The Log Driver's Waltz
Encyclopedia
"The Log Driver's Waltz" is a Canadian
folk
song, written by Wade Hemsworth
.
The Log Driver's Waltz is also a Canadian
animated film from the National Film Board, released in 1979 as part of its Canada Vignettes
series.
, a practice in the lumber
industry which involved transporting felled timber
by having workers walk or run on the logs as they floated down river
s. This occupation required a great deal of strength and physical agility, and Hemsworth was struck by how much the sight of log drivers at work resembled dancing
.
The song's chorus is:
The lyrics are often misheard as "whirling" or "twirling" instead of "birling". "Birl" is an old Scots
verb meaning "to revolve or cause to revolve", and in modern English means "to cause a floating log to rotate by treading". Today, birling survives as a competitive sport.
Many artists have recorded renditions of the song, which is an enduring classic of Canadian music
. The most famous version, by Kate and Anna McGarrigle
and the Mountain City Four
, was the soundtrack for a 1979 animated
short film by the National Film Board. Captain Tractor
's version of the song was also a popular alternative rock
hit in the late 1990s.
. The animation is set to the Mountain City Four
/Kate and Anna McGarrigle
recording of the song. The film is one of the most-requested in the entire collection of the National Film Board of Canada
. The NFB also produced a French version of the film.
The Log Driver's Waltz is available for viewing on the National Film Board's website. Occasionally, The Log Driver's Waltz appears on Canadian channels like CBC Television
as filler between two programs, much like Heritage Minutes.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
song, written by Wade Hemsworth
Wade Hemsworth
Albert Wade Hemsworth was a Canadian folk singer and songwriter. Although he was not a prolific composer, having written only about 20 songs during his entire career, several of his songs — most notably "The Wild Goose", "The Black Fly Song" and "The Log Driver's Waltz" — are among the most...
.
The Log Driver's Waltz is also a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
animated film from the National Film Board, released in 1979 as part of its Canada Vignettes
Canada Vignettes
Canada Vignettes are a series of vignettes by the National Film Board of Canada , some of which aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and other Canadian broadcasters as interstitial programs. The vignettes became popular because of their cultural depiction of Canada, and because they...
series.
Song information
The song celebrates the profession of log drivingLog driving
Log driving is a means of log transport which makes use of a river's current to move floating tree trunks downstream to sawmills and pulp mills.It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America...
, a practice in the lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
industry which involved transporting felled timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
by having workers walk or run on the logs as they floated down river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s. This occupation required a great deal of strength and physical agility, and Hemsworth was struck by how much the sight of log drivers at work resembled dancing
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
.
The song's chorus is:
For he goes birling down a-down the white water
That's where the log driver learns to step lightly
It's birling down, a-down white water
A log driver's waltz pleases girls completely.
The lyrics are often misheard as "whirling" or "twirling" instead of "birling". "Birl" is an old Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
verb meaning "to revolve or cause to revolve", and in modern English means "to cause a floating log to rotate by treading". Today, birling survives as a competitive sport.
Many artists have recorded renditions of the song, which is an enduring classic of Canadian music
Music of Canada
The music of Canada has influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between...
. The most famous version, by Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Kate and Anna McGarrigle, were a pair of Canadian singer-songwriters from Quebec, who performed as a duo until Kate McGarrigle's death on January 18, 2010.-Profile:...
and the Mountain City Four
Mountain City Four
The Mountain City Four were a Canadian folk music group, based in Montreal and active in the 1960s. The group consisted of Jack Nissenson, Peter Weldon, Kate McGarrigle and Anna McGarrigle....
, was the soundtrack for a 1979 animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
short film by the National Film Board. Captain Tractor
Captain Tractor
Captain Tractor is a Canadian folk rock band, based in Edmonton, Alberta. They play a punk-influenced variant of Celtic folk music, similar to such bands as Great Big Sea, The Pogues or Spirit of the West...
's version of the song was also a popular alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
hit in the late 1990s.
Film information
The Log Driver's Waltz, 1979, was directed by John WeldonJohn Weldon (animator)
John Weldon , is a Canadian actor, composer, animator and movie director, known for his National Film Board of Canada animated shorts...
. The animation is set to the Mountain City Four
Mountain City Four
The Mountain City Four were a Canadian folk music group, based in Montreal and active in the 1960s. The group consisted of Jack Nissenson, Peter Weldon, Kate McGarrigle and Anna McGarrigle....
/Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Kate and Anna McGarrigle, were a pair of Canadian singer-songwriters from Quebec, who performed as a duo until Kate McGarrigle's death on January 18, 2010.-Profile:...
recording of the song. The film is one of the most-requested in the entire collection of the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
. The NFB also produced a French version of the film.
The Log Driver's Waltz is available for viewing on the National Film Board's website. Occasionally, The Log Driver's Waltz appears on Canadian channels like CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
as filler between two programs, much like Heritage Minutes.