The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #168402 Message #4112260
Posted By: Sandra in Sydney
04-Jul-21 - 06:28 AM
Thread Name: Mudcat Australia-New Zealand Songbook
Subject: RE: Mudcat Australia/NZ Songbook
I was listening to my 3 CDs of Harry Robertson's songs & remembered Evan & Lyn's website with all his lyrics! The Mathiesons had been friends of the Robertsons since the 60s & are the official guardians of his legacy.
We've only posted 9 of his songs, so here's a less famous one, about the Vietnam War.
FREEDOM FREE FOR ALL, Lyrics: Harry Robertson Music: “Ring The Bell Watchman” by Henry Clay Work 1855 Arranged by Evan Mathieson
On Queen Street tramway tracks — a young conscript stands clutching a paper in one of his hands he lights up a match — the paper starts to glow and on the television you can see the demons go.
Chorus See how the cops run — eight — nine — ten Nicklin’s gallant heroes, but none of them men they quickly seize the youth and knock him to the ground and with strangle holds and kicks and blows they take him to the pound.
The freedom march is on — they’re marching round the town they hold their placards up, but the coppers knock them down the crime rate rises high — but the cops can’t spare a man they’re busy knocking over boys who won’t fight in Vietnam.
Chorus
The women are out there — they think Australia’s free but let them show a placard, and they will quickly see that chivalry’s gone astray in the struggle of today and the copper’s fist will find them first if they are in the fray.
Chorus
A slim-built youth is there — he won’t go to Vietnam be sure you grab him tightly and twist his broken arm we’ll take him to the dungeon — we’ll throw him in the tank we got our orders to be rough from ‘Pineapple Frank’.
Chorus
Pineapples may be rough — on Frankie’s Nambour farm but brutal cops in Brisbane have really done Frank harm for opinions here today — on the Nazi-type display are that you were wrong and you’ll be gone on next election day.
Chorus
Down in the city’s cells — among the conscript boys some one started singing and soon we heard the noise of the people standing in the street whose voices did return the song that freedom fighters sing, “We Shall Overcome”.