Ten Dollars

This story is based on an excerpt from A Harvest Yet to Reap, which is an absolute gem. One of the first books to explore Canadian history from the point of view of the women who settled here, this book is a collection of original letters, photos, essays, articles and excerpts with minimal commentary.

While the prairies technically falls outside the “West Coast” focus of the BC Folk project, the story this chapter recalls recalled my own great-grandmother’s story as recounted by my grandmother. I could not help but memorialize the experience that both Baba Borisenko and “Mrs. Hoffman” shared when they were dragged to Northern Saskatchewan by a fortune-seeking husband beguiled by promises of abundance.

“I was certain no human being could exist in this wilderness. Warm weather came, and with it came mosquitoes, flies and insects of every description. I had never witnessed anything like it. I thought to myself: “Before we die of loneliness the mosquitoes will eat us up, or perhaps even before that, the wolves that howl close by every night will mercifully end it all.”

I carried on because… I had a secret that I revealed to no one. Upon my arrival, I knew I could not stay, so I tucked $10.00 away in a hiding place. As soon as my youngest child would be able to walk, I planned to take my children and my mother away, leaving this place to the wild animals. Surely my husband would give up this crazy idea of farming and follow.”

Ten Dollars

Lyrics and music by Kerri Coombs

 

When first I saw this lonesome land I wish I would have turned and ran

But I stayed beside my man, because I had myself a backup plan

 

I’ve got ten dollars in my pocket and fortune is a-knockin’ down the road

I’ve got ten dollars in my pocket and I’ll find a way to ease my load

 

If the wolves, they pass us by, the coyotes they are bound to try

And by god, if we survive, these damn mosquitoes bound to eat us alive

 

I swear to God, some sunny day, I’m gonna take these kids and run away

But I found out the other day, I’ve got another one on the way

 

I’ve got ten dollars in my pocket and fortune is a-knockin’ down the road

I’ve got ten dollars in my pocket and I’ll find a way to ease my load

 

I can ease my weary mind. I can hold it in my hand in the night

I can ease my weary mind thinking of the day I’m gonna pick up and fly

 

Well my man, he tumbled down. He got busted when he hit the ground

I can never leave him now, so I spent my ten dollars on a plough

 

I had ten dollars in my pocket and fortune was a-knockin’ down the road

I had ten dollars in my pocket, guess I found a way to ease my load.

 

I would ease my weary mind, and I would hold it in my hand in the night

I would ease my weary mind thinking of the day I’m gonna pick up and fly.

 About the Artist

In her youth, Kerri created a prodigious repertoire of over 60 original songs, nearly all of them relating to how she felt personally and how her relationships were going.  Despite positive feedback, college radio appearances and numerous gigs in folk clubs, festivals and songwriter showcases, her well of youthful angst eventually ran dry.  Unsure what else there was to write about, she spent the next decade collecting and performing traditional songs from a wide variety of genres and cultures. This project is an integration of her “songwriter” and “traditional music” backgrounds.