G'day Guest Daisy (& Gerry),

I just checked my travelling hard disc and this was, indeed there.

I seem to have an MP3 file, but no MIDI file (the song is long embedded in my brain ... and I sing it unaccompanied - so I don't need dots (and I can 'lug' it quite successfully on any of the instruments I play!).

I do have the tune transcribed ... and a PDF file of the first stanza and the music, in the key of C. Anyone (well, any 'Catter') after
the dots' can PM me and I'll email the PDF (A4 format ... but that squeeze down to US letter ...).:



THE ROSE BAY FERRY
(Words & Music by Bernard Bolan)

Every morning at eight twenty-five,
Down to the Rose Bay wharf I drive -
Park my Humber underneath a tree,
Pop along the gangplank and then I'm free.
Free says you; "well how can that be
When you always finish up at Circular Quay?"
So Doubting Tom I shall explain -
When I get on board I sing this sweet refrain:
Where are we going today Mr. Nicholson?
Where is it going to be?
Don't turn left, turn right down the harbour
And out to the open sea.
Throw away your compass, right hand down,
And it's out through the heads we'll go.
Yo ho lads, be merry, on the Rose Bay Ferry -
If we run out of petrol, we'll row yo ho,
If we run out of petrol, we'll row.

Monday Java, Tuesday Spain,
Wednesday it's Tokyo and back again.
The only trouble is, there isn't any Gents -
But what do you want for 20 cents?
Off with me raincoat and me woolly vest,
See the naked ladies on my chest.
Today is Friday, so hold on tight
For we're off to Trinidad and back tonight.
Where are we going today Mr. Nicholson?
Where is it going to be?
Don't turn left, turn right down the harbour
And out to the open sea.
Pull up your anchor, pull your finger out
And wave goodbye to your home.
We're off to Nantucket, so give that man a bucket -
It's choppy when you're out on the foam, heave ho,
It's choppy when you're out on the foam.

Now, sometimes if I get up late,
I only reach the jetty at half past eight -
But that doesn't ruin my world-wide trip,
'Cause the eight thirty-seven is a battleship!
Off on the dot with our guns on high -
Mince up Manly as we pass by.
We need another rocket, so pop upstairs …
You can get them from the chappy who collects the fairs.
Where are we going today Mr. Nicholson?
Where is it going to be?
Don't turn left, turn right down the harbour
And out to the open sea.
'Cause though we look like dudes and doctors,
At heart we are men of the sea.
Yo ho lads, be merry, on the Rose Bay Ferry …
Until we get to Circular Quay, you see -
We finish up at Circular Quay!

On the MP3, supplied by a friend (who had also saved a copy of my PDF of the music sheet) Bernard has altered the final chorus - sometime in the late '90s, from that I have sung for nearly 35 years. I think this was for some rally to defend Circular Quay from the appalling "Toaster" building!

(But … now …)

A left turn is right, today, Mr. Nicholson,
Trouble in town you see!
Let's hear three cheers, we're free buccaneers,
The saviours of Circular Quay
With patch on high and brollies to the sky,
Every pollie from his folly must flee.
With knuckle and chuckles, we'll swash their buckles …
If they bugger up Circular Quay, then we'll heave two…
(… Or three) at Circular Quay.