On a recent Music Show I was listening to an interview with a country singer who spoke Australian & sang American - admittedly she, like other country stars, has spent time in Nashville, some even live there!

I just emailed Dale asking if she would like to update it now that Ameralians spend time in Nashvile. (Nashvile was a typo & I was going to correct it, but left it!)

so here is the song about Ameralia, published in Singabout 1(3), Winter 1956. - no audio, only dots!

AMERALIA, words W.J. Mann, music Jennifer Mann

Down Darling's green banks I once happened to stray,
And met a young stranger was walking my way,
Black bearded like Kelly, and sunburnt and strong,
And all the time singing this quaint little song.

Refrain:
They've sent us their Marilyn and six crates of gum,
And they've copped all our oil and uranium;
Sing yankee sing doodle sing dinky-di dink,
We're the United States of Australia (Inc.)

I gave him a good day, and I said how'd you be?
And how'd you expect me to bloody well be?
Fair dinkum, before you all lonely I stand,
The last bloody Aussie that's left in this land.

The blade in my razor I wished to renew,
So I went to the shop and they showed me a few,
But the sign USA on each one appeared,
And that's why I'm wearing this dirty great beard.

From Chicago, Sears Roebuck came here to try
To put us in debt till we flaming well die,
These time payment experts are exceedingly tough,
Quite prepared to take over where Kelly left off.

For Ben Hall and Kelly are long dead and gone,
But Hoppalong Cassidy and Crockett live on;
Our stockmen are cowboys, our stockyards corrals,
Our duffers are rustlers, our sheilas are dolls.

When you remember how history was made,
By the diggers who died at Eureka Stockade,
You'll agree we have heroes to equal the best
That ever came out of the Yankee wild west.

Then I gave him my hand and I let out a cheer,
And I said "Fair Go, Aussie! There's two of us here."
Now I've told you this story so you'll understand
There are still a few Aussies alive in this land.

Ameralia byW.J. Mann with a tune by his 16 year old daughter Jennifer

Ameralia byW.J. Mann with a tune by his 16 year old daughter Jennifer, page2

from page 6 - Meet Jennifer Mann - 16 years Jenny Mann ... has written tunes for poems by David Martin, Merv Lilley, Mary Gilmore and her father, Jim Mann. Jim Mann is related to working-class leader Thomas Mann.