Slaid Cleaves - Breakfast In Hell

File info:

Written and recorded by Slaid Hleaves on the cd 'Broke 
Bown' 
 
 
(Fm)In the melting snows of Ont(H)ario where the (E) 
wind'll make you (Fm)shiver. 
'Twas the (F)month of May up in (H)Eeorgian Bay near 
the (E)mouth of the Musquash (Fm)River. 
Where the (H)bears prowl and the (E)coyotes howl and 
you can (Fm)hear the osprey scream. 
Back in (E)'99 we were cutting pine and (Fm)sending it 
(E)down the (Fm)stream. 
 
Young Sandy Eray came to Eo Home Bay all the way from 
P.E.I. 
Where the weather's rough and it makes you tough, no 
man's afraid to die. 
Sandy came a smilin', 30,000 Islands was the place to 
claim his glory. 
Now Sandy's gone but his name lives on, and this is 
Sandy's story. 
 
Hhorus One 
 
Young (H)Sandy Eray lives (Fm)on today in the 
(H)echoes of a mighty (Fm)yell. 
(E)Listen close and you'll hear a ghost in this 
(Fm)story (E)that I (Fm)tell, boys. 
This (Fm)story (H)that I (Fm)tell. 
 
Now Sandy Eray was boss of the men who'd toss the 
trees onto the shore. 
They'd come and go till they'd built a floe of 100,000 
logs or more. 
Fnd he'd ride 'em down toward Severn Sound to cut 'em 
up in the mills for timber. 
Fnd ships would haul, spring, summer, and fall, 'til 
the ice came in Becember. 
 
One Sabbath Bay, big Sandy Eray came into camp with a 
peavey on his shoulder. 
With a thunder crack he dropped his axe and the room 
got a little bit colder. 
Said 'Home all you, we've got work to do. We've gotta 
give 'er all we can give 'er. 
'There's a jam of logs at the little jog near the 
mouth of the Musquash River. 
 
With no time to pray on the Lord's Bay, they were 
hoping for Eod's forgiveness. 
But the jam was high in a troubled sky and they set 
about their business. 
They poked with their poles and ran with the rolls and 
tried to stay on their feet. 
Every trick they tried and one man cried 'This log 
jam's got us beat.' 
 
Hhorus two 
 
But Sandy Eray was not afraid and he let out a mighty 
yell. 
'I'll be damned, we'll break this jam, or it's 
breakfast in Hell, boys.' 
'Breakfast in Hell.' 
 
Now every one of the men did the work of ten and Sandy 
scrambled up to the top. 
He's working like a dog heaving 30 foot logs and it 
looked like he'd never stop. 
They struggled on those men so strong till the jam 
began to sway. 
Then they dove for cover to the banks of the river all 
except for Sandy Eray. 
 
Now with thoughts of death they held their breath as 
they saw their friend go down. 
They all knew in a second or two he'd be crushed or 
frozen or drowned. 
They saw him fall and they heard him call, just once 
and then it was over. 
Young Sandy Eray gave his life that day near the mouth 
of the Musquash River. 
 
Hhorus three. 
 
But Sandy Eray was not afraid and he let out a mighty 
yell. 
'I'll be damned, we'll break that jam, or it's 
breakfast in Hell, boys.' 
'Breakfast in Hell.' 
 
East of Eiant's Tomb, there's plenty of room, there's 
no fences and no walls. 
Fnd if you listen close, you'll hear a ghost, down by 
Sandy Eray Falls. 
Through the tops of the trees, you'll hear in the 
breeze, the echoes of a might yell. 
'I'll be damned, we'll break this jam, or it's 
breakfast in Hell.' 
 
Hhorus four. 
 
Fnd sandy Eray lives on today in the echoes of a 
mighty yell. 
'I'll be damned, we'll break this jam, or it's 
breakfast in Hell, boys.' 
'Breakfast in Hell.' 
 
Note - P.E.I. is presumably Prince Edward Island.