Victoria Nautical Song Circle's
March 2000 Song Of The Month

CANNING SALMON

© Words and Music - Linda Chobotuk
 
The guys on the dock laze around, race the forklift
And sass the floor lady 'til it's time for their tea
They sit at the table by the window that opens
And get paid a buck more an hour than me.
 
Chorus
High is the smell, low is the pay
Long are the hours, why do we stay?
Somewhere outside a whole summer slips away
While we're stuck in here canning salmon.
 
The machinery's so loud that we say we've gone "can deaf"
And our shift is long over before we can hear
But they keep the noise level just under the limit
So they won't have to buy us the right safety gear.
 
Chorus
 
First we can springs so heavy our arms ache
Next we do sockeye; we can them with ease
Then we do pinks, all mashed up and rotten
So they're packed up in pound cans and shipped overseas.
 
Chorus
 
Last night we were waiting for a boat to come in
So they kept on line just standing around
We didn't know that outside on the Fraser
A boat had flipped over and two men had drowned
 
Chorus
High is the cost, low is the pay
Long are the hours, why do we stay?
Somewhere outside a whole summer slips away
While we're stuck in here canning salmon.

Posted with permission, 2000/02/12


To Victoria Nautical Song Circle main page or Previous Songs Of The Month List.