Bruce O. October 1999) references a song sung by Ed McCurdy learned from a sea captain on Vancouver, BC. The reference is to Capt, Charles Cates, owner of the Cates Towing Co. His version of the song, recided by teh CBC in Halifax, Nova Scotia at some date in 1956, is included in the P.J. Thomas Collection in the Aural History Archives in Victoria, BC, as follows:
ITEM 156 DRIMMINDOWN (IN = CBC interviewer)
"IN: Now, did you get any songs from that far back in your family, the Kelly side? CC: Yes, I imagine they came from the Kelly’s because my grandmother was fully Irish although she was born here, born in America. She was born in Calais, Maine, right on the border over here. And one of the songs she sang I think is so extremely Irish that, while it’s a rather odd song, I really like it. Would you like to hear that one? IN: Yes, sir. Which one is it? What's the name? CC: Well, the song is ”Drimmindown”. And it’s about an old woman mourning for her cow that had died. Goes like this:
Oh Drimmindown lived before she was dead She gave me fresh butter to spread on my bread Likewise good milk for to stiffen my crown But now it’s black water since Drimmindown’s gone.
Chorus Arragh Drimmindown arra draw Arragh Drimmindown addle you draw Arragh Drimmindown hook a sook Oh my Drimmindown dearie oh where have you gone?
Drimmindown Drimmindown for which and for why? Drimmindown Drimmindown what made you die? So white was your milk and so slim was your tail I thought my poor Drimmindown never would fail.
Chorus
CC: I don’t think you’d deny that that was Irish, would you? IN: No, it has the real Irish sound in it too."