Lyr Req: The Wool Commandeer (G Meek, F Fyfe)

Subject: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: GUEST,Lorikeet
Date: 06 Apr 06 - 07:47 AM

Can some Kiwi 'catter, or anyone help me find this song? It came up in a discussion on the NZ part of ANZAC, and mentions "the great Orari muster and the drafting of the men", which could be about either of the World Wars. The tune I think is that of Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: Little Robyn
Date: 06 Apr 06 - 04:06 PM

The line about the great Orari muster actually comes from David McKee Wright's poem, Shearing's Coming, which was printed in the Otago Witness (Dunedin) of 15 October 1896, according to Bailey and Roth's 'Shanties by the way'.
A bit too early for either WW.
David McK.W. left NZ in 1910 for Australia and he edited the literary page of the Sydney Bulletin for years.
Phil Garland sings this but I don't think he uses that tune.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: GUEST,John Flynn
Date: 07 Apr 06 - 07:43 AM

I have the song on vinyl if you would like me to tape it onto cassette. Or, see Phil Garland's website at www.philgarland.co.nz

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: GUEST,Lorikeet
Date: 07 Apr 06 - 06:34 PM

Thank you friends.
Little Robyn. Yes I've confused the two songs. These Kiwi folksongs deserve to be better known by all of us!
John Flynn. I tried an NZ folksong link, which gave me Phil Garland's site, and the words for a good few songs, but not the Wool Commandeer. Perhaps you could put them on the Mudcat for me?
Thanks again         DLorikeet

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WOOL COMMANDEER (G Meek, F Fyfe)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 08 Apr 06 - 12:44 AM

OK, here are the words as given on Graham Wilson's 1982 Cityfolk recording 'Billy on the Boil'
I believe Graham lives in Aus nowadays but I'm not sure if he's still singing in public.

The Wool Commandeer

Words:George Meek            Music:Frank Fyfe

Chorus:
It's come from Haka Valley and it's come from Sunny Peak,
It's come from up the river and down Waitaki Creek;
It's come from the back of nowhere up the wild McKenzie way,
And a clip from Tipperary will get here any day.

The commandeer is underway and blimey, what a fuss!
The blinking din and clatter sure would make a parson cuss;
There's covees tearing up the floors and blokes in overalls
Slap-dapping cans of whitewash on the rafters and the walls.

There's stackers swinging balehooks and there's barrows shifting wool,
There's covees lumping baskets, some half empty, some half full;
There's classers squealing loudly for more bales of wool to class,
And someone yelling "Where do you want this wool from Dansey's Pass?"

There's wool on every siding and there's wool on every street,
There's wool on every lorry and every bus you meet;
There's wool on every trailer and there's wool on every train
And the stock-and-station diggers have got it on the brain.

There's wool on every corner and there's wool on every floor;
There's wool in every basement and jammed behind the door;
There's wool in the old dairy and there's wool down at the dump,
There's wool in the old freezer and still more bales to hump.

There's shaggy bales and baggy bales, there's fadges, sacks and bags,
Thank heavens Wally Nash cut out the blinking, stinking dags;
There's belly wool and smelly wool and wool, spare me days,
The old jumbuck that grew it I'll swear's seen better days.

(Walter Nash was Prime Minister for NZ and our MP for the Hutt Valley when I was a kid (late 50s).
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: Little Robyn
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 02:41 AM

Where are you Lorikeet?
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: GUEST,Lorikeet
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 08:33 AM

Thank you Little Robin! That's the full text by the look of it, longer than my memory reveals. I did abode in the shaky isles of NZ as a callow youth for a few years in the late '60s, and heard Frank Fyffe sing Oz and Kiwi songs at the Balladeer and the Monde Marie, this song among them. I have very fond recollections of the folk scene in Wellington especially. These days I live outside Melbourne, 'Stralia. Where are you based?
Again, Muchas gracias, DLorikeet

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: Little Robyn
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 03:24 PM

Hi Lorikeet
I was there! Port Nick folk club and NZFLS. We 'sank' the Balladeer in Nov. 1967. So, who are you?
Paul? Dave? Malcolm? Chris? Did you ever get your photo in the Heritage magazine?
I married Mitch Park and shifted to Hastings over 20 years ago.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 04:53 PM

Glad this song was transcribed by someone who had a clue what the words might be. I'd love to hear it sung.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: GUEST,LOrikeet
Date: 10 Apr 06 - 06:56 AM

Robyn! Try Dave! (maybe this is a guessing game) and put me with Geoff Skinner, Bev Altey, Bernie Cherry and Bob Silbery - The Rope's End -
I was one of the guests at NFF '72, and my photo is on page 10 of Heritage no.28.(the one who's not Al Hulett!) And please give my regards to Mitch!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: Little Robyn
Date: 10 Apr 06 - 04:06 PM

Hello Mr Brannigan. Mitch says Hi.
For awhile I thought you might be Dickon, on page 11.
Mitch is in the photo just underneath, wearing his white jacket, the one he ruined when he came off his motorbike a year later.
If you have a collection of Heritages, I'm in a photo opposite page 12, at the Port Nick Follies of 1969.
I have a snippet of Wimple Winch on video, from the training exercise Folk Song Cellar that we did in 1969, at WNTV1. It never got to air but I was working in the videotape room at the time!
Cheers,
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: Uke
Date: 10 Apr 06 - 04:11 PM

Here's some information about the interesting life of George Meek, who wrote the words to 'Wool Commandeer'. It comes from Les Cleveland's 'Great NZ Songbook' (1991, p.123):

George Meek, the son of a railwayman, was born in Otago in 1881. He gained a reputation as a singer of comic songs at concerts around Dundein, usually in company with a friend known as 'Black Ned'. He worked as a [sheep] station clerk at Benmore and later at Galloway, where he came into contact with the folklore and traditions of the big South Island high-country sheep stations. He joined the staff of Dalgety and Company in Dunedin about 1910, transferring to Gore in 1918 and to Oamaruin 1922. He was interested in writing and contributed to the Sydney 'Bulletin'. He also dabbled in advertising and is thought to be the creator of 'Sergeant Dan the Cremoata Man', who appeared as a role model on the packet of a well-known brand of cereal food for many years. A collection of Meek's verses ["Station Days in Maoriland"], featuring local characters and scenes from around the North Otago-South Canterbury area, was published in 1952. Before his death in 1953, he founded the Pioneer Gallery of the North Otago Museum in Oamaru with his collection of historical materials."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: NZ song wool commandeer
From: Artful Codger
Date: 10 Apr 06 - 05:34 PM

Any hope of getting a tune posted?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Wool Commandeer (G Meek, F Fyfe)
From: GUEST,Lorikeet(revealed)
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 01:23 AM

Hi there Robyn! And a big cheesie to Mitch - I always admired the way you had a new song just about every time you played - good days those!
So (back to Robyn), you only came in 3rd behind nurse Scagllione! He probably bribed someone! That Richard the Doc is still around, playing and singing, still eccentric.
And please, if it's possible, I would love a copy of that old tape.
My home address is 9 Aubrey Grove, Boronia, Victoria 3155 Australia
I'm sure I could send you something appropriate in return.
And may I say I'm enjoyoing this exchange immensely. Thank you!
Best wishes, The Branno (sprung!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Wool Commandeer (G Meek, F Fyfe)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 03:20 AM

Hi Dave, would a DVD do? Mitch can do those and they're easier to post.
Scaglione is here in HB tho' he doesn't sing any more.

Charley, did the dots arrive? Do you know someone who can turn it into ABCs?
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Wool Commandeer (G Meek, F Fyfe)
From: GUEST,Dave the Lorikeet
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 05:21 AM

Yo Robyn. Yes, a DVD would do nicely. Please give my very best to Francesco. He was the one , in fact, who first got me to come to "The Monde" with my guitar and sing such things as Shoals of Herring with him (we'd met at work - I had a job with a Customs agent, and Frank worked for the Customs Dept. some time in '67 I guess, as I do recall the Balladeer. Such things as dates do take on a blur sometimes!)
The tune is 'Little old Log Cabin'isn't it? ( or whatever other name you know it by). Now that I've had a few days of this, I find I recall 'The Shearing's Coming Round' which I used to sing quite often a few years ago (after 'Farewell to the Grey' - they made a good pair of trans-Tasman songs) - a lot of heathen places that rhyme with kangaroo, indeed!
Uke - thanks for the bio. Now I'll have a go at the song itself
Best wishes, Dave

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Wool Commandeer (G Meek, F Fyfe)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 03:50 PM

I don't think Frank's tune was 'Little old log cabin' which I found:
click here
It might fit but Frank's tune was a lot simpler. We're trying to find a way of turning his tune into ABCs so I can post it here.
Cheers, Robyn

Subject: Tune Add: THE WOOL COMMANDEER (G Meek, F Fyfe)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 16 Apr 06 - 05:38 PM

I think I've got it!
Try this.

X:1
T:Wool Commandeer
M:4/4
K:C
L:1/4
G|:GGAG|GEEE|DCCA,|C2zC|CCCE|GG2E|DDDE|D2zG|GG/2G/2AG|GEEE|DCCA,|C2zC/2C/2|CCCE|GG2E|DFED|C2zG:|]

Dave, copy this, then go to:
ABC converter
Paste it in, submit it, then change it to midi if you want to hear it.
At least, I hope it will work - it's my first try at writing ABCs.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Wool Commandeer (G Meek, F Fyfe)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 03:30 PM

I guess everyone has gone away for Easter???
Halloooo, anyone home?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Wool Commandeer (G Meek, F Fyfe)
From: GUEST,Lorikeet(revealed)
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 06:41 PM

Robyn.   Thanks for that. Yes, the tune does resemble the first strain of that most ubiquitous of melodies, and confirms what's in the old memory banks. And yes we have been here and there over Easter. I missed the National in Canberra this year - first miss for a fair while - but have been at a small festival outside Melbourne, the first Christmas Hills festival for nearly 20 years! We got rained on, but it certainly wasn't as cold as Canberra. But then Aussie cold isn't anything like Kiwi cold is it?
Regards to you and Mitch,
Dave Brannigan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Wool Commandeer (G Meek, F Fyfe)
From: GUEST,Billy
Date: 09 Aug 15 - 04:17 AM

I would just like to say thank you for the lyrics, tune, and history. I was asked to sing this song but the chap couldn't get me a recording so this has saved me :)