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Song of the Sockeye is a lament for the life of a salmon fisher-man. Despite the poor conditions and the impact on his health, the singer describes the call to return to his boat to fish again. Sockeye fishing was a lucrative job, since the flavour of the fish was (and continues to be) much sought after. However, the boats used for the fishing were notoriously cramped, and the sockeye fishermen often suffered health failings because of them.

lyrics

Oh, hark to the song of the sockeye
Like a siren’s call of old;
When it gets in your blood you can’t shake it:
It’s the same as the fever for gold.

There’s a hole in the BC coastline,
Rivers Inlet’s where I mean;
And it’s there you will find the old-timer
And also the fellow who’s green.

Now some of us think of the future,
While others choose to forget,
But most of us sit here and think of a school
Of sockeye hitting the net.

And when the season is over
And you figured out what you have made,
You were better off working for wages,
No matter how low you were paid.

For the comforts of home are worth something,
So take it from me, my friend;
Oh, frying-pan grub and no head room
Will ruin your health in the end.

credits

from Settler's Songs of the Pacific Northwest, released June 2, 2017
According to Philip Thomas, these verses were allegedly found by Nick Guthrie in 1960 “under a glass-covered notice-board at the deserted Wadham’s Cannery on River's Inlet.”

Thomas, Philip J., and Shirley A. Cox. Songs of the Pacific Northwest. Ed. Jon Bartlett. 2nd ed. Surrey, BC: Hancock House, 2007. Print. pgs 184-185, 203.

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Katie Green and Karen Hefford Vancouver, British Columbia

katieandkaren.com


Katie Green and Karen Hefford are two musicians from Vancouver who combine classical and folk music influences. Their close-knit harmonies and varied instrumentation bring a fresh interpretation to traditional songs. ... more

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