Ray Padgett sent me his recording of a variant of this song, as well as the lyrics for it.


DONKEY DRIVER (Jerusalem Cuckoo)

I am a Donkey Driver I'm the best one on the line,
There is no other donkey that can come up to mine.
I've travelled all over Engaland and other countries too,
But no donkey on the line can beat Jerusalem Cuckoo!

        Chorus:
   Then shout boys Hurrah, for me troubles they are but few,
   But no donkey on the line can beat Jerusalem Cuckoo

I took me donkey to Brighton for a week at the Grand Huzzah,
And there a fat lady came up to me she wanted a tuppeny ride.
She mounted up quite easily 'til the German band struck up,
Then the donkey threw the lady off and turned her the wrong way up!

I thought me donkey was good enough to go into a race,
I took him to the Derby and there I found a place,
The signal was given for starting and away me donkey flew,
And the first one at the winning post, it was Jerusalem Cuckoo.

I always am contented not an angry word I say,
So long as I gets a drop of beer me donkey gets his hay,
And if he kicks the bucket, I'll tell you what I'll do,
I'll have a sealed skin jacket made out of me old Cuckoo.

  X:1
  T:Donkey Driver
  C:Folk variant; original lyrics by J.W. Rowley.
  S:From the singing of Ray Padgett, Barnsley, UK.
  Z:Artful Codger
  M:6/8
  L:1/8
  Q:3/8=92
  K:B
  HF3 | D2 D D2 D | F2 F F2 F, | C2 C B,2 A, | B,3-B, z F |
  w: I am a don-key driv-er, I'm the best one on the line._  There
  G2 E E2 G | B3 A2 G | G2 F F2 D | F3-F z B, |
  w: is no oth-er don-key that can come up to mine._  I've
  G G G G2 F | G2 A HB2 G | G2 F F2 D | HF3 B,2 C |
  w: tra-veled all o-ver Eng-a-land and oth-er coun-tries, too, But no
  D2 D D2 D | F2 F F2 D | C2 B, A,2 C | HB,3 F3 |
  w: don-key on the line can beat Je-ru-sa-lem Cuck-oo!  Then
  G3 E2 G | B3 A2 G | F F F F2 D | F3 B,2 C |
  w: shout, boys, Hur-rah! For me trou-bles they are but few. But no
  D2 D D2 D | F2 F F2 D | C2 B, A,2 C | HB,6 |]
  w: don-key on the line can beat Je-ru-sa-lem Cuck-oo!
  

This tune appears to be related to those used for the sea song "According to the Act" (aka. "The Lime Juice Ship") and the American post-Civil War song "I'm a Good Old Rebel." At least one Aussie version of "Lime Juice Ship" begins the chorus with "Shout, boys! Hurrah!" The song "Wallaby Stew" borrowed the sea song's tune, and no doubt the tunes of other songs are closely related.

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