Cove Pond
