When the Ice Worms Nest Again
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| When the Ice Worms Nest Again | |
|---|---|
| Folk ballad | |
| Genre | Folk |
| Published | 1939 |
"When the Ice Worms Nest Again" is a humorous Canadian folk ballad.
The song originated in northern British Columbia and the Yukon, possibly during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898.[1] It was first published in the Yellowknife Prospector in 1939, which claimed that the song was written in 1919 by four men working in the Yukon.[2] Scottish-Canadian poet Robert W. Service also published a ballad with this name in Twenty Bath-Tub Ballads, 1939, claiming that he had written the song in 1911;[2] however, Service's ballad is significantly different from the traditional lyrics.[3] There are many other versions that exist.[1]
It has become the theme song for silver miners in Cobalt, Ontario and fur trappers in The Pas, Manitoba.[1]