Here's a great little song about the Australian gold rush days:

Look Out Below

A young man left his native town
Through trade being slack at home
To seek his fortune in this land
He crossed the briny foam

And when he came to the Lachlan
His heart was in a glow
To hear the sound of the windlasses
And the cry 'Look out below'

Wherever he turned his wandering eyes
Strange sights he did behold
Of full and plenty in the land
And the magic power of gold

He says now I am young and strong
And a digging I will go
For I like the sound of windlasses
And the cry 'Look out below'

So now he's settled down again
With a charming little wife
He says there's nothing can compare
To a jolly digger's life

Ask him if he'll go home again
And he'll quickly answer no
For he likes the sound of windlasses
And the cry 'Look out below'
ABC notation:

X:1
T:Look Out Below
M:4/4
L:1/8
S:Charles Thatcher
R:Song
Z:Richard Adrianowicz
K:F
C2 | F3E F2G2 | F3F C2A2 | AAF2 A2B2 | c6A2 |
B3A G2(FE) | F3F C2(FE) | D2B,2 C2E2 | F6 ||


One of Charles Thatcher's songs from the goldrush days of the 1850's. Charles Thatcher was an English music hall entertainer during the gold rush period in Victoria. This version was given to John Meredith by Ida Fielding (a friend of Sally Sloane) of Dripstone NSW who got it from her father. The tune is from Sally Sloane and is also used for the ballad 'Peter Clarke'. Sally Sloane was a great old singer who was recorded in the 1950's and 1960's by folklorists searching for Australian songs. The Lachlan is a river in Australia.

If anyone needs a GIF for the music contact me at radriano@consrv.ca.gov and I'll send one off to you.

The melody is also the same tune as the song Peter Clarke, which is in the Mudcat database.

radriano