Tune Req: The Pommy Jackaroo

Subject: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: HuwG
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 08:43 AM

The following ditty was on an LP sent to me many years ago (mid-1960's) by an Uncle who emigrated to Australia.

I came out to Australia
To see the Great Outback.
I joined a droving party
On the Overlander track
I am the Honourable Thomas John
Montmorency Fitzhugh.
But the stockmen call me Tommy,
The Pommie Jackaroo.

One evening round the campfire
We ate a tasty meal.
I said, "Mmm, yes, delicious",
Then my head began to reel.
I staggered off and left them there
In quite a hasty manner.
You see, the cook had just informed me
That I'd eaten stewed goanna.

One day it grew most awfully hot.
The river was quite near.
I asked them, "Are there any sharks?"
They said, "No flaming fear!"
So in I dived, regardless
Then I heard some damn' fool shout,
"There used to be some sharks in there,
But the crocodiles cleaned them out."

I am the Honourable Thomas John
Montmorency Fitzhugh.
But the stockmen call me Tommy,
The Pommie Jackaroo.

At last we reached the railhead.
The cattle were all safe.
I said to Jack the Stockman,
"You know, I'm just beginning to chafe."
He said, "When it comes to horses, Tom,
You should have joined the hunt.
You've been riding all day, you stupid clown,
With your saddle on back to front!"

I travelled on to Sydney
To catch the boat back home.
The boys came down to see me off
Across the briny foam.
With Hansen beer, we were, I fear,
A great deal more than merry.
I climbed aboard and cried, "Good Lord!"
I was on the Manley ferry.

I am the Honourable Thomas John
Montmorency Fitzhugh.
But the stockmen call me Tommy,
The Pommie Jackaroo.

And now I'm back in London
Among the Mayfair set.
I should be quite contented,
A suppose I am, and yet,
I get the strangest yearning
To "Pack up and shoot through",
Back where they call me Tommy,
The Pommie Jackaroo

---

I no longer have the LP, so have no information on the track (original artist, etc.)

Thanks in advance for any help.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 11:46 PM

G'day HuwG,

I remember seeing this in something of this name on my shelves recently ... I'll look for it tonight. Somehow I think it may have been a bit older than this looks ... but it may be a bit of a reworking of older material.

BTW: What are you after ... dots, MIDI, chords ... or just a name?

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: HuwG
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 06:31 AM

Thanks, Bob Bolton, chords will do nicely, though if you can find out who the writer and original artist were, it would be nice to attribute it if I sing it.

I recall that it was rendered in a plummy, affected english accent, but broke into raw 'Strine in some of the quoted sections.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: Jamtart
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 07:20 AM

The album was "My Kinda Country" and it was the first LP my parents bought (maybe second, after the Sound of Music). I remember this song well, brightening up the 60's in rural Australia ...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Sep 03 - 02:46 AM

pokie...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: Ian
Date: 25 Sep 03 - 12:55 PM

Has the recent anouncement of a prince to take this trade for a year out got anything to do with this

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: JennieG
Date: 25 Sep 03 - 07:38 PM

If my memory is correct the song was sung by Frankie Davidson, a Melbourne singer. I believe he's still around, still performing.
Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: GUEST,Ian
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 07:34 PM

Tommy the Pommie Jackaroo was sung by Buster Noble. His daughter, Patsy-Ann Noble could give you the true details of who wrote this song.
Just one thing though. He was on the MANLY Ferry, a boat which takes you from Circular Quay in Sydney to Manly Wharf at Manly.
Manly is one of Sydneys' best beaches.Unfortunately though Manly has not had the same promotion as our "Main" beach, Bondi.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 03 Dec 08 - 09:21 PM

G'day Ian,

GUEST,Ian:
Well, you're right about Manly not getting the same promotion as Bondi ... but I'm not sure about that being "unfortunate"! We might as well keep the less desirable 'blow-ins' in one place.

HuwG:
Err ... yeah ... well - I didn't find a copy of this in my old LP stacks (a mere 6 years & 4 months ago). I don't think I ever had any Frankie Davidson or Buster Noble LPs ... although I do remember someone doing a fairly similar song. However, it is a fairly common theme for the Aussie 'Old Hands' to sing mildy insulting songs about 'New Chums' ... especially if they expect to be referred to as "The Hon. whoever!

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: GUEST,999
Date: 06 Dec 09 - 10:34 PM

Try looking for it as "The Pommy Jackaroo".

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 09 - 08:58 AM

i myself have been trying to find this song, from what i have managed to find out the music and lyrics were by John Parks and the song was sung by buster noble and released by columbia records.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: GUEST,Michael Parks
Date: 15 Dec 09 - 09:41 AM

My father, John Parks wrote this song in the early sixties. It was performed by Buster Noble and made it into the SIdney top 40 charts at the time. dad also wrote many other songs some recorded by Slm Dusty and others

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Dec 09 - 04:50 PM

Fir another take on the "greenhorn" experience in the outback, there's an interesting poem just posted by Edwin Brady about an ex-sailor being introduced by his new mates to horseback riding. It's called "How Jack Bowlin Steered Jones." What fun they had with greenhorns!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Dec 09 - 07:44 PM

this one?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Dec 09 - 08:08 PM

Sandre-

The oldpoetry link works as well for Brady's poem. I also have a thread here at Mudcat with Brady's poems.

Oh, and thanks for the card! We're still assembling yours.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: GUEST,jodie coleman
Date: 18 Oct 10 - 09:52 PM

hi my name is jodie and i am a freind of tom's we lived together in sapphire, qld for a year he saved me and my son from a homeless shelter and he was the most amazing man i have ever met. The story of his life was really cool he and seen the world and i was lucky to have him in my life i had him with me untill he died of the cancer that took hold of his body but i will always love him and he is forever in my memory i keep his ashes in my room and kiss him goodnight.... we miss you tommy, love jodie

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommie Jackaroo
From: Hrothgar
Date: 19 Oct 10 - 08:00 AM

I seem to remember the lines as:

He said, "When it comes to horses, Tom,
You're just not in the hunt.
You've been riding all day, you stupid clown, etc.

... but I haven't heard it for a long, long, long time.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommy Jackaroo
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Jan 12 - 04:35 PM

Billboard Magazine, which is published in America but also publishes the "top ten" (or so) lists of other countries, reported on Dec. 8, 1962 that THE POMMY JACKAROO, performed by Buster Noble, was #11 that week in Australia, and had not been on the chart the previous week.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommy Jackaroo
From: GUEST,999
Date: 15 Sep 12 - 08:26 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYJa6g_GyAE

The Pommy Jackaroo can be heard at that YouTube link.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommy Jackaroo
From: GUEST,Edwingalton&gmail.com
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 04:20 AM

I read with interest your commented, as I was a jackeroo the correct spelling was pome which was short for prisoner of mother England

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommy Jackaroo
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 07:17 AM

Not according to QI....but what would they know???

But more seriously, the usage of the word seems to date back only to around 1912, well after convict transportation had ceased (1867), so the Prisoner of Mother England theory is a most unlikely derivation. What in Australia might be called a Furphy (you can Google that one....)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommy Jackaroo
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 08:17 PM

G'day GUEST Edwington&gmail ...

The temptation to find neat / cute / humorous 'phrases' in the supposed letters of obscure ( and not understood) terms certainly runs deep in this mid-late 20th century confection.

The real root of "Pommy" ... based on late 19th century newspaper accounts of the local (Sydney ...) city kids poking borak at newly arrived ... and distinctly sun-burnt English kids ... immigrants from the big British cities' cloud and smog was typified as "Immy-grant ... Pommy-gran(a)t ... " suggesting a resemblance between their sun-burnt faces and the ripe fruit of pomegranate.

Better attention to sun care / sunburn creams / sensible wearing of hats / taking cover in the hottest arts of the day have all left the true origins of the phrase in the dimming past!

Regards,

BobB

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommy Jackaroo
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 08:26 PM

Oops!

My log-on seems to have slipped off this work machine ... At least It has resurfaced ... to bait!

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Pommy Jackaroo
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 10 Jun 14 - 08:29 PM

Err ...

.. and the last line should have read " ... taking cover in the hottest Parts of the day ..."

More Regardfully ...

BobB