Does anyone know the lyrics (and background)of a song about a nineteenth century fight between someone (possibly “Gaunt”) and Bendigo that Mike Waterson used to sing in the 1980s?
I recently found an old handwritten note on the back of an envelope from 1982 (a cliché, but the literal truth!), with partial lyrics from the first two verses, which brought back the melody but I can’t find the actual song or complete lyrics anywhere. I had:
Ye ranting lads and ye sporting blades, come and listen to my song Well I know that it will please you and it won’t detain ye long It’s concerning of a ?? match that lately has been fought ‘Twixt ?? and Bendigo, two lads of the right sort.
Now on the nineteenth of September, eighteen hundred and forty-five From ?? down to Nottingham… ?? … alive Such a ?? sight was never seen, believe me it is so Tens of thousands went to see the fight ‘twixt Gaunt(?) and Bendigo.
It popped into my mind recently and has been driving me crazy, and I’m hoping someone recognizes it and can put me out of my misery.