Lyr Req: Never Never (Letty Katts)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Never Never (Letty Katts)
From: GUEST,Ellen Hundley
Date: 21 Jun 20 - 12:44 AM

I love to sing this song and anyone interested can see my version on youtube-

(Riding to the)Never Never sung by Ellen Hundley

https://youtu.be/Ix4kAoYUoyA

Written by Letty Katts, c. 1945, Sydney

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Never Never (Letty Katts)
From: GUEST,Fe
Date: 19 Dec 17 - 02:20 AM

My Grandfather was part of the Southern Cross quartet in Melbourne. This was part of their repetoire. They were apparently employed during the cricket (for radio broadcast), to sing this song every time a six was hit. (I'd be guessing it was not too long after it was written, as one of my mum's childhood memories was hearing the quartet practice in the loungeroom... she would have been about 12 in 1945...)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Never Never (Letty Katts)
From: GUEST,PMTurnbull
Date: 10 Jun 16 - 02:13 AM

I was a chorister at Lichfield Cathedral Choir School,St.Chad's,in England during WWII. In the Song School building we practised not only religious music but also folk songs from around the world. The Australian ones we learnt were Click go the shears, Waltzing Matilda and We're riding to the Never Never, along a long wide road,a road that never ends.I have an idea that the music was in a Novello booklet.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Never Never (Letty Katts)
From: GUEST,betty worsley
Date: 06 Dec 15 - 05:39 PM

I taught this song to the school children when I lived on Flinders Island, it was a really great song very tuneful and the kids loved it they made a camp fire   (not real)and "cooked" sausages made from mum's stockings stuffed with newspaper    and sang it for the school concert.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Never Never (Letty Katts)
From: JennieG
Date: 29 Apr 15 - 12:14 AM

This morning while out shopping I met a member of the Thursday Night Choir, and she suggested that "Never never" would be a great song to do.....so I looked up this thread, again!

Subject: Lyr Add: NEVER NEVER (from Rickie Jones)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Oct 14 - 11:44 AM

Spotify has a recording of NEVER NEVER by Rickie Jones (not to be confused with Rickie Lee Jones) from a various-artists album called "Timeless Vintage Australian Country, Vol. 10" (2012)

NEVER NEVER
As sung by Rickie Jones

What better seat than a saddle?
What better roof than the sky?
What better song than the song man sings
When hearts are happy and spirits high?

We're riding
To the Never Never
On a long white road,
A road that has no end.
We're going
To a wide brown country
Where the skies are blue
And every man's a friend.

Nobody knows just when we will get there
But what does it matter if time goes by?
We'll spend every night beside a campfire
Counting the stars in the sky.

We're riding
To the Never Never
On a long white road
A road that has no end

Nobody knows just when we will get there
But what does it matter if time goes by?
We'll spend every night beside a campfire
Counting the stars in the sky.

We're riding
To the Never Never
On a long white road
A road that has no end,
A road that has no end.


[Spotify also has tons of other unrelated songs with the same title, which makes searching difficult.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 10:03 PM

thanks for the info, Old Bushman

Australian Folk Music and Australian Folk Singers and Musicians blog Focusing on Australian folk music, Australian bush ballads and/or Australian folk musicians is a fantastic site

sandra

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: GUEST,Old Bushman
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 08:08 PM

Never Never is on the following albums,Slim Dusty Another Aussie Sing Song, Horrie Dargie Around the World With the Dargies, Leslie Ross Singers Aussie Sing Along(able to be downloaded at http://australianfolk.blogspot.com.au/). It has also been recorded by Peter Pratt. Many years ago Letty Katts was interviewed by Ian McNamara on Australia All Over and she sang Never Never during that interview but do not know if it was ever released on CD.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: GUEST,Sterle
Date: 21 Dec 13 - 05:48 AM

That's Sterle from the Gold Coast.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: GUEST,Sterle
Date: 21 Dec 13 - 05:44 AM

I managed to get a copy of the sheet music from the State Library Of QLD yesterday - signed by Letty Katts in 1945. I was in the Aust Army Band Corps for 22 years and we played this piece as part of a marching band display at Earls Court in London for the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. I knew the piece from school days in South Australia - we used to sing it as well as Song Of Australia, We're Bound for South Australia Click go the shears, Wild Colonial Boy etc etc. The army band arrangement was very good and I still have the recording of us performing it at Earl's Court.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: GUEST,SqueezeMe
Date: 02 Sep 13 - 05:03 AM

And I should have added:

"Thank you for all your hard work on that site, Wayne"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: GUEST,SqueezeMe
Date: 02 Sep 13 - 04:58 AM

Helen, It is track 4 on the B side of "Another Aussie Sing Song" (Slim Dusty and his Bushlanders), Columbia SCX 07689, released as an LP in 1963 and as a CD in 2006. The song is listed just as "Never Never".

"The Man from Never Never" was on the earlier SD and his Bushlanders album released in 1962.

Great Slim Dusty discography site here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: JennieG
Date: 02 Sep 13 - 01:52 AM

Helen, I grew up in Tamworth, north west of Newcastle. We had school broadcasts even in those days, way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.......

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 Sep 13 - 06:56 PM

Jennie grew up in the Small Smoke as well - I grew up in the Big Smoke (Parramatta area)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Helen
Date: 01 Sep 13 - 02:34 PM

Maybe it depends on where you went to school? I grew up inland from Newcastle, NSW.

Most of the folk music we heard was on the ABC radio for schools programme, so if it wasn't on that programme in the 60's I wouldn't have heard it.

Helen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: JennieG
Date: 01 Sep 13 - 06:49 AM

Um......I have........!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 Sep 13 - 04:41 AM

I've never heard it either, Helen.

sandra (also feeling left out)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Helen
Date: 31 Aug 13 - 08:30 PM

I found an mp3 of Letty Katts, Never Never music on Retrospection Vol. 7

I listened to the short sample and it is only instrumental music, but the track may include singing. The mp3 track is available to buy at Amazon (don't forget to access Amazon through the Support Mudcat link!)

I was trying to find which album the Slim Dusty version was on, but he was a prolific album-maker, more albums than you can poke a stick at! The nearest I can get is that it was on an album called Best of Slim Dusty (6 record set) , but NOT "The Very Best of Slim Dusty" which is available as a CD on Amazon.

I have to admit that I'm feeling very unAustralian because I've never heard of this song. Or maybe I'm just too young. (That's a joke, folks!)

Helen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 31 Aug 13 - 12:36 PM

Here is the catalog entry at WorldCat.org, which says the correct title is NEVER NEVER. The sheet music is held by several libraries in Australia, but none closer to me, apparently. It is not viewable online.

NEVER NEVER
Author: Letty Katts
Publisher: Sydney : Chappell, ©1945.

[But I still can't find any evidence that Slim Dusty recorded it. He did record a different song called THE MAN FROM THE NEVER NEVER LAND, which is sometimes called THE MAN FROM NEVER NEVER.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Aug 13 - 01:14 AM

Sorry, I can't help you with that Joe

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Aug 13 - 10:31 PM

So, if this was recorded by Slim Dusty, why can't I find a recording of it? I thought everything he ever recorded, has been reissued.
Is the barbershop chorus version I heard pretty accurate?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: GUEST,Allen in OZ
Date: 24 Aug 13 - 10:22 PM

"Out on Moneygrubs farthest station

That's where the dead me lie"

AD

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: JennieG
Date: 24 Aug 13 - 02:59 AM

Where Crooked Mick of the Speewah lives.......

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 11:44 PM

Back o' Bourke, beyond the black stump, where the crows fly backwards ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: GUEST,Allen in OZ
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 07:28 PM

The Never Never is probably out
"Where the pelican builds her nest "

AD

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: sciencegeek
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 12:24 PM

facinating...

and a wonderful example of the best of mudcat... and all done for a total stranger

bravo

Subject: Lyr Add: NEVER NEVER (Letty Katts)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 12:12 PM

From    http://www.mp3lyrics.org/s/slim-dusty/nver/

WE'RE RIDING TO THE NEVER NEVER
(Letty Katts)

We're riding
To the Never Never
On a long white road
A road that has no end

We're going
To a wide brown country
Where the skies are blue
And every man's our friend

Nobody knows just when we will get there
But what does it matter if time goes by
We'll spend every night beside our camp fire
Counting the stars in the sky

We're riding
To the Never Never
On a long white road
A road that never ends

What better seat than a saddle?
What better roof than the sky?
What better song than the song man sings
When hearts are happy and spirits high?

We're riding
To the Never Never
On a long white road
A road that has no end

We're going
To a wide brown country
Where the skies are blue
And every man's our friend

Nobody knows just when we will get there
But what does it matter if time goes by
We'll spend every night beside our camp fire
Counting the stars in the sky

We're riding
To the Never Never
On a long white road
A road that never ends
That never never ends

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: JennieG
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 02:04 AM

According to the Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms the term "never never" was first noted as having been used in a book published in 1857, so it has been around for a while! It meant "the regions remote from civilisation, and as yet unsettled or explored, at first referring to north-western Queensland or northern Australia generally. The term was given currency by Mrs Aeneas Gunn's classic 'We of the Never Never', 1908."

Quote from 'Wild Adventures in Australia 68', written by F. Cooper, 1857: '"Nievah vahs" is a Cameleroi term signified unoccupied land, sometimes incorrectly pronounced never nevers'.

Possibly more information than you needed to know, Joe! But there you have it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: GUEST,Frank
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 11:34 PM

I always associate this song with the novel "We of the Never Never" written by Mrs Aeneas Gunn (Jeannie Gunn)of her life on Elsey Station South of Darwin N.T. Australia. She went there from Melbourne as a new bride in early 1900's.
The book was one listed for study in English Literature in the late 1950's. It would have been a similar era when I remember singing the song after hearing it on the Wireless(LOL) (Radio),but who sang it, I do not know.
Terence was right, it was a very tuneful song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: JennieG
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 06:04 PM

Joe, it's the land far off.....much too far for one day's ride.....way out in the outback. That's why "nobody knows just when we will get there" and also why the road has no end.

Sandra, thanks for finding this info! The song has been giving me an earworm since I read the original post.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 02:26 PM

Anything more?

So, what's the "Never-Never" in Australianese mean?

-Joe-

Subject: ADD: Riding To the Never-Never (Letty Katts)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 05:02 AM

Thanks, Sandra. That helps a lot. I found a barbershop quartet medley on Spotify that has this song. Don't know if it's the complete song or not.


WE'RE RIDING TO THE NEVER NEVER
(Letty Katts)

We're riding to the never never,
On a long wide road,
A road has no end.
We're going to a wide, round country,
Where the skies are blue,
And every man's our friend.

Nobody knows just when we will get there
What does it matter if time goes by
We'll spend every night beside the campfire
Counting the stars in the sky.

We're riding to the never never,
On a long wide road,
A road has no end.


Transcribed from a recording by the "Banana Blenders" at the 1999 International Barbershop Competition.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 04:39 AM

no it doesn't! what thread did you mean to post that clicky to?


MP3 interview with Letty Katts who wrote "Riding TO the Never-Never" used in the background of Dimboola - unfortunately there is not enough of the song to be sure it's the same song Terence is looking for. Can you ask him for some more words if this isn't what he wants?

Peter Pratt on Saturday Night Country who recorded Letty's song where I found the MP3.

bit more info about the song - scroll down to track list

sandra

---

I fixed my link, and one of yours. -Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never(Australia)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Aug 13 - 09:23 PM

This message (click) says that the song was sung in a movie called "Dimboola."

-Joe-

Subject: Lyr Req: Riding Through the Never-Never (Australi
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Aug 13 - 08:58 PM

I got this e-mail today. Can anybody help?

I am trying to find any information on a song from my school years in which the words are:


"We're riding through the never never
Down a long wide road
A road that never ends
Nobody knows just when we will get there
What does it matter if time goes by
We'll spend every night beside the campfire
Counting the stars in the sky etc.

I cannot believe that hardly anyone else remembers it as it was a very tuneful, very Australian song.

Can your organisation be of any assistance?

Many thanks

Terence