Hughie by Duke Tritton

Halfway through the shearing and the weather was very dry,
But the clouds were gathering, and lowdown in the sky;
Just as we were having a smoke, a shower came over the plain,
And we heard from the shearing shed the rouseabouts roaring refrain:

Chorus:
Send it down a little bit harder, dear old Hughie do!
Send it down a little bit harder and we'll love you;
Send it down for a week or two,
All the rousies will stick like glue,
Just a little bit harder - dear old Hughie do!

It is known as the rouseabouts prayer, it's been sung in every shed,
For when the sheep are too wet to shear the rousies get board and bed,
And their pay goes on if it's wet or dry, and they haven't a worry or care,
So they lay in their bunk and sleep or read, and sing the rouseabouts' prayer:
CHORUS

Ten points of rain and the shearers vote on whether it's wet or dry,
And if they all decide to shear, you will hear the rouseabouts sigh,
'Spare me days', you will hear them say, 'There's frogs in the blanky wool”,
And they stare over the counting pens and sing, for their hearts are full:
CHORUS

When the rain is tumbling down the shearers grumble and curse,
And the boss goes round with a hungry look, for it hits him in the purse;
So he prowls about the shed all day like a bull in a stockyard ring,
And grinds his teeth in futile rage when he hears the rouseabout sing:
CHORUS