Joy Durst

064 LOOK OUT BELOW Charles Thatcher - Aust. Dictionary of Biography

Audio

A young man left his native shores, for trade was bad at home.
To seek his fortune in this land, he crossed the briny foam.
And when he went to Ballarat, it put him in a glow,
To hear the sound of the windlass and the cry, "Look out below!"

Wherever he turned his wandering eyes great wealth he did behold,
And peace and plenty hand in hand, by the magic power of gold.
Quoth he, "As I am young and strong, to the diggings I will go,
For I like the sound of the windlass and the cry, "Look out below!"

Amongst the rest he took his chance, and his luck at first was vile,
But he still resolved to persevere, and at length he made his pile.
So says he, "I'll take my passage and home again I'll go,
And say farewell to the windlass and the cry, 'Look out below!' "

Arrived in London once again, his gold he freely spent.
And into every gaiety and dissipation went.
But pleasure, if prolonged too much, oft causes pain, you know,
And he missed the sound of the windlass and the cry, "Look out below!"

And thus he reasoned with himself: "Oh why did I return?
For the digger's independent life I now begin to yearn.
Here, purse-proud lords the poor do oppress, but there it is not so.
Give me the sound of the windlass and the cry, 'Look out below!' "

So he started for this land once again with a charming little wife.
And he finds there's nothing comes up to a jolly digger's life.
Ask him if he'll go back again, he'll quickly answer, "No",
For he loves the sound of the windlass and the cry, "Look out below!"

Lyr Add: Look Out Below (Charles Thatcher)   One of Charles Thatcher's songs from the goldrush days of the 1850's. Charles Thatcher was an English music hall entertainer during the gold rush period in Victoria. This version was given to John Meredith by Ida Fielding (a friend of Sally Sloane) of Dripstone NSW who got it from her father. The tune is from Sally Sloane and is also used for the ballad 'Peter Clarke'. Sally Sloane was a great old singer who was recorded in the 1950's and 1960's by folklorists searching for Australian songs.