Lyr Req: Windmill Run

Subject: Windmill Run
From: Kathryn
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 07:36 AM

An Australian group, Wongawilli, recorded Windmill Run, and I love the song. I am having trouble understanding all the words. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmill Run
From: Roo
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 08:25 AM

Windmill Run was originally sung by Facial Expressions and was written by Alan Mann. My husband Jim also sings it so if you want the lyrics let me know and I'll get him to give them to me and I'll send them to you. Great song, isn't it? cheers, Valda

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmill Run
From:
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:23 PM

What ever happened to Facial after they went on their OE valda?

jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmill Run
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 10:24 PM

Facial Expressions disbanded back in the '80s. Co-incidentally, one of Facial's members, Ken Furguson, stayed with us for 6 days a couple of weeks back and did a house concert. He is still performing and for any Sydneysiders reading this, he is at Sutherland Folk Club tonight. Ken lives in Perth.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmill Run
From: Kathryn
Date: 08 May 01 - 07:23 AM

Thanks, Roo, I would appreciate the lyrics. I would like to be able to sing it but don't want to make up the words in those parts I don't understand. I have a feeling that they are proper names, but I am unsure. Thanks for the help

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WINDMILL RUN (Alan Mann)^^
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 09 May 01 - 09:11 PM

G'day Kathryn,

Roo hasn't got back with this, so I tried to get the words down myself. I found that there were a few words that I couldn't make out all that well either, so I checked with Graeme Murray (singer with Wongawilli on this CD. This looks pretty accurate now - at least it is how Graeme sings it.

I presume you are not in Australia, so I have added a bit of a glossary of terms used in the song, which would be set on one of the big (10s of thousands of acres) inland stations (properties) almost entirely dependent on the artesian water delivered by the stations' windmills.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

The Windmill Run
Alan Mann

The Southern Cross is turning, creaking joints need oiling
There's a finger-full of grease for cog and gears,
Clockwise, ever clockwise, hot-dipped and galvanised,
The blades have turned for fully fifty years.

One day's dawn will find him, astride his faithful Harley
Just a kerosene tin jammed between his knees.
There's a hessian bag of tucker, twitch wire and some pliers,
And his camouflage, khaki dungarees.

Out along the western fence, the three-mile troughs are full,
And it's north along the track 'till deadwood bore.
There's spinifex and mulga, plus the dozen mills or so,
'Till nightfall finds him on an Alcan floor

The Southern Cross is turning, creaking joints need oiling
There's a finger-full of grease for cog and gears,
Clockwise, ever clockwise, hot-dipped and galvanised,
The blades have turned for fully fifty years.

Well, every now and then, there's a breakdown - and he finds it
Depressing as the jammed-up rods he frees.
Fifty head it cost him ... and the crows with bellies full;
Sitting there ... laughing in the trees.

Mostly, though, it's endless toil – adjusting floats and valves,
And checking out the fences near and far.
Visions of the wife and kids – see him through the afternoon,
'Till his nightly destination with the stars.

The Southern Cross is turning, creaking joints need oiling
There's a finger-full of grease for cog and gears,
Clockwise, ever clockwise, hot-dipped and galvanised,
The blades have turned for fully fifty years.

Gone again's another week and he turns up at the homestead,
Just a silhouette against the setting sun,
There's just two days at home, for there's sheep to dip tomorrow.
And a rest before another windmill run.

The Southern Cross is turning, creaking joints need oiling
There's a finger-full of grease for cog and gears,
Clockwise, ever clockwise, hot-dipped and galvanised,
The blades have turned for fully fifty years.

The Southern Cross is turning, creaking joints need oiling ...

Notes:

Alcan: Local brand of aluminium (well, lots of Canadian money in it as well). Presumably the floor of a work shed or store out on the run. Clockwise, ever clockwise: Of course, the blades always turn in the same direction because the tailpiece keeps them pointing up wind Dungarees: Work overalls – in this case ex-army
Fifty head it cost: On these huge inland runs, there is little permanent water and the bore (artesian) water brought up by the windmill may be all there is. A pump breakdown can mean death to all the cattle in that paddock.
Harley: Harley Davidson motorbike? Maybe an old WWII despatch rider's bike, rather than the fat road bikes of today
Hot-dipped and galvanised: They made things to last back then … not that there is much rain to rust windmill blades out in the outback!
Mulga: Low scrubby acacias of the arid interior
Southern Cross: The best known Australian brand of water-pumping windmill (named for the famous southern sky constellation).
Spinifex: Thorny weed - the Australian species is zygochloa paradoxus.
Tucker: Food, supplies
Twitch wire: Binding or tie wire for minor repairs

^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmill Run
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 10 May 01 - 06:55 PM

G'day again Kathryn,

Dang ... I didn't correct all the odd mishearings of my late night lyric transcription! The first stanza should really read:
Monday's dawn will find him, astride his faithful Harley,
Just a kerosene tin jammed between his knees.
There's a hessian bag for tucker, twitch wire and some pliers,
And his camouflage, khaki dungarees.

As well, I am not sure if I should not have added a note about

kerosene tin: Ubiquitous rough container in the Australian bush - the square one gallon container in which the kerosene (parraffin oil to the English ... used to be rock oil or shale oil [??] to Americans) that ran lamps, portable stoves - as well as early tractor engines and some later refrigerators)

Regar(les)s,

Bob Bolton ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmill Run
From: Kathryn
Date: 11 May 01 - 07:34 AM

Thanks so much, Bob, for all the effort!! Now the song makes a bit more sense. I appreciate it.

Subject: Tune Add: THE WINDMILL RUN (Alan Mann)^^
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 12 May 01 - 05:29 AM

G'day yet again,

I got the dots worked out for this tune and here is the MIDItext for it.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

MIDI file: windmill.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Tempo: 160 (375000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0840 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 62 080 0225 0 62 064 0015 1 62 080 0225 0 62 064 0015 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0384 0 67 064 0096 1 64 080 0225 0 64 064 0015 1 62 080 0225 0 62 064 0015 1 67 080 0113 0 67 064 0007 1 67 080 0225 0 67 064 0015 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0288 0 62 064 0192 1 62 080 0113 0 62 064 0007 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 67 080 0113 0 67 064 0007 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 69 080 0113 0 69 064 0007 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 1410 0 69 064 0270 1 67 080 0113 0 67 064 0007 1 64 080 0113 0 64 064 0007 1 62 080 0225 0 62 064 0015 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0225 0 67 064 0015 1 67 080 0225 0 67 064 0015 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0192 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0225 0 62 064 0015 1 67 080 0225 0 67 064 0015 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 67 080 0113 0 67 064 0007 1 64 080 0450 0 64 064 0270 1 64 080 0113 0 64 064 0007 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 62 080 0288 0 62 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0225 0 71 064 0015 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 1344 0 67 064
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=160
K:C
D8|D2D2D2E2|G2G4E2|D2GG2G3|E2D4DD|G3GG2G2|
A3AA2G2|A8|-A6GE|D2G2G2G2|G2G4E2|D2G2G3G|
E6EE|D3GG2G2|A2A2B2A2|G8|-G13/4||

^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmill Run
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 May 01 - 03:09 AM

Oh g'day Bob, and all!

Wotta job you did on that! And the glossary!

I have been collecting (VERY informally) various slangs from here and there-- one of my correspondents will LOVE this!

Hessian is a fabric, right? What's it like?

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmill Run
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 13 May 01 - 03:32 AM

G'day WYSIWYG,

I though I might have to explain "hessian" as something other than George III's mercenary troops! Hessian is the coarse woven fabric typical of potato sacks and such. Originally made of hemp, but more likely jute, these days.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmill Run
From: GUEST,Bob Sharp
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 11:09 PM

Glad to see folk are still singing such great songs as the Windmill Run may they be sung for ever. Someone asked not for the first time what happened to Facials. Well Sadly Ken has since passed on, Bob (Myself) is still playing festivals and clubs when I get the chance and Colin quite on the music front but now a proffessor of Law.
Regards
Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmill Run
From: gecko
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 08:09 AM

Isn't it marvelous that Mudcat fetches all sorts of people out of the woodwork. Sharpy, I recall with great clarity, Facial Expressions, with Ken up front, singing this very song to the always appreciative audience in Alice Springs. Happy days and times, eh?
Gecko. Or 'smithy' to you