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Mudcat Australia-New Zealand Songbook
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 06 Nov 20 - 09:14 PM THE WATER LILY (H.Lawson/P.Herdman) A lonely young wife In her dreaming discerns A lily-decked pool With a border of ferns, And a beautiful child, With butterfly wings, Trips down to the edge of the water and sings: ‘Come, mamma! come! ‘Quick! follow me— ‘Step out on the leaves of the water-lily!’ And the lonely young wife, Her heart beating wild, Cries, ‘Wait till I come, ‘Till I reach you, my child!’ But the beautiful child With butterfly wings Steps out on the leaves of the lily and sings: ‘Come, mamma! come! ‘Quick! follow me! ‘And step on the leaves of the water-lily! And the wife in her dreaming Steps out on the stream, But the lily leaves sink And she wakes from her dream. Ah, the waking is sad, For the tears that it brings, And she knows ’tis her dead baby’s spirit that sings: ‘Come, mamma! come! ‘Quick! follow me! ‘Step out on the leaves of the water-lily!’ This became the title track of Priscilla Herdman's lovely album which included settings of several Lawson poems. Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 06 Nov 20 - 09:41 PM DENIS O’REILLY (Traditional) When first I left old Ireland's shore the yarns that I was told Of how the folks in Australia could pick up lumps of gold How gold dust lay in all the streets and miner's rights were free Hurrah I told my loving friends that's just the place for me Chorus With my swag all on my shoulder, black billy in my hand I'll travel the bushes of Australia like a true born Irishman And then we came to Melbourne town and we all prepared to slip All bar the captain and the mate the crew abandoned ship And all the girls of Melbourne town they threw up their arms with joy Saying one unto the other, ‘Here comes the Irish boy’ And then we went into Geelong town and north-west to Ballarat Where some of us grew mighty thin and some grew sleek and fat Some tried their luck at Bendigo and some at Fiery Creek Well I made my fortune in a day and I blued it in a week Now it's many a year I have travelled round to each new field about And made and spent full many a pound till the alluvial petered out And now for any job of work I was prepared to try But now I've found this tucker track I'll stay here till I die There are several versions. The above is fairly close to the version recorded by the Bushwackers. Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 07 Nov 20 - 08:33 PM TREATY (Yothu Yindi/Kelly/Garrett) Well I heard it on the radio And I saw it on the television Back in 1988, all those talking politicians Words are easy, words are cheap Much cheaper than our priceless land But promises can disappear Just like writing in the sand Treaty yeah treaty now treaty yeah treaty now Nhima djatpangarri nhima walangwalang (You dance djatpangarri, that's better) Nhe djatpayatpa nhima gaya' nhe marrtjini yakarray (You're dancing, you improvise, you keep going, wow) Nhe djatpa nhe walang gumurrt jararrk gutjuk (You dance djatpangarri, that's good my dear paternal grandson) This land was never given up This land was never bought and sold The planting of the union jack Never changed our law at all Now two river run their course Separated for so long I'm dreaming of a brighter day When the waters will be one Treaty yeah, treaty now, treaty yeah, treaty now Nhima gayakaya nhe gaya' nhe (You improvise, you improvise) Nhe gaya' nhe marrtjini walangwalang nhe ya (You improvise, you keep going, you're better) Nhima djatpa nhe walang (You dance djatpangarri, that's good) Gumurr-djararrk yawirriny' (My dear young men) Nhe gaya' nhe marrtjini gaya' nhe marrtjini (You improvise, you keep improvising, you keep going) Gayakaya nhe gaya' nhe marrtjini walangwalang (Improvise, you improvise, you keep going, that's better) Nhima djatpa nhe walang (You dance djatpangarri, that's good) Gumurr-djararrk nhe yå, e i, e i, e i i i, i i i, i i i, i i (You dear things) Treaty ma' (Treaty now) Promises disappear - priceless land - destiny Well I heard it on the radio And I saw it on the television But promises can be broken Just like writing in the sand Treaty yeah treaty now treaty yeah treaty now Treaty yeah treaty now treaty yeah treaty now Treaty yeah treaty ma treaty yeah treaty ma Treaty yeah treaty ma treaty yeah treaty ma Today is the beginning of NAIDOC Week that was postponed from its normal July date because of Covid. The lyrics above are from an SBS page: SBS Youtube clip NAIDOC = National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 07 Nov 20 - 08:57 PM A LITTLE FURTHER NORTH (Graeme Connors) The sun sinks behind me in the west This is the time of day I love best Salt breezes murmur through the coconut palm As the colours change, they set a scene of tropic calm Seagulls heading back to land Over the mangroves and salt pans By a lazy creek with a six-pack and a fishing line Winning back some memories and losing track of time I head a little further north each year Leave the cities behind Out of sight, out of mind Up where my troubles can all disappear I head a little further north each year Feeling the night wrap around me Eases my mind in serenity Ocean waves are humming on the outer reef These balmy nights and sultry days are a welcome relief I head a little further north each year Leave the cities behind Out of sight, out of mind Up where my troubles can all disappear I head a little further north each year Taking my mind to an easier time Up where there's silence and the night sky is clear I head a little further north each year A little further north each year [repeated] Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 07 Nov 20 - 09:45 PM Don Henderson's 'Rake and Rambling Man' reminded me of this other little classic of similar ilk. SONG AND DANCE MAN (Mike McClellan) I’m used to livin’ by myself Always on the road Makin’ light of other people’s woes I don’t need to take much more Than just a song or two And even a smile can lighten up the load Chorus I’m just a song and dance man Going from town to town Playing one night shows and country rodeos I’m just a song and dance man Livin’ on a smile I share your laughter everywhere I go I don’t care much for cities I ain’t seen one I’d call home The only dust they’ve got there is just plain dirt And no one takes you in Unless they want you off the streets I get the feeling some folks Fear a smile might hurt Chorus I gave up looking for answers A long, long time ago Life’s just taking chances, ask any dancer One foot wrong and it’s all undone I won’t ask much of your time Or that you recall my name Fame is just a momentary curse But if you recall a song or two That lingers when I’m gone Then I guess a song and dance man could do worse Chorus Original recording A later recording at 2015 National Folk Festival: Youtube clip Tommy Emmanuel supplied chords here: Chords --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 08 Nov 20 - 07:05 AM 425 songs! |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 08 Nov 20 - 07:12 PM Sandra, many thanks for the list. You've done a splendid job. Onwards! GOOD LIGHT IN BROOME (Neil Murray) I was hangin' out in Sydney and I was goin' down I'd done too many parties and my money was runnin' out Then I met an old man who lived all alone He had two dogs for company, that's all he owned He was savin' his pension for a one-way fare Said when he had enough, he was gettin’ outta there I said, ‘really, what are you gonna do?’ He smiled and said, ‘there's good light in Broome’ I went out to western Queensland, working in the sheds Met a girl in Quilpie and we got wed Moved up to the Gulf, had our first born We were livin' in a caravan, I was workin' on the prawns I came home from a stormy sea She'd up and gone and left a note for me On it she wrote, ‘I’m sick of you’ That's when I felt there's good light in Broome Good light in Broome and I'll be there soon I know exactly what I'm a gonna do Sit on the beach, stare at the moon Haven't you heard - there's good light in Broome I headed down south, couldn't take the hint Saw a lot of pubs, I had a lot to drink I was runnin' pretty ragged, I didn't hardly eat I was thinkin' about her and what she did to me There was a road and a hairpin bend Then I woke up in a hospital bed ‘How do ya feel?’, said a voice in the gloom I gave the answer, ‘there's good light in Broome’ I went truckin' out of Melbourne, back and forth to Perth Didn't take long and it seemed like a curse My eyes were on the road, but my mind was somewhere else When I pulled in to a Nullarbor roadhouse The waitress came over and she's there lookin' at me She asked me how I was, I said, ‘a bit ordinary’ She said, ‘I thought that might be your tune’ I said. ‘don't tell me, there's good light in Broome’ Good light in Broome and I'll be there soon I know exactly what I'm a gonna do Sit on the beach, stare at the moon Haven't you heard - there's good light in Broome Well when I get to Cable Beach, I'll fall right out of the truck and into the sea With my clothes still on, I'll plunge under the waves And all the dirt will drain away And just like Bunjil, I'll get two dogs And every evenin' I'll walk them along On the edge of the country, take in the view Just like I heard, there's good light in Broome Good light in Broome and I'll be there soon I know exactly what I'm a gonna do Sit on the beach, stare at the moon Haven't you heard - there's good light in Broome Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 08 Nov 20 - 08:17 PM I WONDER WHO YOU’RE WAITING FOR (Mike McClellan) Sunday night, airport lounge Along about eight fifteen Tight black jeans and a white silk shirt Older than she seems Wide dark eyes and a slender face All alone she waits Tall and still, never moves until They open up the race As the passengers come through the door I wonder who you’re waiting’ for It’s not the man in the shorts and tan Not the girl with the stud and curls Not the boy with the broken heart It’s not the ageing matriarch It’s not the suit from Baltimore Not the girl in the pinafore Not the vagabond troubadour I wonder who you’re waitin’ for I wonder who you’re waitin’ for Long hair, dark as the Gucci bag Hangin’ by her side Old gold chain slung around her neck Diamonds in her eyes And I find myself wondering Just how much they’re worth I’m sure she knows love’s only token Sometimes cost the earth As the passengers come across the floor I wonder who you’re waitin’ for It’s not the boy in the faded jeans Not the girl with the magazines Not the woman with the weary face Staring into space Not the man with the Fin Review Not the girl with the blue tattoo Not the captain or the cabin crew I wonder who you’re waitin’ for I wonder who you’re waitin’ for It’s likely he’s tall, he might be dark He’ll be a wealthy man But I’ll never know, ‘cos he never shows She waits and waits and waits And waits and waits and waits It’s not the girl with the long blonde hair Not the man in the steel wheelchair Not the boy comin’ back from the war I wonder who you’re waitin’ for It’s not the girl with the champagne eyes Not the stud with the bedroom lies Not the boy from Ecuador I wonder who you’re waitin’ for I wonder who you’re waitin’ for Another good'un from Mike McClellan. Above is my transcription. I'm not sure of the word before 'token' in the 'I'm sure she knows ...' line. Youtube clip -- Stewie. I |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 08 Nov 20 - 08:50 PM DRY RIVER BED (Pigram Brothers) When you’re drifting on the ocean And the sea is a perfect blue But those storm clouds on the horizon Are keeping you true to who are you Chorus So take me away ‘cross the spinifex plains Where the true mirage never ends And the smell of the rain is a long way away Lay me down on a dry river bed Don't have no white picket fence Don't have no green English lawn Just got heat waves dancing for me On the red dirt where I was born Chorus Feel the heart of my country Beating to them lonely blues Gotta get back there, gotta get back there Gotta get back there real soon Chorus Youtube clip Chords --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 09 Nov 20 - 03:55 AM thank you for your thank you, Stewie |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 09 Nov 20 - 07:42 PM ONE MORE YEAR (Shane Nicholson) He was walking across the wire Holding a loaded gun Taking out every lightbulb One by one And she was building brand new walls To keep her safe and sound Sometimes a place to live Is just a place to hide One more year One more year Let's hold our breath And give it just One more year Well he was sparks and gasoline All fire and command The warmest comfort dies In the coldest hands And she was two steps from the edge But holding on somehow Even God himself couldn't blame her now One more year One more year Let's hold our breath And give it just One more year Now he's working on a plan Learning to make her smile Maybe a change of pace Or a change of style And she's walking across the wire Holding a loaded gun Hoping that what we feel Ain't what we've become One more year One more year Let's hold our breath And give it just One more year Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 09 Nov 20 - 08:11 PM ANDY’S GONE WITH CATTLE (H.Lawson/Trad) Our Andy's gone to battle now 'Gainst drought, the red marauder Our Andy's gone with cattle now Across the Queensland border He's left us in dejection now Our hearts with him are roving It's dull on this selection now Since Andy went a-droving Who now shall wear the cheerful face In times when things are slackest And who shall whistle round the place When fortune frowns her blackest Oh, who shall cheek the squatter now When he comes round us snarling His tongue is growing hotter now Since Andy crossed the Darling. The gates are out of order now In storms the ‘riders’ rattle For far across the border now Our Andy's gone with cattle Poor Aunty's looking thin and white And Uncle's cross with worry And poor old Blucher howls all night Since Andy left Macquarie Oh, may the showers in torrents fall And all the tanks run over And may the grass grow green and tall In pathways of the drover And may good angels send the rain On desert stretches sandy And when the summer comes again God grant 'twill bring us Andy Above is the full text of Lawson's poem. Most of the YT clips omit a couple of stanzas. The recording by one of my all-time favourite singers, Jean Redpath, is fairly close to the original. Redpath A couple of other clips: Wyndham-Read Herdman --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: rich-joy Date: 10 Nov 20 - 04:00 AM I was having a wee break. Then I came across this little number. Never heard it before so I obviously move in different circles to much of the population, haha!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMdbVHPmCW0 National Anthem of STRAYA (to the tune of 'Hey Ya') My country don't share no borders 'Cos of all the waters that surround our land Thank god for our resources 'Cos they are the sources of our wealthy land Don't try to find the capital Or fight the animals You're on your own Just drive from town to paradise And you'll see why we call Australia home Straya Straya Straya Straya You think you've got it Oh you think you've got it But have you got a rock where there is nothing at all We get together Oh we get together The weather's always better when there's cricket involved And we believe that mateship is forever We're all mates, we're all mates, we're all mates We're all mates, we're all mates And we're multicultural So why ya why ya Why ya why ya why ya Not living in Australia when you know we are so happy here Straya Straya Straya Straya Alright now fellas Yeah! Now what's cooler than a big cold beer? Ice cold! Shake it [x9] Shake it like a polaroid picture Shake it [x9] Shake it like a polaroid picture Straya Straya Straya Straya "Outkast's 'Hey Ya' reworked into the unofficial national anthem of 'Straya' (a.k.a Australia)...... Lyrics, vocals and video edit by Terry Mann. Original idea by Calvin Teoh." Hmmmmm ........ R-J |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 10 Nov 20 - 07:20 PM One for remembrance. KHE SANH (Don Walker) I left my heart to the sappers round Khe Sanh And the soul was sold with my cigarettes to the black market man I've had the Vietnam cold turkey From the ocean to the Silver City And it's only other vets could understand About the long forgotten dockside guarantees How there were no V-day heroes in nineteen seventhy-three How we sailed into Sydney Harbor Saw an old friend but I couldn't kiss her She was lined, and I was home to the lucky land And she was like so many more from that time on Their lives were all so empty, till they found their chosen one And their legs were often open But their minds were always closed And their hearts were held in fast suburban chains And the legal pads were yellow, hours long, pay packets lean And the telex writers clattered where the gunships once had been Car parks make me jumpy And I never stopped the dreams Or the growing need for speed and Novocaine So I worked across the country from end to end Tried to find a place to settle down, where my mixed up life could mend Held a job on an oil-rig Flying choppers when I could Oh but the nightlife nearly drove me round the bend And I've travelled round the world from year to year And each one found me aimless, one more year the worse for wear And I've been back to South-East Asia But the answer sure ain't there But I'm drifting north, to check things out again, yes I am Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone And only seven flying hours, and I'll be landing in Hong Kong There ain't nothing like the kisses From a jaded Chinese princess I'm gonna hit some Hong Kong mattress all night long Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone And it's really got me worried I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry And the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone And it's really got me worried I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone Youtube --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 11 Nov 20 - 06:43 PM I meant to post this on Remembrance Day yesterday but got caught up with the real world. This song was sung by Kiwi soldiers in North Africa in 1940. 'Dug-out in the True' is related to it. Both are related to the family of 'Little old log cabin', 'Little old sod shanty' etc. DUG-OUT (Anon) I'm just a greasy private in the infantry I am, I've a little dugout in Matruh, And the flies crawl all around me as I nestle down to sleep, In my flea-bound, bug-bound dugout in Matruh. Where the windows are of netting and the doors of four by two And the sandbags let the howling dust storm in I can hear that blinkin' Eytie as he circles round at night In my flea-bound,bombed-out dugout in Matruh. Where the floor is littered round with Bully and Meatloaf For marmalade and jam we never see. We're a happy little band in this bloody land of sand In my flea-bound bombed-out dug-out in Matruh. Now there's Messerschmidts and Stukas flying all around Hurricanes and Spitfires very few When the bombs and shells start flying That's where you'll find me lying In my flea bound, bombed out dugout in Matruh. Oh I wish I had a sheila to sit upon my knee, To relieve me of the misery that I'm in, For I'd woo her and caress her, if this her home she'd make In my flea-bound, bombed-out dug-out in Matruh This is from the NZ Folk Song site which has a page on the family of songs here: Click --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 11 Nov 20 - 07:04 PM DUG OUT IN THE TRUE (Anon) I am just a poor old shearer, I am stationed on the board, I've got my little handpiece in my hand Chorus But I'm happy as a clan In this land of ewes and lambs In my tick-bound, bug-bound dugout in the true Oh the place is strewn all round? With sheep wool and sheep dags ?Of rouseabouts there are so very few Chorus Oh the walls are made of iron And the windows made of bag ?And the doorways let the howling rousies through Chorus Oft times I wish I had a girl ?To sit upon my knee ?Relieve me of the pain that I am in Chorus That girl how I would love her? If she'd come and live with me ?In my tick-bound, bug-bound dugout in the true Chorus Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 12 Nov 20 - 05:55 PM Another one for NAIDOC week. BLACKFELLA WHITEFELLA (N.Murray & G.Rrurrambu) Blackfella, whitefella It doesn't matter what your colour As long as you a true fella As long as you a real fella All the people of different races With different lives in different places It doesn't matter what your name is We got to have lots of changes We need more brothers if we're to make it We need more sisters if we're to save it Are you the one who's gonna stand up and be counted? Are you the one who's gonna be there when we shout it? Are you the one who's always ready with a helping hand? Are you the one who understands this family plan? Blackfella, whitefella, yellafella, anyfella It doesn't matter what your colour As long as you a true fella All the people of different races With different lives in different places It doesn't matter which religion It's all the same when the ship is sinking We need more brothers if we're to make it We need more sisters if we're to save it Are you the one who's gonna stand up and be counted? Are you the one who's gonna be there when we shout it? Are you the one who's always ready with a helping hand? Are you the one who understands this family plan? Stand up, stand up and be counted Stand up, stand up and be counted Stand up, stand up and be counted Are you the one who's going to stand up and be counted Stand up, stand up and be counted Stand up, stand up and be counted Are you the one who's always ready with a helping hand? Are you the one who understands this family plan? Youtube clip Background info --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 12 Nov 20 - 06:13 PM STIR THE WALLABY STEw (C.Poole/Trad) Poor dad, he got five years in jail as everybody knows And now he lives in Maitland jail, broad arrows on his clothes He branded old Brown's cleanskins. and he never left a tail So I'll relate the family's fate since dad got put in jail Chorus: So stir the wallaby stew, make soup of the kangaroo's tail I tell you things are pretty crook since dad got put in jail Our sheep all died a month ago, they all got flaming fluke, Our cow was boozed last Christmas by my big brother, Luke I sold the buggy on me own - the place is up for sale That won't be all that's up the spout when dad gets out of jail Our Bess got shook upon some bloke, he's gone, we don't know where He used to act around the place, but he ain't acted square And mother's got a shearer cove forever on her tail The family will have grown a bit when dad gets out of jail They let him out before his time to give us a surprise He looked around at all of us, and gently blessed our eyes He shook hands with the shearer cove, and said that things looked stale Then he left him here to shepherd us, and headed back to jail Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 12 Nov 20 - 06:48 PM JOHNNY WALKER’S SHOES (Pigram Brothers) Heading into town, by the fire sign, up ahead one mile Mum and naked child by the highway Flash four-wheel-drive, I only want a ride to the other side Don't try and hide behind your window tinting I bet your weekly wage could pay my ransom And free me from this sandfly infested castle And In the wake of those who've gone and left behind their blues How many furlongs can we step in Johnny Walker's shoes Blanket on the ground, lay your money down, they say you better watch out If you think you're winning On pension day, when the old and grey ask what the moondye say In the gambling den of Tai Ming ‘A little less of the con and a bit more fusion’ With the kintuk lost among the walking wounded And in the wake of those who've gone and left behind their blues How many furlongs can we step in Johnny Walker's shoes Youtube clip Chords --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 13 Nov 20 - 07:58 PM SONG OF THE DIGGER (W.Satchell/N.Colquhoun) Chorus This is the song of the digger The song of the seeker of gum Sung in the kerosene twilight To the sound of the kerosene drum The hooking is done in the summer It's done in the winter as well The finer the weather the better For the scrub when it's wet gives you hell It's hard, bloody hard, is this scraping Which goes on for most of the night If you ever sat round just waiting You'd never get the bloody thing right O Mary, O Mary, sweet Mary Tell me how do your pink rosies grow I remember one morn in the dairy I beheld your black hair hung low Father was never a digger I learned of the trade myself A bottle is by me to swigger And the candle is up on the shelf Above is the full version as printed in 'Song of a Young Country'. The lyrics were attributed to William Satchell and the tune was reconstructed by Neil Colquhoun. Colquhoun noted that what the digger scraped was miscalled kauri gum for it was not gum but a true resin - a solidified turpentine. Kauri gum is formed when resin exudes from a crack in the bark of the kauri (Agathis australis) and hardens on exposure to air. Pieces of various sizes, some weighing a kilogram or more, collect in the axils of the branches and in the debris at the base of the tree. Maori and early Europeans found pieces of gum lying on the ground It was recognised overseas as a suitable resin for manufacture of a slow-drying varnish with a hard finish and in 1853, 829 tons of gum were exported, When all the kauri gum lying on top of the ground had been collected, Maoris and Europeans began to dig up the big lumps near the surface. Over 4,000 tons, averaging £40 a ton, went overseas in 1870. Spades were the first implements of the gum-diggers; then the spear and hook were devised. The "gum-spear" was a long steel rod attached to a spade handle and tapering to a sharp point. A pikau, or sack, for carrying gum, completed the "tools of trade" of the early gumdigger. In 1885 about 2,000 diggers were at work, mainly in areas north of Auckland, although the best gum came from the Coromandel Peninsula. The highest export for any year was reached in 1899, with 11,116 tons. By 1900, hundreds of "Dalmatians", immigrants from Croatia, were on the gumfields, where they camped together in groups. Joseph Smith and his family dug for gum near Dargaville, "...in a house of nikau palm with doors of sacking, and matresses of bush creeper. We spent the whole day hookin' gum and the evening scrapin' it, and singin'. But our singin' was not as hair-raisin' as that further down the track at the Dallie gumdiggers' camp". From NZ Folk Song site. Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 13 Nov 20 - 08:29 PM Another song of the diggers. THE BLACK SWANS (Anon/N.Colquhoun) The restless shadows by me flit And day will soon be o'er As in the dying light I sit Outside my whare door Away across the east I see The black swans homeward come Through sunset skies that gleam on me A digger scraping gum Mid hills of grey and brown I live here in the scrub Full fifty miles from any town And ten from any pub Through winter's rain and summer's drought This life maybe suits some I grind a scanty living out Digging and scraping gum And if you want the way you've gone Hid from the friends you've lost As slow the years of life steal on And turn the hair to frost Then see across the eastern sky The black swans homeward come 'Neath sunset skies that gleam on my Hard scraping of gum Youtube clip The end of the earth is not far from here. With the growth of bush, it's getting darker year by year. The gum lumps are finding less - they are smaller and deeper down. It don't look like I'll be seeing a town ... If it were not for stealing shop samples, I would not be here, sitting at the door of a shack with a hole for a lum, scraping a hundred weight of gum up clean. A gum digger's letter about 1910. --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 14 Nov 20 - 08:24 PM I was trying to remember the title of this poignant song to post on Remembrance Day. I finally tracked it down - better late than never. Like many, I can't stand Ian McNamara as a radio presenter, but he is often given some beaut songs to air. LAST MAN FROM DUNOLLY (Mike Whittle) I’m the last man from Dunolly of our battalion at Fromelles General Haking gave the orders, And the troops were shot to hell All the mates that I signed up with I was with them as they fell My fifty ninth was cut to pieces And the sixtieth as well Well, the doc says I’ll recover While the nurse looks set to cry But I’m left wondering why of all us mates I’m the one who did not die Now I’ve just been told they’ll ship me home But the thing to understand Is that every mate that I grew up with Is lying dead in no-man’s-land So I’m writing you this letter And you’ll get it with the mail For I’ll be homeward bound you see When the Warilda next sets sail I’ll be home and I guess that I’ll be drinking on my own There were Douglas, Pat and Roger We’d find shortcuts through the scrub When we had a thirst worth quenching At the old Dunolly pub So, I’ll be home, and I’ll raise a glass To all these friends I’ve known Oh, I’m the last man from Dunolly Of us volunteers who went to war From the sports ground Where we all signed up, It seemed a cause worth fighting for And I’m the last man from Dunolly From the fifteenth brigade there at Fromelles That evening when the orders came So many diggers fell I was right by James Barnfather When he copped one in the chest Of my mates from ‘round Dunolly He may just have been the best I knelt down there beside him I spoke with him as he died Fifteenth brigade could not advance No matter what was tried So in retreat, back to our lines We trod through guts and blood From our mates and other diggers Blown to pieces in the mud. But I’ll be home, I’ll be home But I guess I'll be drinking on my own So I’m the last man from Dunolly Of our newly-formed brigade. There were no gains made at Fromelles Despite the price we paid Us diggers, we had just arrived In fact we’d barely got our kit When we were slaughtered our thousands Sent out to do our bit I’m the last man from Dunolly, Who saw Pompey Elliott’s tears Greet the remnant of his brigade When Command ignored his fears You know the wounded here They are strange to me I scarce know four or five Of my fifty ninth battalion Perhaps a hundred may survive But I’ll be home. I’ll be home I will raise a toast to all these mates I’ve known See I’m the last man from Dunolly Who saw action in Fromelles And lost all his mates on the battlefield But was with them when they fell Youtube clip Mike Whittle's note on the song: The last man from Dunolly: Dunolly is a typical Australian small town in the North West wheat growing region of Victoria. Early in World War I it was common practice to send the recruits from a single town or local region to a single platoon, and in a rural town there’s a limit to the number of men of service age. Monuments erected after the war record losses that were sometimes devastating to the area when a particular company had heavy casualties. 5,533 Australian and 1,547 British soldiers were sacrificed on the 19th and 20th of July 1916 at Fromelles in a pointless assault on a virtually impregnable position. The incompetence of the commanding officer, General Sir Richard Haking, was extreme even by the standards of the day. He had commanded two previous attacks on the same objective in 1915 both of which ended in disastrous failure with great loss of life. He justified his incompetence by remarking that the losses would “toughen up” the troops. His actions became a serious issue for the Australian government. Pompey Elliott --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 15 Nov 20 - 08:37 PM With a nod to 'Jock Stewart', a belter from the author of 'Poison Train'. SING US A SONG BOYS (Mike O’Rourke) Well come all decent people who suffer no shame You can let the blame lie where it will They have taken all from me except for my name And they’ve turned that from good into ill Chorus So sing us a song boys and we’ll be away It’s a long dry road we’re travelling today Let the bottle go round, take it easy and free No man is a stranger when he’s drinkin’ with me Now if you ask where I’m goin’, me errand’s me own It’s for me to say where to and when And drinkin’ might stop me from thinkin’ too long Where I live through my memories again Chorus And God knows what kind of a country we’ve made There were men raised it up on their backs And those fellows who handle the shears and the spade Are still out on the wallaby track Chorus And where is the flag of the diggers brigade Where are the riders out in the night And where is the wild dog who’s never afraid And who’ll never let go when he bites Chorus Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 15 Nov 20 - 09:02 PM This one was a great favourite here in Darwin performed by Tony Suttor and Peter Bate. MOSS VALE TRAIN (A.Scott/T.Morton) Well, I'm standing on Campbelltown station Waitin' for the Moss Vale train When a bloke comes out with a microphone To say it's been cancelled again Well, he says it's not his problem That we can’t get our ride The train pulled in to Minto And committed suicide Well, he says he's ordered buses To take us on our way And he thinks we should be grateful That's what I heard him say. So we're lurching down the freeway Watching videos I hope we get to Moss Vale Before the shops all close There's a bloke on the seat here beside me He’s going for a job interview By the time we get to Picton His chances of employment are through And my wife waits for me in Bowral She'll be going off her brain Staring down the railway track And there won’t be any train So if you're standing on Campbelltown station Waiting for the Two-Thirty-One, And a clown comes out with a microphone To tell you the train won't run Spoken: You tell him it is HIS problem It's a problem for ALL of us, Tell him you want the train back You don't want his stupid bus Or you'll be lurching down the freeway Hoping to get there soon The money they spent on the freeway Would build a railway to the moon Alan Scott used Tex Morton's tune for 'Freight Train Yodel'. Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 15 Nov 20 - 09:54 PM THE GLASS ON THE BAR (Henry Lawson) Three bushmen one morning rode up to an inn And one of them called for the drinks with a grin They'd only returned from a trip to the north And, eager to greet them, the landlord came forth He absently poured out a glass of Three Star, And set down that drink with the rest on the bar "There, that is for Harry," he said, "and it's queer 'Tis the very same glass that he drank from last year His name's on the glass, you can read it like print He scratched it himself with an old bit of flint I remember his drink - it was always Three Star" And the landlord looked out through the door of the bar He looked at the horses, and counted but three "You were always together - where's Harry?" cried he Oh, sadly they looked at the glass as they said, "You may put it away, for our old mate is dead" But one, gazing out o'er the ridges afar, said "We owe him a shout - leave the glass on the bar" They thought of the faraway grave on the plain They thought of the comrade who came not again They lifted their glasses, and sadly they said: "We drink to the name of our mate who is dead" And the sunlight streamed in and a light like a star Seemed to glow in the depth of the glass on the bar And still in that shanty a tumbler is seen It stands by the clock, always polished and clean And often the strangers will read as they pass The name of a bushman engraved on the glass; And though on the shelf but a dozen there are That glass never stands with the rest on the bar I don't know the provenance of the tune. Recordings range from Tex Morton to Peter Bellamy. Youtube clip --Stewie |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 16 Nov 20 - 09:22 PM A short and sweet one from the Kiwi songbook: LITTLE TOMMY PINKERTON (Anon) Little Tommy Pinkerton the fat boy Went to see his uncle Brown And when he was leaving his uncle gave him A brand new half-a-crown Tommy felt very thirsty He went to the very first shop Had six lemonade and a dozen ginger beer Then there came a great big pop More work for the undertaker Another little job for the tombstone maker At the local cemetery they were very very busy With a brand new grave for Tommy's fragments Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 16 Nov 20 - 09:39 PM BLACK VELVET BAND (Anon) It was the time for leaving An emigrant I was bound To say farewell to my true love And dear old London town Chorus: Her eyes they shine like diamonds I took hold of her hand Her hair hung down her shoulder Tied up with a black velvet band I knew not when I’d see her When I bade her adieu For I was bound for New Zealand To see my contract through I’m saving every penny And silver to be found I’ll latch on to every sovereign That reaches Auckland town And when I’m rich and proper And own a store in town I’ll send back home for my true love And then I’ll settle down Youtube clip --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 17 Nov 20 - 09:23 PM THE LAND WHERE THE CROW FLIES BACKWARDS (Dougie Young) I was born in the scrub in a mia-mia On the river they call the Barcoo My parents left me when I was quite young To paddle my own canoe They took me ‘long to Yundama station With a stock whip they tanned my hide Threw me in the saddle of a bucking horse That’s how I learned to ride Chorus Yes, I’m tall, dark and lean, every place I’ve been The white man calls me Jack It’s not a crime, I’m not ashamed I was born with my skin so black When it comes to riding rough horses Or working cattle, I’ve mixed with the best In the land where the crow flies backwards And the pelican builds his nest I’ve knocked about a lot of places In this land called the great outback Many times I’ve drove a herd of cattle Along the Birdsville Track With the mosquitoes and flies comin’ at you And the sun beatin’ down so hot You might think it’s a hell of a place But to me it means a lot Chorus They laugh in my face, they say I’m a disgrace They say I’ve got no sense The white man took this country from me He’s been fightin’ for it ever since These governments and presidents they’re arguin’ Every day they’re tryin’ to start a brawl If they are going to start a nuclear war What’s gonna happen to us all So I’ll just linger on, when from this world I’m gone This will be my last request Bury me where the crow flies backwards And the pelican build his nest Chorus Above is my transcription from an EP that Dougie Young recorded in 1964. Young was the first indigenous Australian to record his own compositions. I first heard it on a LP by my friend, Ian White - 'Songs from a Busker's Bag'. Young reached a wider audience when this song was recorded by Gary Shearston. You tube clip Gary Shearston cover Dougie Young bio --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 18 Nov 20 - 03:02 AM 1964 Review of LAND WHERE THE CROW FLIES BACKWARDS From the Archives - Aboriginal songs in Singabout Journal of Australian Folk Song, 1956-1967 |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 18 Nov 20 - 08:41 PM Thanks, Sandra. THE BALLAD OF LES DARCY (Clem Parkinson) In the early 1900s in Maitland New South Wales The legend of Les Darcy first began While working as a blacksmith he became as tough as nails At sixteen worked as hard as any man His folks were mighty poor and they struggled to exist Young Darcy was the family’s sole support In time the prize ring beckoned to that young man’s mighty fist People came from miles when Darcy fought The magic of his gloves set the boxing world ablaze The crowd went wild with every victory But he didn’t fight for glory and he didn’t fight for fame But to keep his family free from poverty Europe plays with war and by nineteen seventeen Countless lives had perished in the mud There had to be more fodder for the hungry war machine Youth must be prepared to shed its blood But Darcy slipped away in defiance of the law To seek the title in the USA He rejected king and empire, he loved his family more But he little knew the price he’d have to pay Bewildered and alone in a strange and foreign land Hounded by a vicious press campaign He was branded as a slacker, from the prize ring he was banned And his health became affected by the strain In Memphis Tennessee at the age of twenty one Rejected and alone he passed away Now the people mourn the passing of this fine Australian son And we think of him with reverence today Another fine song that I first heard on Ian White's 'Songs From a Busker's Bag'. Wongawilli have recorded an excellent rendition: Youtube clip The Maitland Wonder --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 19 Nov 20 - 02:44 AM Ballad of Les Darcy by John Dengate (tune - The Boys of Wexford) In Maitland Town, long years ago, and so begins my song, There toiled in a blacksmith's forge a sportsman young and strong; He'd hands and arms like tempered steel; Les Darcy was his name. He made the iron anvil peal and punched his way to fame. High-ranking Yankee middleweights with reputations tall Were fighting in Australian rings, defeating one ans all; But when they met the Maitland boy, with heads and hearts full sore, Much sadder and wiser men, they left Australia's shores. "Now Darcy you must go to war1" the militarists rages But Darcy's mother would not sign and he was underaged. So midst a storm of foul abuse, Les Darcy sailed away To earn his living with his fists in distant U.S.A But death awaited Darcy in th land beyond the sea. Of poison adn a broken heart he dies in Tennessee; He's buried now near Maitland in the land where he was born, And those who smeared Les DArcy's name; I sing their names to scorn. He'd hands and arms like tempered steel; Les Darcy was his name. He made the iron anvil peal and punched his way to fame. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 19 Nov 20 - 04:40 AM Gulgong Song, words John Dengate, tune trad used for Catalpa, Rosin the bow, written in the late 60s when the Bush Music Club visited Gulgong for the Gold Dust Festivals/Carnivals Sofala, Hill End and Tuena, their stories will always be told And none can deny Araluen her place in the story of gold … But written in nuggets at Pipe Clay, Home Rule and Canadian Lead, The glittering history of Gulgong is there for Australia to read. Loud were the shouts and the laughter when diggers with joy unrestrained Went paddling round in the gutters, picking up gold when it rained … And written in nuggets at Pipe Clay, Home Rule and Canadian Lead, The glittering history of Gulgong is there for Australia to read. Glinting in clay and in gravel, gleaming in quartz and in lode; Gold was the pillar of Gulgong – and Gardiner was king of the road … And written in nuggets at Pipe Clay, Home Rule and Canadian Lead, The glittering history of Gulgong is there for Australia to read. We’ll drink to the days of the diggings and then when our memories grow dim, We’ll take down the volumes of Lawson and share the last bottle with him … And written in nuggets at Pipe Clay, Home Rule and Canadian Lead, The glittering history of Gulgong is there for Australia to read. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 19 Nov 20 - 10:14 PM Another one for young Les. A pox on their king and empire! This is more or less what the Bushwackers recorded. I don't know who wrote it - possibly Dobe Newton. LES DARCY Roll up ! roll up and see the show, you local blokes let's see you go A quid for a goer, two bob for a dud, it's a princely pay for sweat and blood Young Les was keen to have a go, 'now watch him Les - he'll hit you low' The tent-show boy never saw it coming, Maitland's pride was off and running Running down to Sydney town, running down to try Running down to make his name and listen to them cry Chorus All I can wish for tonight is to see Les Darcy fight. How they cheered him, they clapped him and they cheered him Every Saturday night So he hung around the stadium door, they let him in to sweep the floor He saw them spar, the best they'd got, he knew that he could beat the lot Three rounds to start and then a main, he never swept that floor again For he beat them all inside the bell, soon he heard the people yell Chorus They rolled up in regiments for every fight, they made Les Darcy king for a night But then he refused to kill in our name, the press they called him a national shame. He stowed away for the land of the free, he died alone across the sea In a flag-draped coffin they sent him home, he sat on our guilt like a champion's throne He was going down to Tennessee, he was going down to die, If we'd known that we would break your heart, you would have heard Australia cry Youtube clip The Australian Folk Songs site has an example of the attacks on Darcy printed in the 'Adelaide Mail' in 1917: Click --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: rich-joy Date: 20 Nov 20 - 11:14 PM I've just come across this rather interesting 2014 album entitled "Miscarriage of Justice" from a group of 6 x Bathurst, NSW musicians called "10th Man" (website here : http://www.10thman.com.au ). I'll post a couple of tracks. SYDNEY TOWN I am the modern warrior, I fight the urban sprawl I am the lonely beggar sitting in the Pitt Street mall I am the western suburbs, jammed up with the bogan homes I am the hungry monster, built upon greed and sandstone And when the sun goes down, you’ll see the dark side of this town You’ll go down down down down Down down to Sydney town Down, to Sydney town. Rape and pillage, it’ll take your soul It’ll steal your innocence It will take it all, it’ll take it all (x2) It’ll take it all I am the Hawkesbury River, the ghosts at Callan Park A tattooed arm at Coogee spewed up from a tiger shark I am James Hardie Fibro, dioxins in the bay Shootin’ up at Cabramatta, having coffee in a [Bronte] Beach café And when the sun goes down, you’ll see the dark side of this town You’ll go down down down down Down down to Sydney town Down, to Sydney town Rape and pillage, it’ll take your soul It’ll steal your innocence It will take it all, it will take it all (x2) It will take it all I am the deals and handshakes, going down in Macquarie Street An outrage at Mount Rennie (or Mount Penny) I’m standing at the wharf, I’m on the beat I am your local Westfield, an old and groaning wharf Listen to the ghosts of the colony Listen to us, hear us talk And when the sun goes down, you’ll see the dark side of this town You’ll go down down down down Down down to Sydney town Down down down down Down, down to Sydney town Rape and pillage, it’ll take your soul It’ll steal your innocence It will take it all, it’ll take it all (x2) It will take it all Yeah it’ll take it all, and leave you with nothing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1XTOCCIACE R-J |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: rich-joy Date: 20 Nov 20 - 11:52 PM And another from the 10th Man album, 1813 Miscarriage of Justice. (with a nod to "The Lights of Cobb & Co" by the sound of it) : BtW, this is how they describe their music on their website : "it's hard to ?c?ategorise?? - Let's call it protest punk or hard rock indie music for lack of a definition. With quieter lyrical interludes. Sometimes a touch of reggae or the blues, or a rolling shanty. It's all original and made in Bathurst. There are some things we feel strongly about: social injustice, especially for the original Australians and for our newest arrivals seeking our protection; the bulldozing of forests and shooting of wildlife; mining and climate change; political opportunism and the spun line; and shonky environmental consultants. Sometimes it just has to be put in a song of sorts, powered with high energy fury - or laid back irony and fun. Our music is strongly informed and influenced by politics, environment and social issues, history and colonisation - and is highly collaborative. 10th Man has been jamming in the dungeon every week for years now, where anyone is welcome to bring their instrument, a riff or a rhythm, and away we go." GALILEE Well the land-grab started here for them so many years ago When Mitchell opened up the plains they called it Jericho Now farms are not enough to spin the dollars for the kings So they’re going to dig for coal in Galilee Galilee Galilee Valley of great riches, come on and gather coal Galilee Galilee Saddle-up your horses, we’re going for the gold Well you’re going to need a railway from here to Abbott Point Don’t worry about the EIS, we’ll doctor a report Just point your hands in front of you directly to the sea And you’ll haul your stinking coal from Galilee Galilee Galilee Valley of great riches, come on and gather coal Galilee Galilee Saddle-up your horses, we’re going for black gold So saddle up the government, we’ll take them for a ride The Chinese and the Indians are waiting for their prize Now the Brigalow and Bimblebox will fade from memory As you haul your stinking coal from Galilee Galilee Galilee Valley of great riches, come on and gather coal Galilee Galilee Saddle-up your horses, we’re going for black gold We’ll dump the sludge into the reef, the fish’ll be just fine Its only sediment my friend, from Bowen bloody mines The climate it’ll be alright you wait and frickin’ see As we dig our fuckin’ holes in Galilee Galilee Galilee Valley of great riches, come on and gather coal Galilee Galilee Saddle-up your horses, we’re going for black gold Galilee Galilee Valley of great riches, come on and gather coal Galilee Galilee Saddle-up your horses, we’re going for black gold Hey! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOlrhZrEu2M "the galilee basin In 2013 the Queensland and Australian federal governments approved Waratah Coal’s massive coal mine and development, owned by billionaire and now-federal Member of Parliament, Clive Palmer. Some 40 mega-tonnes of coal pa bound for China will be transported on a yet-to-be-built 468km rail line up to Abbot Point, a development that will dredge and dump in the Great Barrier Reef. In the Galilee Basin, at least half of the 8,000 hectare remnant Bimblebox Nature Reserve will be destroyed for Palmer’s ‘China First’ mine – renamed the ‘Galilee Coal Project’. The Bimblebox is home to innumerable wildlife and plant species. The photos in the clip below are a selection of some of the birds and animals found in the Bimblebox woodland." Be sure to watch the clip re this, on their webpage. Meanwhile, the Court battles drag on and Australia loses more species and habitats daily and yet somehow, this particular creature survives everything and shores up his fortunes. Here is a recent profile : https://mine.nridigital.com/mine_australia_nov20/clive_palmer_profile R-J |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 21 Nov 20 - 12:20 AM after the recent Qld election, where Clive Palmer sent many millions against the labour govt & ran many candidates, but received very few votes, IKEA put an ad on their roof saying Geez, Clive ... $60 million & not a single seat. Should have come to IKEA - & advertising one of their chairs, for $27.99 |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 21 Nov 20 - 12:48 AM Terrorist Song by John Dengate ©John Dengate 2003 Tune: Knickerbocker Line As I was walking down the road, he suddenly appeared: A bloody turbaned Moslem with a big Bin Laden beard; I asked, "Are you a terrorist, is that your bloody lurk?" He said, "No, I'm a carpenter, I'm on my way to work." Chorus I watched him, tracked him, rang up A.S.I.O. I dobbed him into Alan Jones on talk-back radio. I may not be a beauty and I don't have any sense But, by God, I know my duty to the national defence! They're going to bomb the Harbour Bridge then quiet as a mouse, They'll sneak up with explosives and blow up the Opera House. They're going to blow up Murphy's pub. I've heard about the plot … I hope they get the pokies 'cause I'm losing quite a lot. There's terrorism everywhere; it makes a man afraid… I’m buying a machine gun and I'll build a barricade. You'll have to know the password if you come and visit me. Shoot first, ask questions later mate, that's my philosophy. My Aunty May's eccentric; "You’re paranoid," she said. She doesn't believe the terrorists are underneath the bed. She reckons it's "hysteria"… I don’t know what she meant … She said she’s far more frightened of the Federal Government. John Howard will protect us, he is very strong and brave; He's passing legislation that will make you all behave! You won't be facing Mecca on that silly bloody mat You'll all be Church of England, Abdul, cogitate on that! Final Chorus Watch them, track them… Notes Many tanks to John Dengate for permission to include this song in the Union Songs collection. Alan Jones is a "Shock Jock" on commercial radio and long time supporter of the Howard government. A.S.I.O is the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation about whom there are quite a number of songs Terrorist song by Chris Maltby @ BMC's Dengate memorial 2013 |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 21 Nov 20 - 01:24 AM Song of Childhood by John Dengate (original tune) Where have the days of my childhood gone - Time had plundered the years. Stolen my gift of golden days; Left me with ashes and tears. Over the paddocks I've run ... Drugged with the summer cicadas' song; Drunk with freedom and sun. Take me back to a fibro house In a suburb carved from the bush. Give me an acre of grass to cut And a rusty mower to push. Give me a summery Saturday Just after the war was won, With Dad and my uncles drinking beer, Sprawled on the grass in the sun. They spoke with a curious proud elan; Their laughter was careless and free. Fresh from the battles against Japan They seemed immortal to me. But how can an innocent boy discern What's fallible, false or true? Their mortal steps are faltering now And mine are faltering too. Bring out the bat and the worn cork ball And we'll bowl at an old wooden case. She'll jump and turn on the asphalt road ... She'll come at a lively pace! But barefoot, careless, and undismayed We'll drive and hammer and glance ... Now the ball is lost in the tangled years - My hands couldn't hold the chance. Jason & Chloe Roweth video |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: rich-joy Date: 21 Nov 20 - 01:35 AM BLACK BOY Bunna Lawrie, 1984 A shy black boy, you came to the city To learn about life and how his people - (are / are living / lost their lives / lost heart / are st..... / ?***) He's very stubborn, he was just a child And now his life is mystified. Black boy, black boy Black boy, black boy The color of your skin is your pride & joy Black boy, black boy Black boy, black boy Your life is not destroyed. He didn't go to school coz they called him ‘Black Boy’ He hardly talked to the girls and boys Don't be a fool, just obey the rules Cause you'll just learn the truth. And one day you'll grow up to be a man To learn and live and understand Sticks and stones may break your bones But names will never hurt you. You'll be the one who's having fun So you just keep on learning on. Black boy, black boy Black boy, black boy The color of your skin is your pride & joy Black boy, black boy Black boy, black boy Your life is not destroyed. Bunna Lawrie’s group Coloured Stone – came from out of Koonibba Mission, west of Ceduna in SA. Bunna says this song is semi autobiographical. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v47WOQaZsI&t=45s *** Many before me have tried to decipher these words and there are many variations on the Net – and even on different versions sung by Bunna!! BtW, if you’re interested in music from Indigenous Australians, read this article from 2012 by iconic Australian singer-songwriter, Paul Kelly. The song/performer selection is not finite, of course, but it’s a great start : https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2012/october/1360803357/paul-kelly/desert-songs#mtr R-J |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 21 Nov 20 - 02:00 AM ASIO by John Dengate (words from My Shout, 1982) ASIO! where we photograph and file ‘em! ASIO! for political asylum ... I’m very seldom feted, I’m poorly educated I feel I’m underrated by the crown But I can tell subversion from sexual perversion, When I’m on excursion round your town. ALTERNATE CHORUS ASIO! where we photograph and file ‘em, ASIO! the political asylum. ASIO! from the arctic to the jungle ASIO! we invariably bungle. From Caringbah to Cairo, I’m ready with my biro, I fire like a pyromaniac I can tell by intuition, if you’re guilty of sedition, But I’m hampered in my mission by the brains I lack. ASIO! etc. You’re a radical rebelling! What’s your name and place of dwelling? (Could you help me with the spelling, I’m a wee bit pissed) I must be very canny, look in every nook and cranny, Why I’ve even got my granny on the suspect list. ASIO! etc. If you keep participating, in the nasty demonstrating, Or I catch you masturbating, you’ll be on my files. Yes! security is vital and to ascertain it’s tight I’ll Sit here prying day and night until I get the piles. ASIO! etc Away we go! (Never mind the trauma) It pays, you know, I'm an ASIO informer. Jane Scott singing ASIO & Dale talking about her & John's ASIO files! |
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Subject: ADD: OLD SYDNEY TOWN (Phyl Lobl) From: rich-joy Date: 21 Nov 20 - 02:45 AM OLD SYDNEY TOWN (Phyl Lobl) The tank steam* ran silent through shaded green banks, When first I saw Sydney I offered no thanks. And the pleasant bush scenery gave me no cheer, For the eyes of a convict are blinded by fear. Oh Old Sydney Town I once was a rover, But now I can see that you've fair won me over. From the Hero of Waterloo* up at the rocks, To Blackwattle Bay with its dirty old docks. I'll sing of your pleasures that satisfy me, Of your harbour, your pubs and your Circular Quay*. The stone and the sweat that they used for the Quay, Was culled from the earth and poor bastards like me. How I hated that stone from the Argyle Cut, And I wished it were my bones they'd hung at Pinchgut. They gave me a pardon and set me quite free, But the white cliffs of Dover no more will see me, For I'm working a ferry run, I'm doing fine, From Blues Point to Dawes Point* I'm straight down the line. Now Phillip he formed you for he chose the place, Macquarie came after and quite changed your face. But for prisoners of Old Mother England who slaved, To build up your city, no names are engraved*. * References The 'Tank Stream' was Sydney's earliest water supply. Hero Of Waterloo is a pub in the Rocks area of Sydney, the early area of settlement. Circular Quay was once called semi-circular Quay because it was semi-circular. I used to sing semi instead of your but abandoned the practice. Before there was a bridge there was a ferry. Phillip and Macquarie early Governors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJBirEyXLYs Sung by Qld’s long-time folk duo, Penny Davies & Roger Ilott. This is Phyl’s version : https://phyllobl.net/songs/broadmeadow-thistle-album/old-sydney-town/ R-J |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 21 Nov 20 - 09:46 PM ACROSS THE LINE (Anon) I’ve traded with the Maoris Brazilians and Chinese I’ve courted half-caste beauties Beneath the kauri trees I’ve travelled along with a laugh and a song In the land where they call you mate Around the Horn and back again For that is the sailor’s fate Chorus: Across the line, the Gulf stream I’ve been in Table Bay Around the Horn and home again For that is the sailor’s way I’ve run aground in many a sound Without a pilot aboard Longboat lowered by lantern light Pushed off and gently oared Row-lock creaking, a thumping swell And a wind that would make you ache Who would sail the seven seas And share a sailor’s fate We’ve sailed to northward We’ve sailed away to east We’ve skinned our sail in the teeth of a gale And stood in the calmest seas Eastward 'round by Dusky Sound And Pegasus though the Strait Port Cooper, Ocean, Tom Kain’s Bay For that is a sailor’s fate Youtube clip Garland’s version, particularly in the second half of the third stanza, differs from the above which was first published in the ‘Canterbury Times’ in 1913. In the north, the Bay of Islands became busier and busier. Kororareka grew as the world’s southernmost port with whitewashed houses lining the shore. However, in the south, the sealing industry was dying, for the massive slaughter of seals as they came ashore to calve led to their rapid decrease in numbers. Sailors, moreover, were far less willing to seal. Tales of gangs left to die on the southernmost storm-swept islands spread rapidly. The seamen on the coastal trading vessels carried these stories with them as they sailed ‘eastward 'round by Dusky Sound and Pegasus through the Strait. Note in ‘Song of a Young Country’ p11. --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Stewie Date: 22 Nov 20 - 09:22 PM Here is another song that I first heard on Ian White's 'Songs from a Busker's Bag'. He noted that he got it 'from Joy Durst in the days of the Victorian Bush Music Club'. It is an Australian version of a song that was first published in 'Plantation Melodies' in 1847. The song was part of the American blackface minstrel tradition. The book noted: 'Words by S.S. Steele, Esq. as sung by A.F. Winnemore and his band of Virginia Serenaders; Arranged for the Piano Forte by A. F. Winnemore'. GUM TREE CANOE I’ll sing you a ditty, a sweet little song It will just take a moment, it won’t keep you long I’ll sing of the days when our love was so new And we sailed down the Murray River, boys, in a gum tree canoe Chorus; We rowed o’er the waters so blue Like a feather we would float along In our gum tree canoe My hand on my banjo, my toe in my oar I work all the day and I sing as I go And at night time I turn to my Julia so true And we sail down the Murry River, boys, in a gum tree canoe I once left the river and went on the land To set myself up as a cocky so grand But the life didn’t suit me, it made my heart sore I went back to the Murray River, boys, and my Julia once more Ian's rendition was a beaut duet with Cathie O'Sullivan, but that is not available on the Net. However, you can hear it from Chloe and Jason Roweth here - it starts around 2 min mark. Youtube clip Original lyrics and a recording here: Click The singer who is best associated with the song these days: John Hartford --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: rich-joy Date: 23 Nov 20 - 07:28 AM more Indigenous music from Oz : We Have Survived Written by Bart Willoughby (at age 18); performed by No Fixed Address WIKI : "We Have Survived" is considered to be an Aboriginal anthem and an "anthem of cultural persistence" You can't change the river of my soul Whoa-oh-oh You can't tell me too, what to do You can't break my bone by putting me down Whoa-oh-oh Or by taking the things that belong to me 'Cause, We have survived, the white man's world And the horror and the torment of it all We have survived, the white man's world And you know You can't change that. All the years has just past me by Whoa-oh-oh I've been hassled by the cops nearly all my life People try to keep me so blind Whoa-oh-oh But I can see what's going on, in my mind 'Cause, We have survived, the white man's world And the horror and the torment of it all We have survived, the white man's world And you know You can't change that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVI2CxvqtII (band clip from 1981 film “Wrong Side of the Road” – which is a classic - an Aboriginal ‘Road Movie’) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkK_3oGihIQ (clip is a great solo acoustic version by Bart Willoughby, year?) 1981 film members: Les Graham, lead guitar ; Chris Jones, guitar, vocals ; Veronica Rankine, saxophone, harmony vocals ; John John Miller, bass ; Bart Willoughby, drums, vocals, percussion, didgeridoo. No Fixed Address were extant 1978-1988. As with Bunna Lawrie’s Coloured Stone (see previous Mudcat posts), members came from the Koonibba Mission, west of Ceduna in SA. “They formed only four years after the Racial Discrimination Act passed Federal Parliament – making it illegal to discriminate against someone based on their race or descent – and less than two decades since the repeal of the 1911 ‘Aborigines Act‘, which enshrined in law the protection of free movement for Aboriginal Australian residents in South Australia.” https://citymag.indaily.com.au/culture/no-fixed-address-given-permanent-cbd-address/ “ …. while studying music at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in North Adelaide. They were mentored by a white musician, Graeme Isaac who encouraged them to move beyond country music, a popular genre of music adopted by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to explore rock and reggae. In a sense, the boys created a whole new music genre, ‘Australian reggae’ by using traditional reggae sounds fused with the Indigenous storytelling and punk, anarchist lyrics. They were the first Aboriginal band to receive mainstream exposure, [previously] there were no Aboriginal bands in the national music charts, on commercial radio or on national television. No Fixed Address paved the way for the iconic Aboriginal rock which began to emerge in the 1980s, including Yothu Yindi and the Warumpi Band….. They were the first Aboriginal band to tour internationally. Their music was a source of advocacy and activism … not just talented musicians with a cool sound. Their lyrics dramatically changed the Australian music landscape, where strong songs about human rights, Indigenous welfare, racism, oppression and Australia’s shameful history were broadcast on mainstream channels. This was just shy of a time when non-Indigenous Australians were unaware of the Stolen Generations or forced labor of Aboriginal children, and public schools were teaching students that Indigenous Australians will soon become extinct. NFA lyrics … opened conversations in the wider community about the struggles of Indigenous peoples and country-wide resistance. The 1981 film “Wrong Side of the Road” was also a creative response to the band being denied a major recording contract on account of them being ‘too radical’. This, along with consistent police interference at their music gigs and being denied hotel accommodation while on tour, showed the public how difficult it is for Aboriginal Australians to excel in mainstream creative industries and the ways that their opportunities have been limited. Making their Halls of Fame induction [in 2011 and 2016], an even more significant win for Aboriginal music, and Indigenous excellence. They truly have survived. https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2016/06/08/no-fixed-address-pioneers-aboriginal-music-inducted-sa-hall-fame R-J |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: rich-joy Date: 23 Nov 20 - 07:36 AM continued : GENOCIDE 1981, performed by US MOB Lyrics and music by Peter Butler and Wally McArther They promised us this, and they promised us that But all we ever get, is to stab you in the back. They tell us what to do, and they push us around And then they have the gall, to go and rip up the ground. When are they gonna learn, when will they stop? When are they gonna learn to stop this genocide? Like the children that are dyin. The white man just ain’t tryin He’s cheatin and he’s lyin, all the time. They don’t wanna understand, that they killed us for our land Just for the earth and sand, to put money in their greedy hands. When are they gonna learn, when will they stop? When are they gonna learn to stop this genocide? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsraq76Y8dE Us Mob “were an early Aboriginal reggae rock band from South Australia. The band was formed with the help of the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music [CASM] in Adelaide. Us Mob appeared in the film “Wrong Side of the Road” with fellow CASM band, No Fixed Address.*** The recording of the soundtrack made the two bands the first contemporary aboriginal bands to be recorded. Along with No Fixed Address they were nominated for the 1981 AFI Award for Best Original Music for the music from the film. They relocated to Sydney and broke up after their equipment was destroyed by a fire. The band were the subject of an ABC Message Stick documentary in February 2000. Members : Ronnie Ansell – Bass / Pedro Butler - Guitar/vocals / Carroll Karpany – Guitar / Wally McArther – Drums” WIKIPEDIA ENTRY ***the classic 1981 Aboriginal ‘road movie’ R-J |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: rich-joy Date: 23 Nov 20 - 07:50 AM Oh well, one more!! (might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb, eh) BLACK MAN’S RIGHTS No Fixed Address I am a Black, Black Man and I need to be recognised in this wretched world for we are getting brainwashed and the people forgetting about our rights so all you Black People you got to fight for your rights You got to - fight for your rights There’s a lot of things that are trying to stop you, and this is racism, and the cops, and the Government which is buggered but we have learnt within our soul, within our soul, and that is the land controls you - you don’t control it you don’t control it Fight for your rights Fight for your rights I am, a Black, Black Man and I need to be recognised in this wretched world for we are getting brainwashed and the people forgetting about our rights so, all you Black People, You got to fight for your rights You got to fight for your rights You got to fight for your rights You got to fight for your rights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRFh8G_zLtU Clip from: the classic Aboriginal ‘road movie’ “Wrong Side of the Road (1981) see above posts for more background info. R-J |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: rich-joy Date: 23 Nov 20 - 05:17 PM Stewie posted Archie Roach’s “Took the Children Away” on October 14th. Another Anthem is an autobiographical song from his wife, the late – and also much-loved – Ruby Hunter. This is “Down City Streets” which Archie recorded on his debut “Charcoal Lane” CD in 1990. DOWN CITY STREETS Ruby Hunter Down city streets I would roam, I had no bed, I had no home Crawled out of bushes early morn, Used newspapers to keep me warm Then I'd have to score a drink, Start me out, help me to think. Down city streets I would roam, used my fingers as a comb In those days when I was young, drinking and fighting was no fun It was daily living for me, I had no choice, It was meant to be. Down city streets I would roam, I had no bed I had no home And there was nothing that I owned, used my fingers as a comb Now I'm a man, I'm not alone, I am married, I have children of my own Now I have something I call my own, These are my children, and this is my home. - I look around and understand, how street kids feel when they're put down – Down city streets I would roam, I had no bed I had no home And there was nothing that I owned, used my fingers as a comb Down city streets I would roam, I had no bed I had no home And there was nothing that I owned, used my fingers as a comb Down city streets. Down city streets. Down city streets….. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RCcs6AOdT0 R-J [ My late Mum who died in 2014 at age 90, adored Archie & Ruby (along with Wurumpi’s charismatic George Rrurrambu!) ] |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: rich-joy Date: 23 Nov 20 - 06:01 PM A PLEA (an opinion piece!) There are many other excellent Australian (and EnZed) songs I have, but it's getting harder to find an on-line recording of them (or especially (IMHO) a 'good' rendition!) As I have lamented before, there are SO MANY vinyl/cassette tape/CD recordings in the Folk-and-related genres, from the 1970s-1990s, that haven't been digitised and uploaded to the internet (and not only from Down Under!) There are a few worthy souls who do the hard yards of restoring old recordings and make them available for download, but so often, a removal order is slapped on them by copyright-owning corporations or performers, when realistically, this outlet would be the only chance of anyone ever hearing these songs again. Why be a Scrooge about your music if there's little chance for a new recording that (only possibly) would translate to sales??!! We are in danger of losing so much good stuff, once my (over 60) generation which still has a foot in that fertile folk past, has gone. Please reconsider this tightly-held "ownership" Thing; FOLK was always about Community and SHARING the Music with each other (which begets more music!).......... Rich-Joy :) |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 23 Nov 20 - 08:16 PM Australian Folk Music and Australian Folk Singers and Musicians - Paul the Stockman, Focusing on Australian folk music, Australian bush ballads and/or Australian folk musicians The focus of my blog is on Australian folk music and folk musicians to preserve such music in the public arena before it becomes lost. Much of the music I supply was ripped from LP and edited by me. I am happy to do the same for anyone holding such music. Please email me if you wish to contribute. I was born and raised in Queensland mainly on sheep and cattle stations but migrated to the cities as an adult. Everyone reckoned that I would make a good stockman when I grew up hence the nickname. When I was young my main music influences were the old time hillbillies, Tex Morton, Slim Dusty, Buddy Williams, the McKean Sisters etc mixed with the 1950s hit parade songs. I loved Presley, Everley Bros, Cliff Richards, etc. There's is still a lot I like about much of the music since then but my enduring passion since about 1960 has been folk music especially traditional folk songs fom anywhere. Those old songs have been tenderly crafted over decades and sometimes centuries and they usually have such a polished beauty if sung with any real understanding. ... As to the infrequency of postings, this is mostly caused by a scarcity of suitable material of sufficient quality. Good clean or cleanable material is very hard to come by nowadays. We have had some excellent contributors over the years for which I and presumably most of you are very thankful. Perhaps some of you are still holding onto gems that I could put up on the blog. HINT HINT. I do have a couple of other posts outstanding at the moment and I will have them up very soon. I am getting seriously old now and do have one serious health issue. No rush at the moment but is there anyone interested in looking after the blog, in a maintenance sense, somewhere along the line? Anyway, continue to enjoy the music. Regards to all Paul |
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Subject: RE: Rise Up Mudcat Songbook - Australia From: rich-joy Date: 23 Nov 20 - 10:22 PM Thanks Sandra - yes, I do correspond on occasion with Paul the Stockman! But of course, from the PoV of this Mudcat thread, if there is a song one wants to hear and it's only on this web-blog, you do need to download a whole LP to hear it. But I for one am very grateful that Paul's Blog exists, as there is much info and many recordings that he has INDEED rescued. But I can see I'm gonna have to search my vinyl collection and do some posting to him, eh! :) Also, I do understand that in some cases, it concerns a folk performer's livelihood. If one can still generate sales from one's Back Catalogue - well and good - and the very best of luck to you! But many items are no longer available for sale and it's all too hard or not worth their time, for a Performer (or an ex-Performer), to try and reproduce old material. However, diehard Folkies can still be interested, or would be IF they knew about it. For many years, I was one of those diehards who, if they loved an Artist (or Author!), they then tried to buy every damned recording (or book) they'd ever done. I know Stewie too, has had a similar penchant at times in his past, LoL!! S'pose that at my stage of Life now, I'm moving more into that "Letting Go of Stuff" phase. i.e. share with the Younger Gens who still have the energy to do something with it - and to be honest, often with greater musical skill :) Ten to One that the Great Nephew Twice Removed who ends up with your Estate will chuck most of it to the nearest Op-Shop/ThriftShop anyway!!!! Of course, Music Business Corporations would never be convinced about this way of thinking, no matter if they never ever make another red cent from "their property" ...... coz "IT'S ALL MINE!!!" ..... Madness ..... Just my 2cents worth. R-J |
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