speaking of Dogs ......
THE KELPIE
Lyrics, Bill Robertson / Music, Lyndon Kris
To build this country, the new Promised Land
The Kelpie was there; it gave us a hand
Mustering the High Country in hail and the rain
Or in the Outback on a dry dusty plain.
Without any wages, working daylight to dark
T’was in the back country they made their mark
Mustering sheep and cattle, and horses too
The Kelpie dogs did what we couldn’t do.
He moved to the left, he moved to the right
He backed them on through until they took flight
He drove from behind and ran to the lead
Turned them around and slowed them to feed
: This Kelpie Dog is one heck of a breed! [spoken]
The sun pounded down, they’d stopped to rest
This Kelpie dog was still giving his best
He’s tough as a Dingo, never complains
Some say they’re related, well, that’s no shame.
The Kelpie doesn’t mind, they’ll go anywhere
When the going gets tough, they just don’t care
They’re the best b…? this world’s ever seen
The Kelpie dogs, yeah, they’re a working machine.
He moved to the left, he moved to the right
He backed them on through until they took flight
He drove from behind and ran to the lead
Turned them around and slowed them to feed
: This Kelpie Dog is one heck of a breed! [spoken]
Crossing rivers so deep and wide – they move stock to the other side
The edge of the banks so terribly steep – a difficult place for a large mob of sheep
Pushing forward and paniced with fright – all bunched up – what a terrible sight
Some went down in the mud and the glue – He never lost one to the old Barcoo.***
Relentless and tough, endearing to all
They respond in a flash to their master’s call
They came from mixed cultures, just like we all do
Now the genes of Australia run through their veins too.
With the passing of time, we’ve been remiss
We forgot to thank Kelpie for doing all this
When our need was greatest, they gave us a hand
To build a nation, a new prosperous land.
Spoken :
Thanks Kelpie – you did it : what we couldn’t do
YOU LITTLE BEAUTY!
Sung by Ian Sandercoe : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFSehjkFNHw
From the 2012 documentary “KELPIE THE LEGEND” https://vimeo.com/ondemand/kelpiethelegend (trailer + watch or buy)
***The Barcoo is a river in SW Qld rising in the Warrego Range and eventually joining Cooper’s Creek. All are mentioned in Australian folksongs and stories.
Barcoo Rot, Barcoo Fever were maladies also mentioned, but are apparently rarely experienced these days, probably due to better quality food and safer water.
Interestingly, a Barcoo Dog is a noise-making device for herding sheep when dogs are unavailable. It’s made of wire and bottle tops and was first recorded in 1936.
R-J
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sj