Lyr Req: Woolloomooloo Lair

Subject: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Earl
Date: 07 Nov 97 - 12:06 PM

Here's one for the Aussies. The Bushwackers do a song called "Wooloomooloo Lair" which is not on the DT database or anywhere else I looked (though I did find information on their university's philosophy dept. :) Lyrics and any other info would be appreciated.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Barry
Date: 07 Nov 97 - 03:40 PM

Does it go something like

On the day that I was born, it was a cold & frosty morn, In a little suburb know as Woolloomooloo. It was down on Reily St., that the folks first heard me bleat Cause at the time I'd nothing else to do.

Oh me mother died of fright when she saw me in the light And my father thought he'd send me to the zoo, But I owe alot to him, cause he taught me how to swim, When he heaved me off the bridge at Woolloomooloo

CH. Oh my name it is MaCathy & I'm an awful party I'm as rough & tough as an old man kangaroo Some people think I'm crazy, I don't work because I'm lazy And I tag along (could never make this line).

I have a bit more but not all, could never make the rest out. I would also love to find the rest. If no one else posts on this I'll send along what ever else I have. Barry

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: WOOLLOOMOOLOO LAIR
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 08 Nov 97 - 11:16 AM

G'day,
Here we are, text, MIDI and ABC

WOOLLOOMOOLOO LAIR

Trad

On the day that I was born, it was a cold & a frosty morn,
In the famous suburb known as Woolloomooloo.
It was down in Riley Street my folks first heard me bleat
'Cause at the time I'd nothing else to do.
Oh me mother died of fright when she saw me in the light
And my father thought he'd send me to the zoo,
But I owe a lot to him, 'cause he taught me how to swim,
When he heaved me off the pier at Woolloomooloo

Oh my name it is McCarty & I'm a rorty party
I'm rough & tough as an old man kangaroo
Some people say I'm crazy, I don't work because I'm lazy
And I tag along in the boozing throng, the Push from Woolloomooloo.

And when I was just a lad I went straight'way to the bad
A larrikin so hard, you'd strike me blue
But the government was kind and they didn't seem to mind
And in Darlinghurst I spent a night or two.
Now the judge gave me a stare and he said, "You're a lair"
They heaved me into Darlinghurst gaol - you understand
They gave me clothes, they cut my hair, I didn't seem to care
And every night you'd find me in the van.

And I spent some years in gaol till I began to quail
I resolved to live upon a different lay
And enlisted in the ranks of the Salvation Army 'cranks'
You can bet I made the bloody business pay!
Well hallelujah! I'm a lout I knows me way about
I kids the mugs that I'm converted too
All the lassies there I mash and I'm never short of cash
'Cause I beats me drum all over Woolloomooloo.

Note: In the early days in Sydney a "push" was a street gang. The term has not been in use much this century. The word derives from the German Putsch which roughly means riot, unruly crowd etc.

The Bushwackers recorded this song twice. If you have the first version from "A Shearer's Dream" have a listen to the percussion - lagerphone & spoons. One of the things I play in a bush band is a lagerphone & seeing me name's Foster it's the only genuine Fosters's Lagerphone in existance. Sorry, the joke probably falls flat outside Oz.

MIDI file: woollair.mid

Timebase: 480

Name: Woolloomooloo Lair
TimeSig: 6/8 24 4
Key: G
Tempo: 160 (375000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0720 1 74 104 0478 0 74 104 0002 1 74 094 0238 0 74 094 0002 1 74 122 0478 0 74 122 0002 1 74 101 0238 0 74 101 0002 1 74 104 0478 0 74 104 0002 1 71 094 0238 0 71 094 0002 1 67 091 0718 0 67 091 0002 1 67 108 0238 0 67 108 0002 1 67 101 0238 0 67 101 0002 1 66 083 0238 0 66 083 0002 1 64 091 0238 0 64 091 0002 1 64 104 0238 0 64 104 0002 1 66 087 0238 0 66 087 0002 1 67 094 0478 0 67 094 0002 1 64 094 0238 0 64 094 0002 1 62 108 0718 0 62 108 0242 1 62 086 0238 0 62 086 0002 1 62 104 0238 0 62 104 0002 1 67 101 0478 0 67 101 0002 1 67 097 0238 0 67 097 0002 1 67 113 0238 0 67 113 0002 1 69 094 0238 0 69 094 0002 1 71 068 0718 0 71 068 0002 1 71 094 0238 0 71 094 0002 1 69 104 0238 0 69 104 0002 1 69 101 0238 0 69 101 0002 1 67 104 0238 0 67 104 0002 1 69 127 1438 0 69 127 0722 1 74 122 0478 0 74 122 0002 1 74 117 0238 0 74 117 0002 1 74 122 0478 0 74 122 0002 1 74 108 0238 0 74 108 0002 1 74 117 0478 0 74 117 0002 1 71 097 0238 0 71 097 0002 1 67 104 0718 0 67 104 0482 1 67 117 0238 0 67 117 0002 1 64 097 0478 0 64 097 0002 1 66 095 0238 0 66 095 0002 1 67 113 0478 0 67 113 0002 1 64 108 0238 0 64 108 0002 1 62 104 0718 0 62 104 0482 1 69 117 0238 0 69 117 0002 1 71 122 0478 0 71 122 0002 1 71 108 0238 0 71 108 0002 1 71 122 0478 0 71 122 0002 1 67 097 0238 0 67 097 0002 1 69 122 0238 0 69 122 0002 1 69 117 0238 0 69 117 0002 1 69 122 0238 0 69 122 0002 1 67 122 0478 0 67 122 0002 1 66 087 0238 0 66 087 0002 1 67 104 1438 0 67 104 0722 1 69 113 0478 0 69 113 0002 1 71 104 0238 0 71 104 0002 1 72 117 0238 0 72 117 0002 1 72 113 0238 0 72 113 0002 1 72 127 0718 0 72 127 0002 1 72 117 0238 0 72 117 0002 1 72 127 0718 0 72 127 0002 1 72 117 0478 0 72 117 0002 1 72 108 0238 0 72 108 0002 1 71 101 0478 0 71 101 0002 1 71 108 0238 0 71 108 0002 1 71 117 0478 0 71 117 0002 1 69 122 0238 0 69 122 0002 1 67 104 0718 0 67 104 0242 1 71 101 0238 0 71 101 0002 1 72 097 0238 0 72 097 0002 1 74 117 0478 0 74 117 0002 1 74 117 0238 0 74 117 0002 1 74 113 0238 0 74 113 0002 1 74 113 0238 0 74 113 0002 1 74 122 0718 0 74 122 0002 1 74 117 0238 0 74 117 0002 1 72 122 0478 0 72 122 0002 1 71 117 0238 0 71 117 0002 1 69 101 1438 0 69 101 0722 1 62 091 0478 0 62 091 0002 1 62 101 0238 0 62 101 0002 1 67 113 0478 0 67 113 0002 1 69 104 0238 0 69 104 0002 1 71 113 0478 0 71 113 0002 1 69 113 0238 0 69 113 0002 1 67 127 0718 0 67 127 0002 1 67 122 0478 0 67 122 0002 1 66 100 0238 0 66 100 0002 1 64 117 0478 0 64 117 0002 1 67 113 0238 0 67 113 0002 1 67 127 0478 0 67 127 0002 1 64 094 0238 0 64 094 0002 1 62 101 0718 0 62 101 0242 1 67 097 0238 0 67 097 0002 1 69 108 0238 0 69 108 0002 1 71 117 0478 0 71 117 0002 1 71 117 0238 0 71 117 0002 1 71 122 0478 0 71 122 0002 1 67 104 0238 0 67 104 0002 1 69 127 0478 0 69 127 0002 1 69 104 0238 0 69 104 0002 1 67 101 0238 0 67 101 0002 1 67 104 0238 0 67 104 0002 1 66 091 0238 0 66 091 0002 1 67 091 2158 0 67 091 0002 1 69 086 0478 0 69 086 0002 1 71 104 0238 0 71 104 0002 1 72 127 0478 0 72 127 0002 1 72 117 0238 0 72 117 0002 1 72 127 0478 0 72 127 0002 1 72 117 0238 0 72 117 0002 1 72 127 0478 0 72 127 0002 1 72 122 0718 0 72 122 0002 1 72 113 0238 0 72 113 0002 1 71 122 0478 0 71 122 0002 1 71 117 0238 0 71 117 0002 1 71 117 0478 0 71 117 0002 1 69 117 0238 0 69 117 0002 1 69 127 0478 0 69 127 0002 1 67 097 0718 0 67 097 0002 1 62 094 0238 0 62 094 0002 1 67 122 0478 0 67 122 0002 1 67 117 0238 0 67 117 0002 1 67 117 0238 0 67 117 0002 1 67 113 0238 0 67 113 0002 1 69 108 0238 0 69 108 0002 1 71 104 0478 0 71 104 0002 1 71 117 0238 0 71 117 0002 1 69 122 0478 0 69 122 0002 1 67 101 0238 0 67 101 0002 1 69 127 2158 0 69 127 0482 1 74 113 0238 0 74 113 0002 1 74 122 0238 0 74 122 0002 1 74 104 0238 0 74 104 0002 1 74 117 0718 0 74 117 0002 1 71 104 0238 0 71 104 0002 1 67 104 0478 0 67 104 0002 1 67 108 0238 0 67 108 0002 1 67 117 0478 0 67 117 0002 1 67 113 0238 0 67 113 0002 1 64 108 0478 0 64 108 0002 1 67 113 0238 0 67 113 0002 1 67 117 0238 0 67 117 0002 1 64 101 0238 0 64 101 0002 1 62 101 0718 0 62 101 0002 1 62 113 0238 0 62 113 0242 1 67 113 0238 0 67 113 0002 1 69 101 0238 0 69 101 0002 1 71 101 0478 0 71 101 0002 1 71 117 0238 0 71 117 0002 1 71 117 0238 0 71 117 0002 1 71 108 0238 0 71 108 0002 1 71 113 0238 0 71 113 0002 1 69 122 0478 0 69 122 0002 1 69 113 0238 0 69 113 0002 1 69 122 0478 0 69 122 0002 1 69 113 0238 0 69 113 0002 1 67 113 0478 0 67 113 0002 1 67 108 0238 0 67 108 0002 1 66 100 0238 0 66 100 0002 1 66 100 0238 0 66 100 0002 1 66 104 0238 0 66 104 0002 1 67 108 0718 0 67 108
End

To download the November 2 MIDItext 97 software click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Woolloomooloo Lair
M:6/8
Q:1/4=160
K:G
d2d|d2dd2B|G3GGF|EEFG2E|D3zDD|G2GGAB|-B2BAAG|
A6|z3d2d|d2dd2B|G3z2G|E2FG2E|D3z2A|B2BB2G|
AAAG2F|G6|z3A2B|ccc3c|c3c2c|B2BB2A|G3zBc|
d2dddd|-d2dc2B|A6|z3D2D|G2AB2A|G3G2F|E2GG2E|
D3zGA|B2BB2G|A2AGGF|G6|-G3A2B|c2cc2c|c2c3c|
B2BB2A|A2G3D|G2GGGA|B2BA2G|A6|-A3z2d|ddd3B|
G2GG2G|E2GGED|-D2DzGA|B2BBBB|A2AA2A|G2GFFF|
G3||

Enjoy.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Earl
Date: 08 Nov 97 - 01:09 PM

Thanks Alan, that's great! There are a few more and phrases that couls use clarification. I can guess the meanings but would prefer an official translation: "lair", "rorty", "larrikin", "in the van". Also, I assume that in Australia a suburb is different than an American suburb with blocks of middle class three bedroom houses with two car garages and neatly mowed lawns.

I think I can appreciate a Foster's lagerphone, though we usually buy the big cans. I'm planning to make a lagerphone (the parts are so readily available)is there any trick to it or traditions which must be adhered to? Are there any photgraphs on the web?

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Barry
Date: 08 Nov 97 - 07:14 PM

Great, my thanks also Alan. Barry

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Barry
Date: 08 Nov 97 - 07:31 PM

Alan, again, a couple guestions here too. The tape I have was made for me 17 years back, on it were Clancy Of The Overflow & Queensland Overlanders, is this form the Bushwachers? Thanks twice, Barry

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 09 Nov 97 - 04:18 PM

Earl,
Here are some definitions pasted from my Macquarie (Australian) Dictionary CD ROM:

larrikin (see below)
n. Colloq.
1. a lout, a hoodlum.
2. a mischievous young person.

lair [2]
n. Colloq.
1. a flashily dressed young man of brash and vulgar behaviour.
2. to dress up in flashy clothes (oft. fol. by up).
3. to renovate or dress up something in bad taste (fol. by up).
4. lair it up, to behave in a brash and vulgar manner.

mug
n
6. Colloq. a fool; one who is easily duped.
13. Colloq. stupid: a mug lair, mug copper, a mug alec.
[ME mogge, from Scand.; cf. Swed. mugg, D mugge]

mug lair
n. one who is vulgarly flamboyant in dress and behaviour. Cf. lair [2].

rort
n. Colloq.
1. a trick; lurk; scheme.
-rorty, adj.

As I understand it the origin of larrikin goes back to about the 1850s when a police constable in a Victorian (an Australian state) country town stated in court that the defendant was "larkin' about". His Irish accent made it sound like larrikin to the Aussies in the court and the term stuck. The Irish have had a huge effect on our culture, often unwittingly........

Another definition of mug would be sucker - there's one born every minute.

Rort is a word usually found in the same sentence as politician these days.

I'm not too sure about "in the van". Possibly if he was not in gaol he was in a police van (horse drawn).

Aussie suburbs can't be much different from North American ones. Any suburb less than about 25 years old is full of 3-4 bedroom brick veneer houses (a single wall of bricks built around a timber frame), built-in double garages and swimming pools.

My lagerphone is a branch of a gum tree about 5 ft long. It has about 60 nails with large flat heads each with three beer bottle tops held in place by a washer below the head. The direction the tops face alternates. The plastic insert in the top must be removed or they will deaden the sound. Boil the tops for a while to soften the plastic and scrape it out while still soft. It was easier years ago when it was cork. My "bow" or beater is a small axe handle with notches cut along one side with a spacing of about an inch. The lagerphone needs a nail free space from about 18 inches above the floor (so you can beat the crap out of it) to above a comfortable position for your left hand to hold it. It also needs a good solid rubber door stop screwed to the bottom to allow it to bounce nicely off a wooden floor. The only tradition I know of is that you are supposed to drink all the beer yourself. They are said to be more fun to make than to play.

Some lagerphones are made from a broom handle - a bit too light for my liking. Some have a wooden shape e.g. the shape of Australia fastened near the top and covered with bottle tops on nails. Anything goes really. I don't know of any web photos.

Barry,

Hard to tell if that would be The Bushwackers, I don't have all their recordings. The only two bands I've heard do The Woolloomooloo Lair were The Bushwackers and The Larrikins. Most bush bands would have Clancy & The Overlanders in their repertoire, but your tape could easily be The Bushwackers.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: mandola man
Date: 09 Nov 97 - 05:04 PM

I see you are well on form Alan. I new Darlinghurst was another Sydney suburb, but I was not aware of the gaol. Is that history, or just another part of the culture I missed when I was in Sydney. Has anyone pointed out that the reference to learning to swim, with the location of Wooloomooloo, would mean being thown into Sydney harbour.

And you have not made any mention of other sets of words that share the same tune, isn't there one that starts something like " Oh me name is ugly Dave .....".

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: alison
Date: 09 Nov 97 - 06:19 PM

Hi Mandola Man,

Send my love to Liz, will write soon.

Alison

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From:
Date: 09 Nov 97 - 09:51 PM

Being a Philadelphian who now lives in Sydney, I can answer the question about comparing the term "suburb" in the two places.

Technically, the city of Sydney is quite small, as is the city of London. All of the pieces surrounding the official Sydney, but that constitute the actual inter-city are called "suburbs" (as they are in England). So suburbs can be quite urban. They can also be iner-city slums.

Most American cities (perhaps Boston is an exception) seemed to incorporate the outlying areas as they became a de-facto part of the city. Once they are incorporated they are no longer called "suburbs".

As a matter of fact Woolloomooloo is an urban area. It is considered inter-city (but far from a slum). From old photographs I have seen, it looks like it was a poor-but-honest area up to the 40s or so.

Murray

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 10 Nov 97 - 02:05 AM

G'day Mandola Man, good to hear from you again. Say hello to Liz from me.

I seem to remember hearing the Ugly Dave song at a festival somewhere but I haven't got the words. I reckon I've heard another song to the same tune or at least "The Drover's Dream" tune which is almost the same but without the chorus.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 10 Nov 97 - 02:12 AM

G'day Murray,
If you live in Sydney check out this site for folk venues or The Western Suburbs Folk Music Club home page for a suburban folk festival this coming weekend. You will be very welcome, bring your friends.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Earl
Date: 10 Nov 97 - 10:12 AM

Thanks Alan, and everyone, for the information.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 11 Nov 97 - 04:08 AM

"the van":short for the vanguard
Which my trusty OED tells me is :
The foremost part ot the army or fleet advancing or ready to do so,
leaders of movement or opinion etc
"and every night you'll find me in the van"
Regards Ted :-)>

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 11 Nov 97 - 09:17 AM

Earl,
You were asking if there were any photos of lagerphones on the web. There is one now. Click here to see the Foster's Lagerphone.

Mandola Man,
From my Aussie encyclopædia:-

Darlinghurst Gaol, designed by Francis Greenway (Australia's first architect) was built between 1822 and 1855 at least partly by convict labour. The buildings are now part of East Sydney College TAFE (i.e. Technical College).

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Earl
Date: 12 Nov 97 - 08:22 AM

Alan, Thanks for sharing your lagerphone with the world. It is a beautiful thing.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: LaMarca
Date: 13 Nov 97 - 06:26 PM

Dear Alan, Your Foster's Lagerphone looks so ethnic and traditional. I, an ignorant American who has never been to Oz (but wants to go someday) made mine out of a broomstick. To give it more ring, I attached a cross-bar onto which I could nail even more beer bottle caps, making it look sortof like a beer crucifix. I have a rubber chair leg cap on the bottom to give it bounce, and use a bar-stool rung as a beater. I like the back-beat effect I can get by striking and bouncing in counterpoint. I cheated, though; I collected all the beer bottle caps from our Flamingo Party one year and used them; having a fairly low alcohol tolerance myself, it would have taken me forever on my three-beer-a-night limit...Ours is a North American microbrew lagerphone; no Budweiser allowed! My one big number is to play along with my husband's cowboy band when they do "Lazy Harry's" (alright, so they let a few sheep-boy songs sneak into their repertoire); lagerphones being extremely rare in our part of the world, I believe I am probably the best female virtuoso lagerphonist on the East Coast!

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Helen
Date: 13 Nov 97 - 07:18 PM

LaMarca Congratulations. You have now been made an honorary Australian, but you have to practise up on the national pasttime - beer drinking.

We'll let you off, though, if you start eating meat pies with sauce. ;->

Helen

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 13 Nov 97 - 08:17 PM

LaMarca,
It's great to see that this important instrument is being used in other parts of the world.

My first lagerphone was a bit like yours but made of a shovel handle for a bit more weight. The cross-bar had bottle tops on the top and bottom allowing these tops to bounce up and down on top of each other (no rude remarks please) and these seem to make more noise. I get much the same effect on my current one by the way the top part sticks out at an angle.

An alternative name for the instrument is the Murrumbidgee River Rattler.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 13 Nov 97 - 11:48 PM

Alan, I feel sure your lagerphone is just as fine a musical instrument as it is a work of visual art.

For some reason this reminds me that I recently went to a lecture on "folk-style" preservation of the genetic diversity of crop plants, given by Mr. Michel Fanton of an Australian organization called Seed Savers. Thus I had the rare privilege of hearing an hour and a half of a French Australian accent. Merci mate!

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Bo
Date: 18 Nov 97 - 12:30 PM

Really enjoyed your lagerphone.

I have to make one, thanks.

Thankyou for going the extra yard to post a picture.

bo

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 27 Oct 98 - 01:20 AM

G'day,
Refresh - Big Mick wanted to see a discussion about lagerphones.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 10:55 PM

G'day all,

I was browsing through this thread in the course of considering the deep folly of posting words to the Digitrad (They don't seem to ever get there - or maybe I need to wait another year or 2 ...).

Anyway,

I notice above that Mandola Man and Alan of Australia mentioned the song Ugly Dave but did not get the words down. I sing this occasionally, so I will type out the words and get back.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Lena
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 12:44 AM

Bob,could you sing it next friday at the Shannon?!

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Lena
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 01:09 AM

What a thrill this thread for someone who lives in darlinghurst!!! Woollomooloo,for prople who had a quick glance at Sydney,is the old harbour where commercial boats (the ones also bringing immigrants & stuff)would stop.It's always been a romantic,bohemian,dirty area given that sailors and adventurers would get down there looking for fun and dangers.A little bit further,in Paddington,poor labourers and factory workers had their homes(small ones made in bricks,surely the cheapest kind of housing one hundred years ago but terribly trendy and expensive nowdays)and it made altogether a tragic but interesting area.Now Woollomooloo is quickly coming up to be the most fashonable area in Sydney,as far as i can tell.But.when i walk down Victoria street,and cross the 'loo to get to the Botanical Gardens and Bennelong Points(Opera House spot)I can still see the true roots of the suburb:next to shiny restaurants and buildings made of flats worth millions of dollars,there are still the Salvation army spots,social workers,the little city made of mattrasses for homeless people around the Police station ,the dirt,starving dogs,children playing in the streets talking in such a thick slang I couldn't get a word,aboriginal boys and girls fishing near the pier,drunkards.And huge grey sheeps on the horizon.And it's all some sort of Wonderland.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 10:37 PM

G'day all,

Lena: If I am at the Shannon next friday, I might well consider singing The Flash Stockman (aka Ugly Dave. I thoughtthat it was reasonably well-known ... but perhaps am no longer right!

Were you there last Friday night - my first time at the new venue, I sang the bushranging song Donahoe and Phyl lobl's Woodtuner's Lovesong. It struck me that you may have been there, perhaps at the a cappella end of the room (OK it was almost all unaccompanied, but I tend to consider a cappella suggests massed voices).

I am posting the words of The Flash Stockman and 3 tunes to it to a new "Add Lyr" thread. that way there is a better chance of it being noticed and 'harvested'.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 10:47 PM

er, G'day again ...

I will post those words and tunes ... when the Mudcat lets me in. My attempt to raise a new thread gt: Error Occurred While Processing Request Error Diagnostic Information Error occurred in tag CFSEARCH

Invalid search criteria entered.

Date/Time: 10/23/00 22:42:57 Browser: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 4.01; Windows NT) Remote Address: 203.63.135.34 HTTP Referer: http://www.mudcat.org/newthrd.cfm Template: C:\WEBSERVER\MUDCAT\HTDOCS\@QSRESULTS.CFM.

I may have to post it from my home machine.

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: THE FLASH STOCKMAN
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 03:16 AM

G'day anyone out there,

This song came up in this old thread, which I just revisited. I see that it was not supplied, so I will post it here in the thread as Mudcat refuses to start a new thread on either my work machine or my home one.

This is essentially the "standard" version of The Flash Stockman (also known as Ugly Dave) and would be from the same collected material upon which A.L. Lloyd drew for his Topic Recordings. I have included italicised suggestions for the words left out. This is my usual choice, but it depends upon the singer and the company.

THE FLASH STOCKMAN
Anon.
A stockman? yes, I am, and they call me ugly Sam.
I'm old and grey and only got one eye.
In a yard I'm good, of course, but just put me on a horse,
And I'll go where lots of young-uns daren't try.

I lead them through the gidgee, over country rough and ridgy,
I lose them in the very worst of scrub,
I ride both rough and aisy, with a "dew-drop" I'm a daisy
And a right down bobby-dazzler in a pub.

Just watch me use a whip, I can give the (dawdlers) gip,
I make the echoes roar and make them ring.
With a branding iron? Oh-Hell, I'm a perfect (bloody) swell
And in fact, I'm Duke of every (flaming) thing.

And watch me spoiling hide, I can put on lots of side,
I can act the silver-tail just as if my blood were blue,
You can strike me pink or dead, if I stood upon my head,
Then I'd be as good as any other two.

A notion in my pate says it's luck it isn't fate
That I'm so far above the common run;
So in anything I do you can cut me fair in two
For I'm far too (bloody) good to be in one.

Old Bush Songs, Douglas Stewart & Nancy Keesing, Angus & Robertson, Australia, 1957 (&c), p. 146

Sent by D. Carroll, of Mosman, New South Wales.

Tunes:
The tune I sing is a version of Killaloe, a tune used for a number of old Australian songs.
As the tune is an 8-line structure and the song has five 4-line stanzas, it is usual to sing stanzas 1 & 2 to the A & B tunes, the stanzas 3 & 4 ... then sing stanza 5 to the B tune. Bands can pop in an instrumental A part at this point, if they wish.

MIDI file: flshstkk.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 6/8 36 8
Tempo: 180 (333333 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0360 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0288 0 65 064 0072 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 67 080 0113 0 67 064 0007 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 60 080 0552 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0113 0 69 064 0007 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 67 080 0912 0 67 064 0168 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0288 0 65 064 0072 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 67 080 0113 0 67 064 0007 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 60 080 0288 0 60 064 0072 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 1008 0 65 064 0072 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0288 0 65 064 0072 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 67 080 1008 0 67 064 0072 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 67 080 0113 0 67 064 0007 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 1008 0 65 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:6/8
Q:1/4=180
K:C
C5C|F2GA2G|F3C2C|D2EGFD|C5C|F2FF2G|A2AAGF|
G6|-G3C2C|F2GA2G|F3C2C|D2EGFD|C3F2G|A2AA2F|
G2GG2E|F6|-F3G2A|^A2^A^A2^A|^A2^Ac2^A|A2AA2G|
F3F2C|F2FF2G|A2AAGF|G6|-G3C2C|F2GA2G|F2FC2C|
D2EGFD|C2CF2G|A2AA2F|G2GG2E|F6|-F19/8||

A variant of this song was collected by the late Alan Scott, sung to this tune:

MIDI file: flshstka.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 2/4 24 8
Tempo: 200 (300000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0000 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0384 0 65 064 0096 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 62 080 0384 0 62 064 0096 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0576 0 69 064 0864 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0384 0 65 064 0096 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 62 080 0384 0 62 064 0096 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 65 080 0576 0 65 064 0864 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:4/4
Q:1/4=200
K:C
A2^A2c2F2|F2F2F4|G2A2^A2^A2|^A2^A2D4|G2F2E2E2|
E2E2E2^A2|A2G2A4|-A8|A8|-A2^A2c2F2|F2F2F4|
G2A2^A2^A2|^A2^A^AD4|G2F2E2EE|E2E2E2^A2|A2G2F4|
-F8|A8|-A2^A3/2||

Alan's brother Bill Scott, a well-known writer raconteur and singer, uses the tune of the bawdy song The Little Ball of Yarn (at least, the tune he knows for The Little Ball of Yarn):

MIDI file: flshstkb.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 6/8 36 8
Tempo: 180 (333333 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0600 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 57 080 0096 0 57 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 66 080 0288 0 66 064 0312 1 59 080 0096 0 59 064 0024 1 59 080 0192 0 59 064 0048 1 59 080 0096 0 59 064 0024 1 59 080 0192 0 59 064 0048 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 64 080 0912 0 64 064 0168 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 57 080 0096 0 57 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 66 080 0288 0 66 064 0192 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 59 080 0096 0 59 064 0024 1 57 080 0912 0 57 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:6/8
Q:1/4=180
K:C
E6|^C2A,^C2E|A3^G2A|B2A^G2A|^F5B,|B,2B,B,2D|
^G2^FE2^F|E6|-E3E2E|^C2A,^C2E|A3^G2A|B2A^G2A|
^F4^F^F|E2E^G2^F|E2D^C2B,|A,6|-A,13/8||

I will also forward these 3 MIDI files to Alan of Australia to have them posted on the MIDI site.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Lena
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 06:06 AM

I was there and simon addressed you quite clearly with your name and surname,so there you go,difficult to not spot you...How do you find the new venue?! And ok,looking forward to hear the Flash Stockman,even if i'm still hoping to hear the Woolloomooloo song...this one is going to bee my last week in the house next to the 'loo,so I'm already nostalgic.See Ya

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: GUEST,in the van
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 07:13 AM

term: military, from in the vangaurd

steve r

Subject: Lyr Add: WOOLLOOMOOLOO
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 08:30 AM

G'day all,

The "in the van" reference puzzles me - it is not in any version I know, except the "Bushwhackers'" one. I have occasionally heard that rendered "in the Band" - but that does make much more sense.

The original collected words appear to be those Alan Scott collected from Mrs Susan Colley of Bathurst in 1956 and published in Singabout, volume 5, #4, p.13 as Woolloomooloo (and which are in my anthology; Singabout, Selected Reprints, ed Bob Bolton, Bush Music Club, Sydney, 1985).

WOOLLOOMOOLOO
I happened to be born on a very frosty morn
Quite contagious in the town of Woolloomooloo.
And it was in Riley Street where the folks first heard me bleat
For at the time I'd nothing else to do.

My name is Dan McCartey I came from the Old Darty
My father drives a carty when he's any work to do
But he is very lazy mostly drunk and nearly crazy
Gone wrong along with the boozing throng down there in Woolloomooloo.

Every time that he'd get tight then mother and him would fight
Half their time they used to spend in jail,
They were known to the police for they always broke the peace
And not a soul would ever go their bail.

When I grew up a lad I went straight into the bad
Soon became a most accomplished thief
The government was kind and didn't seem to mind
For in Darlinghurst they granted me relief.

I was watched with constant care and they used to cut my hair
For six months I wasn't allowed to roam
But my visits I'll renew 'twixt there and Woolloomooloo,
And in either place I'll find a welcome home.

The tune is the usual variant of Killaloe

The words that constitute the chorus in the version posted by Alan are in fact a separate item collected by Ron Edwards in 1957 from a Mr Brisbane - in Melbourne! It seems that this Sydney song was only sung by those who were not in Sydney ...

The text seems to be a performers' text that grew organically from these 2 collected texts.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: GUEST,Dug
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 06:56 PM

I've sung this song a lot over the years, Bob, and I must say that I prefer the version that I sing- close to the one quoted earlier, except that the chorus runs:

Oh me name it is McCarty and I'm a rorty party
A larrikin so hearty that's a fact oh strike me blue
Some people say I'm crazy, I don't work because I'm lazy
But I tag along with the boozing throng, the push from Wooloomooloo.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 10:37 PM

G'day Doug,

That's what I meant when I described the text Alan posted as a "performers' text" and the organic growth was meant to suggest hat there are no hard and fast versions.

I am posting Alan Scott's text, collected from Susan Colley, into a separate thread to 'flag' it for harvesting ... now I know how to persuade it to work (NO PUNCTUATION!).

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Dani
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 08:21 AM

Alan, if you could repair the link to the photo, I'd be much obliged. What in the HELL is a lagerphone?

Dani

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 04:09 AM

G'day Dani,

Have a look at this link to my booklet on Australian Traditional Instruments. You will see traditional lagerphones at
http://wollongong.starway.net.au/~gsmurray/wonga/australi.htm
(Sorry - I forgot the code for a "blue clicky thing".)

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 11:23 AM

G'day Dani,
The link should be fixed. Click here.

One of the links given by Bob describes its history & use extremely well. Mine is an evolved version of the broomstick lagerphone which I find to be much too lightweight.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Callie
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 10:30 PM

Bob sang this song for us last night and it sounded triffic!!! Thanks bob!

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 02:16 AM

G'day all,

Dani: What Alan alludes to is a modern change (or dichotomy, really) in the design and application of the lagerphone - basically between bands with a singing bent and dance music oriented bands. The original lagerphones and their descendants, such as I describe were found in bush bands of the song-oriented revival (1950s - '70s), beginning with the archetypal bush band The Bushwhackers (~1952 - 1957).

These lagerphones were designed to produce up to 4 different types of sound (from the bounce, the strike, the stroke with the notched striker and assorted jingles when the shaft was smartly turned, shaking the brass folly bells across the crosspiece. Singing could be effectively accompanied by a lagerphone working sensitively in concert with the melody and chord instruments

Over this period there was an increasing focus on dance music - often with an unhealthy concentration on Irish music from the modern hell-for-leather session school, rather than the dance oriented, more European-derived, traditional Australian repertoire. This needed a fast, basic beat - lifted from rock-influenced bands like the later (70s - '90s) "Bushwackers" - and a style of playing developed that bounced the lagerphone rapidly and loudly while keeping up a steady 'roll' with the side of the striker hitting the lower shaft and the bottom of the (now lower placed) crosspiece alternately.

The difference in sound, style and attitude is analogous to the difference between acoustic, nylon-strung guitar and solid-body electric. Alan's style is somewhat intermediate - with, for instance, no crosspiece at all. With the original pattern crosspiece, made of one horizontal and one vertical section of 25mm x 75mm dar hardwood on my lagerphone - and carrying many more bottletops, the overall weight is probably much the same as Alan's and a good volume is produced with relatively subtle striking techniques.

At the other end of the section, within Sydney bush bands, we have Wally Bolliger of Ryebuck who was the local instigator of the "heavy brigade" approach about 20 years back. His lagerphone is built around a heavy hoe handle and has a heavy hardwood crosspiece and a metal-sheafed striking area, necessitated by his metal-studded (vs traditional smoothly rippled hardwood) striker.

The volume is prodigious ... and he now needs to wear a wrist support brace to play it!

Callie: I am glad you enjoyed the song (the original collected version - an interesting contrast to the popular one). I sang it for Lena, before she moves out of Woolloomooloo.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Lena
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 10:40 PM

Yes,the song was great.Thanks for singing it.I'll have a round before I move(this thursday...)to see if I catch a glimpse of Mc Carthy's sign...

(I was wondering,Callie,how many other mudcatters come at the Shannon?!Seriously...)

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Troll
Date: 29 Oct 00 - 12:14 AM

Gawd. The things ya can learn if ya just hang around!

troll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woolloomooloo Lair
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Nov 19 - 01:08 AM

Here's a recording of the song by The Great Bushwackers Band:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6NCt5zJwXk

And by our own Barry Finn at the 2008 Getaway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z25Giv1OZvs