The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #23042   Message #4224076
Posted By: Sandra in Sydney
12-Jun-25 - 06:18 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Australian songs about rabbits
Subject: RE: Lyr - Cosgrove
Tune Req: The Rabbiter's Song (Stan Wakefield) - https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=23038#253190

THE RABBIT-TRAPPER
Collected Wendy Lowenstein and Dave de Hugard. Arr. Dave de Hugard.
Collected in 1973 from Basil Cosgrove of Armidale, NSW, Australia,

Well me traps are all a-jangle and in an easy swinging tangle
And I'm setting in a circle, keeping round a fringe of trees'
And I'm muck and gory splattered, and me clobber's torn and tattered,
But I'm carefree as those bunnies, 'til they fall for one of these;
And I'm under no man's orders and I recognise no borders;
But there's a welcome everywhere for me and my old dungarees.
I am a rabbit trapper and a canny bunny snapper,
And I whistle through the bushland, like the birds up in the trees.

(Whistled reprise of B part)
While you blokes are courting tabbies, well I'm out among the rabbies;
And I can hear 'em buckin', squealin', well, a dozen traps ahead,
While you blokes at the pub are flirtin', at the last trap I am certain
To be bagging up me bunnies, keeping tally as I tread.
(Instrumental reprise of B part)
Well, come on, my old cobber, we'll put on some decent clobber
And we'll leave the bunnies hoppin', and playin' in the trees (Hup, Ginger!)
We'll make the railway early; there's a shy and dinkum girlie
And she juggles with those cream cans, while she writes cheques out for me.