Drawing by Judy Nelson

OYSTERSHELL ROAD
by Mary Garvey
Sung by Mary Garvey
Recorded on "Songs of the Pacific Northwest"



About the women who had to pick oysters in the dark
during the blackouts of world war II in Willapa Bay near South Bend, WA.

You have to dig oysters when the tide is just right
And sometimes it comes in the dead of the night
The orders came down to extinguish all light
To our homes on the oystershell road

In the sea was the sub, in the air was the plane
And the men had it worse so we couldn’t complain
The neighbors would honk us all home in the rain
To our homes on the oystershell road.

Some were from Germany some from Japan
They lived for the oyster each woman and man
We said God be with you return when you can
To your homes on the oystershell road

Now the glow of a lantern could bring an attack
And sometimes we'd sleep in the old oyster shack
And let ourselves down with a rake and a sack
Near our homes on the oystershell road

For when push comes to shove your mettle shines through
And our hands and our feet somehow knew what to do
With the men gone away we made such a fine crew
From our homes on the oystershell road

We helped win the war in the mud and the muck
And prayed that our feet would never get stuck
When the tide rushes in you can run out of luck
By your homes on the oystershell road

Oh how I remember the dark and the cold
I had hoped that our story would someday be told
But it probably won't cause we're getting so old
In our homes on the oystershell road

Pacific Nothwest Folklore Society