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During Prohibition in the U.S., there was a bonded warehouse on the dock in Windsor, Ontario, just a bit upriver and across from Detroit. Men would often check out a few cases of whisky and when the Customs officer asked, "Are you paying tax, or exporting?" they would answer, "Exporting." By the time they rowed across the river in a small boat, they were in Detroit (at the mouth of Muddy Creek) where they got a good price.
Of course, they couldn't legally export to the U.S., so they had to name some other destination. "Valparaiso" was a favorite -- Valparaiso, Chile, not the one in Indiana, Florida, or anywhere else.
This is a sea chantey Zeke Hoskin wrote for those bold Canadian lads.
Windsor is a lovely port we're proud to sing about
There's a warehouse full of whisky, though the Yankees do without
And when Customs asks us where we're bound, we ship our oars and shout:
"We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboat"Pull your oars! Pull your oars! We're on our way! We're on our way!
With a thousand quarts of whisky bound for Valparaiso Bay
And we haven't no intention for to see the U. S. A.
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboatSome say that for an ocean trip our craft is very small
But we bold Canadian lads don't fear a little Cape Horn squall
And a deep sea schooner's just too big to shoot Niagara Falls
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboatPull your oars! Pull your oars! We're on our way! We're on our way!
With a thousand quarts of whisky bound for Valparaiso Bay
And we haven't no intention for to see the U. S. A.
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboatWe've sailed for Valparaiso twenty seven times this week
But every time we've gotten to the mouth of Muddy Creek
We've had to jettison our cargo 'cause the oarlock sprung a leak
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboatPull your oars! Pull your oars! We're on our way! We're on our way!
With a thousand quarts of whisky bound for Valparaiso Bay
And we haven't no intention for to see the U. S. A.
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboatNow some sing of Vancouver, of St John and Halifax
But those salty water cities, they have nothing Windsor lacks
We've a doryload of whisky and the muscles in our backs
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboatPull your oars! Pull your oars! We're on our way! We're on our way!
With a thousand quarts of whisky bound for Valparaiso Bay
And we haven't no intention for to see the U. S. A.
We're bound for Valparaiso bound for Valparaiso
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboat
Posted with permission. Visit Zeke and buy the tape!
