Ahhh, fer Chrissakes ya sissy, have a rum and listen to this will ya?
You can damned near taste the screech, can’t you? This video version, more up-tempo than the cut included on the 1995 album Up, features the accompaniment of Irish Celtic music legends The Chieftains, with whom anyone steeped in the folk songs of Newfoundland would have a natural and inevitable affinity.
For you land-lubbers out there, a fore cuddy, a fine example of which is sported by Lukey’s beautiful boat, is the small cabin at the bow of a fishing craft, and copper nails are a traditional feature of boat building because copper doesn’t rust. You use putty as caulking because wooden boats are made of planks that have otherwise leaky seams, and split pea soup is a traditional sailor’s delicacy, particular when salt pork is in the mix, though Lukey here only offers one little pea at the bottom of his ten pound tub.
Here’s a hell of a thing: I’ve never been to Newfoundland, even though I have dear friends there who might even put me and Kathy up for a couple nights. That’s a sad situation that cries out for a remedy.
Meanwhile, having a crappy day? Feeling low energy? A couple of listens to Lukey ought to set you straight.
Here’s the album version, which is more tightly arranged and well worth a listen:
the needlefish 