Lyrics

Now, ’twas nineteen hundred and twenty-nine,
On the coast of Newfoundland,
A little girl from Point Aux Gaul,
She lived a tale so grand;
The sights and sounds and miracles,
And wonders that they gave,
And how her life forever changed,
The day of the tidal wave.

The day of the tidal wave, me b’ys,
The day of the tidal wave.

She was playing on the hummock,
That November afternoon,
The sky was clear, the air was cold,
Awaiting the full moon;
She heard a moan come from the sea,
Like something from the grave,
When an earthquake shook her to her knees,
The day of the tidal wave.

The day of the tidal wave, me b’ys,
The day of the tidal wave.

The land was moving like the waves,
That roll upon the sea,
But she was only six years old,
With curiosity;
The adults gathered on the green,
To speculate and rave,
But no one knew what to expect,
The day of the tidal wave.

The day of the tidal wave, me b’ys,
The day of the tidal wave.

Then Uncle Joe the Madaleau,
He crouched down to the ground,
His ear was on a small drain pipe,
And no one made a sound;
They waited, watched, and listened
Closely to that worldly knave,
Till at last he rose and there proclaimed,
“We’ll be having a tidal wave!”

The day of the tidal wave, me b’ys,
The day of the tidal wave.

But no one knew what that might be,
Though they were sure he’d know,
For he had travelled on the sea,
A schooner’s Madeleau;
And though she heard and saw and felt
The worldly speech he gave,
Maisie wondered what he really meant,
“We’ll be having a tidal wave!”

The day of the tidal wave, me b’ys,
The day of the tidal wave.

With supper done the evening followed,
Family rosary,
When Maisie’s high strung sister cried,
“I hears the moan of the sea!”
So, Grandpa said, “Don’t worry me chil’,
Be still now and behave.”
But the kitchen carried water on,
The night of the tidal wave.

The day of the tidal wave, me b’ys,
The day of the tidal wave.

Outside she saw the picket fence,
Lift up and wash away,
The wave had gone but three would come,
Before the light of day;
And Maisie saw the sea withdraw,
A mile out like a cave,
Till it all came roaring in again,
The second tidal wave

The day of the tidal wave, me b’ys,
The day of the tidal wave.

She saw friends and houses wash away,
Never to come ashore,
They ran and looked for loved ones,
Searching frantically for more;
And Maisie’s brother Terry,
Even searched the sea-bed grave,
Just in time for him to run
From the final tidal wave.

The day of the tidal wave, me b’ys,
The day of the tidal wave.

Well, Point Aux Gaul was purged that night
Of eight poor village souls,
Yet underneath a fallen roof
Were apples in a bowl;
And everybody stopped and stared,
At that which had been saved,
And Maisie laughed in wonder on,
The night of the tidal wave.

The day of the tidal wave, me b’ys,
The day of the tidal wave.

It was nineteen hundred and twenty-nine,
On the coast of Newfoundland,
A little girl from Point Aux Gaul,
She lived a tale so grand;
The sights and sounds and miracles,
And wonders that they gave,
And how her life forever changed,
The day of the tidal wave.

The day of the tidal wave, me b’ys,
The day of the tidal wave.

 

Lyrics from GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador