Lyr Req: Bush Telegraph (John Williamson)

Subject: Lyr Req: Bush Telegraph
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 06:28 AM

Looking to confirm the lyrics of a song "The Bush Telegraph." I heard it but I don't know where it came from other than it is Australian.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bush Telegraph
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 06:37 AM

Try

http://mog.com/music/Sambodhi_Prem/Naturespace/Bush_Telegraph

or

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=song+lyrics+%27bush+telegraph%27

?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bush Telegraph
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Apr 10 - 11:38 AM

John Williamson recorded a song called BUSH TELEGRAPH. It's on 2 of his albums: "Pipe Dream" (1998) and "We Love This Country" (2005).

I haven't seen a formal definition, but I get the impression "bush telegraph" is Australian slang for any informal way of distributing news or rumors. "I heard it on the bush telegraph" is equivalent to "I heard it through the grapevine."

Bush Telegraph is also the name of a radio program on ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). I think the slang expression came first, and the radio program was named after it.

So nowadays when a person says "I heard it on the bush telegraph," I suppose they could mean "I heard it on the radio."

I doubt that the song is meant to refer to the radio program, however.

Anyway, you can hear an excerpt from the song at we7.com. I transcribed this from that excerpt:

There's rumor of a gold strike to the south of Ballarat,
And someone stole some cattle at the back of Carly's flat,
And there's been a fight in Denny Ryan's bar at Ararat.
You heard it on the bush telegraph.
Fat lambs brought a record price last week in Bendigo.
Tommy Burka's been to mass three Sundays in a row.
It used to take a family death or ... to make him go.
You heard it on the bush telegraph.
We don't....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bush Telegraph (John Williamson)
From: GUEST,cracker night was a real big beal
Date: 21 Jul 13 - 06:36 AM

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BUSH TELEGRAPH (from Shamrocks in ...
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jul 13 - 08:28 AM

From

http://www.shamrocksinthewind.com/lyrics_downunder.html


THE BUSH TELEGRAPH
As recorded by Shamrocks in the Wind

There's a rumour of a gold strike to the south of Ballarat,
And someone stole some cattle at the back of Carly's Flat.
There's been a fight in Dinny Ryan's Bar in Ararat.
You heard it on the Bush Telegraph.

Fat lambs brought a record price last week in Bendigo.
Tommy Burker's been to Mass three Sundays in a row.
It used to take a family death or drought to make him go.
You heard it on the Bush Telegraph.

Chorus
Now, we don't need no fancy wires to get the message through,
Satellites or thing-a-ma-jigs whizzing round the moon,
Or twenty feet of binder twine with a jam tin cut in half.
It's pure Australian magic, the Bush Telegraph

Now Nora Reilly's daughter went to Melbourne for a spell.
After going out with Nicky Doyle it's prob'ly just as well.
Home's no place for a girl when her belly starts to swell.
You heard it on the Bush Telegraph.

Now Andy Reagan's famous temper went off like a bomb
When he heard his only daughter Kate got married to a bum.
His Siamese cat had kittens to a "Whatawa" Ginger Tom.
You heard it on the Bush Telegraph.

Chorus

Now Hanrahan, God bless his soul, his chooks are off the lay.
He always reckoned they were good for 15 eggs a day;
And mostly double yolkers, he'd give them all away.
You heard it on the Bush Telegraph.

Who fronted at the court today, the judge won't let him drive
For clocking in at point 23 instead of point 05.
20 beers in two hours flat, won't keep a man alive.
You'll hear it on the Bush Telegraph.

Chorus

You heard it on the Bush Telegraph.
Yes, you'll hear it on the Bush Telegraph.