White Squall

It was just their luck to have the watch with nothing left to do

But watch the deadly waters glide as we roll north to the Soo

I wonder when they'll turn again and pitch them to the rail

And whirl off one more youngster in the gale

The kid was so damned eager, it was all so big and new

They never had to tell him twice, or find him work to do

At evenings on the mess deck, he was always first to sing

And show us pictures of the girl he'd wed in spring

And they told that kid a hundred times, "Don't take the Lakes for granted

They go from calm to a hundred knots so fast they seem enchanted"

But tonight some red-eyed Wiarton girl lies staring at the wall

And her lover's gone into a white squall

Now it's a thing that old-timers know, in a sultry summer calm

There comes a blow from nowhere, and it goes off like a bomb

And a 15 thousand tanner can be thrown upon her beam

As the gale takes all before it with a scream

The kid was on the hatches, lying, staring at the sky

And from where they stood they swore they could see tears fall from his eyes

So they hadn't the heart to tell him that he should be on a line

Even on a night so warm and fine

And they told that kid a hundred times, "Don't take the Lakes for granted

They go from calm to a hundred knots so fast they seem enchanted"

But tonight some red-eyed Wiarton girl lies staring at the wall

And her lover's gone into a white squall

When it struck, he sat up with a start, they roared to him, "Get down!"

But for all that he could hear, they might as well not made a sound

So they clung there to the stanchions, and they felt their faces pale

As he crawled hand over hand along the rail

Well, they could feel her keeling over with the fury of the blow

They watched the 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"

And I told that kid a hundred times, "Don't take the Lakes for granted

They go from calm to a hundred knots so fast they seem enchanted"

But tonight this red-eyed Wiarton girl lies staring at the wall

And my lover's gone into a white squall

So it's just my luck to have the watch with nothing left to do

But watch the deadly waters glide as we roll north to the Soo

And wonder when they'll turn again and pitch them 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 a hundred knots so fast they seem enchanted"

But tonight some red-eyed Wiarton girl lies staring at the wall

And her lover's gone into a white squall