BADGER  DRIVE

Time signature:  3/4
​
Tempo: ~190  bpm. (fast)
​
John V. Devine
Accordion Notation
Beats per bar = 3
Beat symbol  =  Dot ( . ) or equivalent
Outside row (high):  Buttons 6 - 11*
Either row (low):      Buttons 3 - 7*
Verse 1 (of 5)

  "6   "6   |   .7      .6     .7    |   .8*   .7   .8*   |   .8   :9~ | ~:
  "3   "3   |   .4      .3     .4    |   .4*   .4   .4*   |   .5   :6~ | ~:
There  is    one  class  of      men   in  this    coun-try___ 

                               .9*   |   .8    .7   .8   |   .9*    .8       .7   |   .:7*~ | ~:  
                               .5*   |   .5    .4   .5   |   .5*    .5       .4   |   .:3*~ | ~:  
                              that     nev - er   is     men-tioned   in      song___.

 .7*   |   .7    .6       .7   |   .8*   .7  .8*   |   .8   :9~ | ~:  
 .3*   |   .4    .3       .4   |   .4*   .4  .4*   |   .5   :6~ | ~:  
And    now, since their   trade is  ad  -  vanc - ing___,

                                 .9    |   .9*   .8*   .9*   |   .9  .10*   .9*   |   .:8~ | ~.   .r  
                                 .6    |   .5*   .4*   .5*   |   .6   .6*    .5*   |   .:5~ | ~.   .r  
                              they'll  come out   on       top  be - fore      long___.

   .8   |   .8   .10*   .9   |   .11*  .10*    .9*   |   .8    :9~ | ~:  
   .5   |   .5    .6*    .6   |    .7*     .6*    .5*   |   .5    :6~ | ~:  
They    say  that  our      sail -  ors  have   dan - ger___,

                                .8    |   .9*    .8*   .9*   |    .9   .10*  .9*   |   .:8~ | ~.    .r  
                                .5    |   .5*    .4*   .5*   |    .6    .6*   .5*   |   .:5~ | ~.    .r  
                               and      like - wise our     war -  ri - ors       bold___,

 "6    "7*    |   .7      .6     .7   |   .8*   .7   .8*   |   .8   :9~ | ~.   .r 
 "3    "3*    |   .4      .3     .4   |   .4*   .4   .4*   |   .5   :6~ | ~.   .r 
But there's   none know the     life    of    a       dri - ver___,

                               "8    "9*    |  .10*  .9*    .8   |   .8*      .7     .7*   |   .:6~ | ~.   .r  
                               "5    "5*    |   .6*   .5*    .5   |   .4*      .4     .3*   |   .:3~ | ~.   .r  
                              what  he       suf - fers  with   hard - ship  and    cold____.
Chorus:

  "6     "6   |   .7      .6        .6   |   .8*   .7      .8*   |   .8   ;9       "9*   |   :8
  "3     "3   |   .4      .3        .3   |   .4*   .4      .4*   |   .5   ;6       "5*   |   :5
With  their    pike  poles  and     pea- vies  and     bat- eaus  and      all,

  "9*  "10*    |   ;9   "7    .7    |   .7   .7*   .6   |   .7        .7*     .6   |   :7* 
  "5*   "6*     |   ;6   "4    .4    |   .4   .3*   .3   |   .4        .3*     .3   |   :3* 
And  they're   sure  to  drive    out   in   the    spring, that's  the    time

   "6   "6   |    .7      .6   .7    |   .8*    .7    .8*   |   .8    .9   .9*   |   ;8  
   "3   "3   |    .4      .3   .4    |   .4*    .4    .4*   |   .5    .6   .5*   |   ;5  
With  the    spikes  in  their   boots  as  they     get  on  the      logs, 

 "9*  .10*   |   ;9   "8   .7   |   .8   .8*   .7*   |   .:6~ | ~.      .r       
 "5*   .6*    |   ;6   "5   .4   |   .5   .4*   .3*   |   .:3~ | ~.      .r       
And   it's      hard  to  get      o - ver  their    time___.

Embedded youTube VIDEOS

​Ten videos in various keys:  A=2    C=3    D=3    Gb=1    G=1
Key:   C

Tempo:  ~185 bpm

Group:  Celtic Connection

​Posted by:  Celtic Connection -Topic
Key:   C

Tempo: ~175 bpm

​Group:  Wilf Doyle & his Orchestra

Posted by:  outportoutlaw
Key:   A
​
Tempo:  ~220 bpm

Singer:   Stan Rogers

Posted by:  The Badger Drive
​
Key:   G

Tempo:  ~180 bpm.

Singer:  Dick Nolan

Posted by: quickaccent2006
Key:   D
​
Tempo:  ~200 bpm

Group:  The Dardanelles

​Posted by:  LiveMusicNL
Key:   D

Tempo:  ~185 bpm.

Singer: Dermot O'Reilly

Posted by: kelticknots
Key:   C
​
Tempo:  ~190 bpm

Group:  ?
​
Singer:  ? 

​Posted by:  codo27
Key:  A

Accordion:  Mary (of Labrador)

Guitar:  ?

Posted by:  labradornl

​An instrumental, beautifully played on both the accordion and the guitar.  A real pleasure to listen to . . . . Thank you.
Key:  D
​
Tempo:  ~190 bpm

Singer:  John White  

Posted by: oldirishladdie
Key:   Gb (or F#, if you prefer)

Tempo:  ~210 bpm

Acordion player:   Larry Linehan ?

​Posted by:  Larry Linehan

​Larry is playing a Roland electronic diatonic accordion (which means, among many other options, that he can play in any key he feels like and that he can choose from a large number of accordion and orchestral "sounds").
Background Materials, Information & Links
​Lyrics:
There is one class of men in this country that never is mentioned in song.
And now, since their trade is advancing, they'll come out on top before long.
They say that our sailors have danger, and likewise our warriors bold,
But there's none know the life of a driver, what he suffers with hardship and cold.

Chorus:   With their pike poles and peavies and bateaus and all
                They're sure to drive out in the spring, that's the time
                With the spikes in their boots as they get on the logs,
                And it's hard to get over their time.
​
Bill Dorothey he is the manager, and he's a good man at the trade;
And when he's around seeking drivers, he's like a train going down grade,
But still he is a man that's kindhearted, on his word you can always depend.
And there's never a man that works with him but likes to go with him again.

I tell you today home in London, The Times it is read by each man,
But little they think of the fellows that drove the wood on Mary Ann,
For paper is made out of pulpwood and many things more you may know,
And long may our men live to drive it upon Paymeoch and Tomjoe.

The drive it is just below Badger, and everything is working grand,
With a jolly good crew of picked drivers and Ronald Kelly in command,
For Ronald is boss on the river, and I tell you he's a man that's alive,
He drove the wood off Victoria, now he's out on the main river drive.

So now to conclude and to finish, I hope that ye all will agree
In wishing success to all Badger and the A.N.D. Company.
And long may they live for to flourish, and continue to chop, drive and roll,
And long may the business be managed by Mr. Dorothey and Mr. Cole.
​
Background Link:
Click HERE for additional info about this song.