Here is the song I wrote during the Viet Nam war era.


Canadian Traveler
      by Art Thieme
      tune: Tramps And Hawkers
(I based this song on the theme of BUFFALO SKINNERS -- with some few words similar to aspects of PETER EMBERLY.)

My name is not important;
Alberta is my home,
I left the plains of Ameri-cay
In Canada for to roam,
I left the plains of Ameri-cay
To escape that heinous war,
And little did I ever think
What the fates did have in store.

It was in the town of Calgary
In the spring of '63,
A man by the name of St.Laurent
Came stepping' up to me,
Saying, "How do you do, young fellow,
And how would you like to go,
And survey the course of the Kicking Horse
Near the valley called Yoho."

It's me bein' out of employment,
To this fellow I did say,
"This going out on your survey crew,
Depends upon the pay."
"It's I will pay good wages,
Transportation to and fro,
If you will accompany me
To the valley called Yoho."

Well, it's now we've crossed those rapids
And our troubles have begun.
I lost half of all my gear,
And also broke my thumb,
Bob fell and died among the rocks,
Jim died of cold and snow,
Anton fell into the foaming wash
Of the river called Yoho.

Our time it being near over,
St.Laurent he did say,
The boys had been extravagant,
Were in debt to him that day.
Yes, we tied him tight, and left his knife
A distance from his hands,
And we headed into the wilderness,
Of that big Peace River land.

There's danger on the ocean,
Where the waves roll mountains high,
And there's danger on the battlefield,
Where the angry bullets fly,
And there is danger in the big north woods,
Here I am forced to roam,
'Til folks of worth find peace on Earth
My footsteps crunch the snow.