G'day,

This came up in a thread about Italian folksongs in Australia. It is probably not a "folk song" in the definition of the requester, but it is a good view of the post-WWII Italian immigrant experience, as seen by Joe Paolacci. Joe, who was 2 year-old when his family came to Australia, has based this on his father's experiences and stories of other Italian immigrants.

It is interesting to read Thérèse Radic's comment, in the Provenance Notes to Songs of Australian Working Life, 1989, that: "he says that, as a child ... he was 'surrounded' by Italian folk music; he has been singing as long as he can remember."

The Southern Cross is calling me
Joe Paolacci

He hasn't had a break you know for 27 years
Non-stop, in a barber shop, he owns near Station Pier
He came from sunny Naples, just after World War II
And with aching heart he played his part and bid his folks adieu
Chorus:
So goodbye sunny Naples, my loving family too
The Southern Cross is calling me to build a life that's new
I'm off to see Australia, the work is plenty there
My bag is packed I won't look back, I'll make a pile, I swear

He took a boat to Melbourne, employment was in plenty
And he got a job, with a yankee mob, in motor car assembly
He rented up in Carlton, and money carefully spent
And with families four and sometimes more he shared his every cent.
Chorus:

'G'day mate!' they say to him, he answers 'Same to you'
He feels so queer they all drink beer and yell 'It's your shout Blue!'
And this goes on till six o'clock when the barman yells 'It's time!'
And it's down the hatch, there's a bus to catch on the Gardenvale line.
Chorus:

He met a girl from Williamstown and courted her at Mass
She stole his heart right from the start, a freckled Aussie Lass
They looked up Father Murphy, got married with great haste
And they honeymooned, in a tiny room they found in Elgin Place.
Chorus:

He hasn't had a break you know for 27 years
Non-stop, in a barber shop, he owns near Station Pier
He came from sunny Naples, just after World War II
And with aching heart he played his part and bid his folks adieu
(No Chorus at end)

Here is the MIDItext file of the tune (in Joe's original Dm, rather than Am, where I sing it):

MIDI file: sthcruxf.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 2/4 24 8
Tempo: 140 (428571 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0240 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 70 080 0288 0 70 064 0072 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 67 080 0576 0 67 064 0384 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0384 0 67 064 0096 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 62 080 0576 0 62 064 0144 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 0096 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 67 080 0000 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0000 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0576 0 67 064 0144 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 62 080 0384 0 62 064 0096 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 62 080 0576 0 62 064 0144 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0312 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0384 0 62 064 0096 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 62 080 0576 0 62 064 0144 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 65 080 0288 0 65 064 0072 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0576 0 69 064 0144 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0384 0 69 064 0096 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 60 080 0576 0 60 064 0144 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0408 1 62 080 0576 0 62 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:4/4
Q:1/4=140
K:C
G4AA3|A2A2^A3A|G2F2G2G2|GA3G4|-G4G2G2|-G2GGA2G2|
F2E2F2D2|D2C2D4|-D2G2A2A2|AA3^A2A2|-A2F2G3GG|
G2A2G4|-G2EFG2G2|G3GA2G2|F2E2FDD2|-D2C2D4|
-D2D2F2F2|EE2E3D2|-D2D2D2G2|G2F2D4|-D2D2DF3|
E2E2E2D2|D2E2F2G2|A2G2A4|-A2A2d3d|c2c2A2A2|
-A2F2G2F2|E2D2C4|-C2G2A2A2|A2AGF2D2|D2F2E2DC|
-C4D4|-D3/4||

Regards,

Bob Bolton