The Badger Drive

1. 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 in hardship and cold.

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

2. Billy Dorothy 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 downgrade
But still he's 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.

3. I tell you today, home in London,
The Times it is read by each man,
But little they think of the fellows
The 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.

4. The drive it is just below Badger
And everything is working grand
With a jolly good crew of picked drivers
And Ronald Kelley 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.

5. So now to conclude and to finish
I hope that ye all will agree
In wishing success to all [old?] 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. Dorothy and Mr. Cole.

written by John Devine; rec. Alan Mills, "Folk Songs of Newfoundland"
JB
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