Piper Cameron

(Song by: Mary Garvey & John Pfaff  –  Performed by: Jon Pfaff with Felicia Dale  –  Song Notes: by Alice Winship)

LYRICS

Jon Pfaff

Jon Pfaff

Here’s to the lassie named Piper Cameron
A very fine woman we say
Marina’s own daughter at home on the water
We will pipe her along her way
We will pipe her along her way

Here’s to the deckhand named Piper Cameron
Becoming captain was just months away
She left us too soon but we’ll sing her a tune
To pipe her along her way
To pipe her along her way

Here’s to the tug named for Piper Cameron
As it plows through the whitecaps and spray
It reckons its place with vigor and grace
We will pipe her along her way
We will pipe her along her way

And here’s to the spirit of Piper Cameron
It lives in the river and bay
Unbound now and free to sail any sea
As we pipe her along her way
As we pipe her along her way

So join us to celebrate Piper Cameron
As we sing to her memory today
And raise your glass to this sea-loving lass
As we pipe her along her way
As we pipe her along her way
As we pipe her along her way
As we pipe her along her way


NOTES

Piper Cameron is about a 26- year-old deckhand, Piper Inness Cameron, who was killed in a tragic accident aboard the tug Emma Foss, and about the tugboat named after her, the Piper Inness. You can read her story in TowBitts and Professional Mariner.

Piper Cameron was only 41 work days away from earning her Master’s License, which would have enabled her to fulfill her dream of becoming a tugboat captain, like her father before her. Her death caused a re-examination of safety standards, as ships, tugs and equipment have all become larger and more dangerous. You can more about her story here.

Although most Foss tugs are named after family members, descendants of Thea Foss, Foss Maritime made an exception and renamed one of their tugs Piper Inness. Cameron had served as mate on the boat, and would have served the tug as captain once she got her license.

Jon Pfaff won third prize at Seattle Maritime Festival’s annual Stories of the Sea contest for his performance of this song.

The lyrics for the song were written by Mary Garvey, and the tune was written by Jon Pfaff. Jon also gets co-credit for the lyrics, because he tweaked the words to fit the tune and his perception of the song. Mary had conceived this as a drinking song, but Jon saw it more as a lyrical tribute. Still, when Jon sang the song at the Fisher Poets Competition, you could see glasses raised in tribute all over the pub. Perhaps they are both right.