Lyr Req: Squaring up time

Subject: Squaring up time
From: Bert
Date: 29 May 02 - 06:12 AM

A Canadian song, to the tune of Villikins and his Dinah, that starts out.

The crabs are all caught and the squids are all jigged
The traps are caught up and the schooner's unrigged...

Come on you Canadians, let's have the rest of it.

Subject: Lyr Add: SQUARIN'-UP TIME
From: masato sakurai
Date: 29 May 02 - 09:37 AM

SQUARIN'-UP TIME

1.
Oh the fish are all caught and the squids are all jigged,
The traps are caught up and the schooner's unrigged,
All hands on the counter are driving the smoke,
Where Jacob is spilicing some left-handed rope.

2.
Squarin'-up time beside the big shop,
The clerks are kept busy and write on the top.
"Look sharp now then sonny, attend to my needs,
A pack of those raisins without any seeds."

3.
Skipper John Wilson strolled into the line
If his credit was good for a few slips of twine,
He got such a fright when they gave him a ram,
That he bought a bologna for Aunt Mary Ann.

4.
Uncle Nick Nicholas he squared up his bill,
He took up the ballast in Joe Rootan's pail,
Got a loan of a pipe from young Tommy Hayes,
He smoked till his whiskers went in a blue blaze.

5.
When he found out his merchant had no Gillette Lye
Which his woman had to ask Grandpa Maurice to buy,
The way that old codger took on was a sin;
Just at that moment the parson walked in.

6.
All hands they were laughing at grandfather's prank,
Were quiet as mice when they saw Parson Bank,
And Billy O'Toole he was frightened so bad
That he swallowed the last chew of 'baccy he had.

7.
The parson said grandpa looked sheepish enough,
I guess I'll think you were cutting up rough;
And Billy O'Toole had the tooth-ache all day,
And Big Eye was trying to charm it away.

8.
There's five dollars coming to you Mr. Knee,
I don't want it sit, that's no good to me
Share it up between the parson and Dr. Carrew
Because I want to keep on the good side of them too.

SOURCE: THIS PAGE with score (at "Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador" site)

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Squaring up time
From: masato sakurai
Date: 29 May 02 - 09:40 AM

Sorry: "Where Jacob is splicing some left-handed rope."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Squaring up time
From: Bert
Date: 30 May 02 - 08:04 PM

Thanks Masuto. I've been looking for that for years.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Squaring up time
From: masato sakurai
Date: 30 May 02 - 08:49 PM

The Traditional Ballad Index has an entry (Click here).

Squarin' Up Time
DESCRIPTION: With their fish sold, the sailors go to the store to "square up." They spend their cash on various items, often behaving very badly when they can't have what they want. All is well until the parson strolls in, whereupon the men start offering him credit
AUTHOR: Arthur Scammel
EARLIEST DATE: 1954
KEYWORDS: sailor money humorous
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Fowke/Johnston, pp. 182, "" (1 text; the tune -- "Vilikens and His Dinah" -- is on pp. 180-181)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Vilikens and his Dinah (William and Dinah) [Laws M31A/B]" (tune & meter) and references there
Notes: Newfoundland fishermen lived much like American farmers: Borrow heavily in the spring to finance their fishing trips, spend the summer fishing, return in the fall with their yield, sell it and "square up" with the bank or the merchant. - RBW
File: FJ182

~Masato