ANDY’S GONE WITH CATTLE
(H.Lawson/Trad)

Our Andy's gone to battle now
'Gainst drought, the red marauder
Our Andy's gone with cattle now
Across the Queensland border

He's left us in dejection now
Our hearts with him are roving
It's dull on this selection now
Since Andy went a-droving

Who now shall wear the cheerful face
In times when things are slackest
And who shall whistle round the place
When fortune frowns her blackest

Oh, who shall cheek the squatter now
When he comes round us snarling
His tongue is growing hotter now
Since Andy crossed the Darling.

The gates are out of order now
In storms the ‘riders’ rattle
For far across the border now
Our Andy's gone with cattle

Poor Aunty's looking thin and white
And Uncle's cross with worry
And poor old Blucher howls all night
Since Andy left Macquarie

Oh, may the showers in torrents fall
And all the tanks run over
And may the grass grow green and tall
In pathways of the drover

And may good angels send the rain
On desert stretches sandy
And when the summer comes again
God grant 'twill bring us Andy

Above is the full text of Lawson's poem. Most of the YT clips omit a couple of stanzas. The recording by one of my all-time favourite singers, Jean Redpath, is fairly close to the original.

Redpath

A couple of other clips:

Wyndham-Read

Herdman

--Stewie.