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"The Corvettes of Halifax" | genre: Folk | |
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A tribute to the sailors who manned these boats during the Second World War. |
CD: Canada Songs
Label: Independent
Credits: Lyrics and Music: John Spearn |
Story Behind the Song
In September 1939, Canada was thrust into war with Nazi Germany. In the face of the U-boat (wolf-pack) peril, Canadian convoys kept Britain alive by bravely shipping men and supplies across the rugged north Atlantic, arguably the most critical theater of the war.
Despite horrors of near-certain death (if torpedoed), and hundreds of lost ships and men, the Canadian navy triumphed with their small Corvette gunboats. Escorting the merchant ships, they would pursue the attacking U-boats with depth charges and surface fire.
At the conclusion of the war, Canada's navy was the third largest in the world.
This song is dedicated to those who volunteer their service on the last remaining corvette, HMCS Sackville, which is at rest in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is now a museum.
Lyrics
On the icy Atlantic where the Merchant men sail
From Canada's harbors to save England we can't fail
We're putting the U-boats on the cold ocean floor
We're the corvettes of Halifax . . . out to even the score
We've signed on with Canada's navy
From all over this land we've arrived
We're tossing and losing our gravy
But we've got to keep England alive, boys,
We've got to keep England alive.
And the horror we saw when our gunship St. Croix
Took torpedoes from U305
She burst like an egg . . . men left floating to freeze
Sayin' good Lord, we're too young to die,
Please, lord we're too young to die.
And the U-boats that were putting our merchantmen down
Soon were "the hunted" when the Sackville came around
We're the sheep dogs out to guard the convoy boys
And we're taking our wolf pelts to town.
Taking our wolf pelts to town
On the icy Atlantic where the Merchant men sail
From Canada's harbors to save England we can't fail
We're putting the U-boats on the cold ocean floor
We're the corvettes of Halifax . . . out to even the score
. . . out to even the score.
© words and music by John Spearn
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