MY MAN’S GONE NOW
(Anon)

My man’s gone now, he had to go
Couldn’t find no work around this town
Not for ages, used his wages
Got up this morning and he was gone

Monday morning, it starts to rain
Around the curve there comes a south-bound train
Under a tarpaulin rides a bum called John
He was a strange man, but now he’s gone

Morning sunshine, the rooster crows
Along the highway where, goodness knows
Where’s John sleeping, how’s he keeping?
When will he take the homeward road?

Repeat stanza 1.

A few months after the 1929 Wall Street crash, farm produce prices in New Zealand collapsed. Since the economy depended almost entirely on farm exports, the effects were disastrous. By 1931, over 50,000 New Zealand men were walking, looking for work. A sad effect of the upheaval was the break-up of family life. This little song was collected by Neil Colquhoun from May Simpson.

--Stewie.