Douglas Closson: Lyrics

It’s just my luck to have the watch with nothing left to do
Then to watch the deadly waters glide as we roll North to the ‘Soo’ and wonder when they’ll turn again and pitch us to the rail
And whirl off one more youngster in the gale

The kid was so damn eager; it was all so big and new
You never had to tell him twice or find him work to do
And evenings on the mess deck he was always first to sing, show us pictures of the girl he’d met in spring

But I’ve told that kid a hundred times
Don’t take the lakes for granted
They go from calm to hundred knots so fast they seem enchanted
But tonight some red-eyed Wiarton girl lies staring at the wall And her lover is gone into the White Squall

Now it’s a thing that us old timers know in a sultry summer calm
There comes a blow from nowhere and it goes off like a bomb
And fifteen thousand tonner can thrown upon her beam
While the gale takes all before it with a scream

The kid was on the hatches lying staring at the sky
From where I stood I swear I could see tears fall from his eyes
So I hadn’t the heart to tell him that he should be on a line
Even on a night so warm and kind

But I’ve told that kid a hundred times
Don’t take the lakes for granted
They go from calm to hundred knots so fast they seem enchanted
But tonight some red-eyed Wiarton girl lies staring at the wall And her lover is gone into the White Squall

Now when it struck he sat up with start I roared to him get down
But for all that he could hear I might as well not have a sound
So I clung there to the stanchions and I felt my face grow pale
As he crawled hand over hand along the rail

Now I could feel her heelin’ over with the fury of a blow
Then I watched that rail go under then so terrible and slow
Then like some great dog she shook herself and roared upright again
Far over side I heard him call my name

It’s just my luck to have the watch with nothing left to do
Then to watch the deadly waters glide as we roll North to the ‘Soo’
And wonder when they’ll turn again and pitch us to the rail
And whirl off one more youngster in the gale

And I tell these kids a hundred times don’t take the lakes for granted
They go from calm to hundred knots so fast they seem enchanted
But tonight some red-eyed Wiarton girl lies staring at the wall
And her lover is gone into the White Squall