THE OLD BULLOCK DRAY
(Traditional)

Oh! the shearing is all over and the wool is coming down
And I mean to get a wife, boys, when I go up to town
Everything that has two legs represents itself to view
From the little paddy-melon to the bucking kangaroo

Chorus:
So, it's roll up your blankets and let's make a push
I'll take you up the country and I'll show you the bush
I'll be bound you won't get such a chance another day
So come on and take possession of my old bullock dray

I've saved up a good cheque I mean to buy a team
And when I get a missus, boys, I will be all serene
For, in calling at the depot they say there's no delay
To get an off-sider for the old bullock dray

Oh, we'll live like fighting cocks, for good living I'm your man
We'll have leather-jacks, johnny cakes and fritters in the pan
And if you'd like some fish, I'll catch you some soon,
For we'll bob for barramundies round the banks of a lagoon.

Oh, yes, of beef and damper I'll take care we'll have enough,
We'll boil in the bucket such a whopper of a duff
And our friends will dance, in the honour of the day
To the music of the bells of the old bullock dray

Oh, we'll have plenty girls, yes, you must mind that
There'll be flash little Maggie, and Buck-jumping Pat
There'll be Stringy-Bark Joe, and Greenhide Mike
Yes, my colonials, just as many as you like

Now we'll stop all immigration, we won't need it any more
We'll be having young colonials, twins by the score
And I wonder what the devil Jack Robertson would say
If he saw us promenading round the old bullock dray

There are numerous versions of this song. This one was collected from Stan Wakefield and posted to Mudcat back in the day by Bob Bolton. Ron Edwards published a 10-stanza version in his massive tome. Edwards noted that the tune is basically ’Turkey in the straw’.

I like this leisurely rendition by Mucky Duck albeit it omits the last 2 stanzas of the above version. It could well have accommodated an extra verse instead of the la-la-la stuff.

Youtube clip

--Stewie.