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WITH MY SWAG UPON MY SHOULDER When first I left Old England's shore Such yarns as we were told As how folks in Australia Could pick up lumps of gold So, when we got to Melbourne town We were ready soon to slip And get even with the captain All hands scuttled from the ship cho: With my swag all on my shoulder Black billy in my hand I travelled the bush of Australia Like a true-born native man We steered our course for Geelong town Then north west to Ballarat Where some of us got mighty thin And some got sleek and fat Some tried their luck at Bendigo And some at Fiery Creek I made a fortune in a day And spent it in a week For many years I wandered round As each new rush broke out And always had of gold a pound Till alluvial petered out 'Twas then we took the bush to cruise Glad to get a bite to eat The squatters treated us so well We made a regular beat So round the lighthouse now I tramp Nor leave it out of sight I take it on my left shoulder And then upon my right And then I take it on my back And oft upon it lie It is the best of tucker tracks So I'll stay here till I die --------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes From Paterson's Old Bush Songs . Paterson has the Lighthouse as a landmark station in Victoria. Eric Partridge in his Dictionary of Slang gives "lighthouse - a tramp acquainted with the police or their methods". The meaning here may be that the swaggie spends much of his time in jail. In the bush the Southern Cross constellation is also known as The Lighthouse, so tramping round this continent is in effect tramping round the lighthouse. This song, the tune of which is a variant of 'The Boys of Wexford', was collected by John Manifold from Father P.P.Kehoe of Kyabram, Victoria in the 1950's. Compare with 'Dennis O'Reilly' in this collection. @Australian @rambling filename[ SWAGSHLD TUNE FILE: SWAGSHLD CLICK TO PLAY MG oct00 |
With My Swag upon my Shoulder |
