I posted this fine song decades ago:

THE KELLY'S TURNING
(Larry King)

We're meeting by the riggin'
For the word has passed around
We'll drink our spree on Texas tea
So the drills are goin' down
Men roll in from everywhere
From France and England too
Boomers and boll weevils that make up the drillin' crew

Chorus
The kelly's turnin', the drill rod churnin'
The metal burnin' as she breaks the hard rock floor
Rough voices grumblin'
The diesel's rumblin'
The kelly fumblin' with the key to Satan's door

There's Hank and Mac and Paddy
From across the sea they've come
With Czechs and Swedes, all kinds o' breeds
They share a common bond
It's music in the air to men
Followin' the call
When high upon the christmas tree
They hear the driller call

Chorusr

Devil's getting' angry
There's a rumblin' in the well
For men are cruel who steal the fuel
That feeds the fires of hell
His heart is big and black as soot
And darker is his soul
And when he cries, he fills the skies
With tears as black as coal

Chorus

Well, now the drillin's ended
So we'll pack our things and go
We've drawn a million barrels
From a thousand feet below
So it's bound for eastern cities
Our hard-earned cheques to spend
On girls and grog and fancy krog
Till the word goes out again

Chorus

We're meeting by the riggin'
For the word has passed around
We'll drink our spree on Texas tea
So the drills are goin' down
Men roll in from everywhere
From France and England too
Boomers and boll weevils that make up the drillin' crew

Chorus

Larry King and Alex Hood wrote 2 songs a night for Bill Peach's 'This Day Tonight' show, one of which was telecast. The pair undertook an Arts Council-sponsored tour of Australia as The Prodigal Sons and wrote many songs together. However, 'The Kelly's Turning' is a Larry King solo effort inspired by time spent with the oil rig workers in Exmouth, Western Australia. It is set to a Dutch traditional tune 'The windmill's turning'.

Scott Balfour of Alice Springs has recorded it on his excellent CD, 'Mother Land'.

--Stewie.