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Lyr Req: Along the Road to Gundagai (Jack O'Hagan)

25 Aug 97 - 09:51 AM (#11165)
Subject: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
From: Tinkerbell

A friend in the UK has asked for the words to a song (??Australian) with the words "going back to Gorrawanga" and "road to Tindy High". These may or may not be the title but ARE phrases in the song. I have tried searching for almost every combination (including- Yarrawonga, road to Gundagai,etc) without success!!!! Anybody's help would be greatly appreciated.

25 Aug 97 - 10:10 AM (#11169)
Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
From: Alan of Australia

Tinkerbell,
Are we looking for one song or two? Are they parodies? Road to Tindy High could be a parody of Road to Gundagai of which there are two entirely different songs, one of which is more often called Lazy Harry's. The two choruses (chori?) start like this:-

  • There's a track winding back........

  • Oh we camped at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai.........

    I vaguely remember Going back to Yarrawonga but I think it was written by a band for their own repetoire and probably hasn't passed into general use.

    Cheers,
    Alan

    • 25 Aug 97 - 12:30 PM (#11181)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Tinkerbell

    Alan, I am led to believe that these phrases come from the same song. It could well be a parody! The beginning to the first chorus (chori sounds good!) you mention is the song that I was thinking of, however, I can only remember: "There's a track winding back to an old-fashioned shack, Along the road to Gundagai" Do you know the rest????? I am still baffled as to the supposed inclusion of the lyric "back to Gorrawanga"(??Yarrawonga??)

    Thanks for your help and interest, Tinkerbell.

    25 Aug 97 - 01:56 PM (#11189)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: LaMarca

    Tinkerbell, could it be Goorianawa? (my spelling may be wrong...) There are some sheep shearing songs mentioning that place name. Allan, does that ring a bell (are you the ringer here?) I'll check our Dave de Hugard/Martyn Wyndham-Read collection at home; those lines sound vaguely familiar.

    25 Aug 97 - 07:00 PM (#11217)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Alan of Australia

    LaMarca,
    There is a song called Goorianawa but I don't remember it fitting the current discussion. I'll check when I get home from work (in about 13 hours) I have a recording and probably a set of words.

    Tinkerbell,
    I'm sure I can dig up a set of words to Gundagai but they'll be deeply buried & may take a couple of days. It's a song with a verse or two and a chorus, everybody knows the chorus but nobody knows the verse.

    Cheers,
    Alan

    25 Aug 97 - 08:12 PM (#11223)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Susan of DT

    Just to muddy the waters further there's a song called 'That Tumble-Down Shack in Athlone" with a line about "The road that leads back to that tumble-down shack To that tumble-down shack in Athlone" I can give you more words if you want it.

    26 Aug 97 - 06:34 PM (#11284)
    Subject: Lyr Add: ALONG THE ROAD TO GUNDAGAI and FLASH JACK
    From: Alan of Australia

    Tinkerbell,
    These may or may not help but here they are with my compliments, the help of a scanner and my old song files. You could also try a search of the DT for Gundagai. That will get 2 songs including Lazy Harry's aka The Road To Gundagai.


    ALONG THE ROAD TO GUNDAGAI

    by Jack O'Hagan

    There's a scene that lingers in my memory,
    Of an old bush home and friends I long to see.
    That's why I am yearning, just to be returning
    Along the road to Gundagai.

      Chorus:
      There's a track winding back to an old fashioned shack
      Along the road to Gundagai:
      Where the blue gums are growing and the Murrumbidgee's flowing,
      Beneath that sunny sky;
      Where my daddy and mother are waiting for me,
      And the pals of my childhood once more I will see.
      Then no more will I roam, when I'm heading right for home
      Along the road to Gundagai.

    When I get back there I'll be a kid again.
    Oh! I'll never have a thought of grief or pain.
    Once more I'll be playing, where the gums are swaying
    Along the road to Gundagai.

    Copyright 1922 Allans Music (Australia) Pty. Limited.


    FLASH JACK FROM GUNDAGAI

    I've shore at Burrabogie and I've shore at Toganmain,
    I've shore at big Willandra and on the old Coleraine,
    But before the shearin' was over I've wished myself back again
    Shearin' for old Tom Patterson, on the One Tree Plain.

      Chorus:
      All among the wool, boys, all among the wool,
      Keep your blades full boys, keep your blades full.
      I can do a respectable tally myself whenever I like to try,
      And they know me round the backblocks as Flash Jack from Gundagai.

    I've shore at big Willandra and I've shore at Tilberoo,
    And once I drew my blades, my boys, upon the famed Barcoo,
    At Cowan Downs and Trida, as far as Moulamein,
    But I always was glad to get back again to the One Tree Plain.

    I've pinked'em with the Wolseleys and I've rushed with B-bows, too,
    And shaved 'em in the grease, my boys, with the grass seed showing through.
    But I never slummed my pen, my lads, whate'er it might contain,
    While shearin' for old Tom Patterson, on the One Tree Plain.

    I've been whalin' up the Lachlan, and I've dossed on Cooper's Creek,
    And once I rung Cudjingie shed, and blued it in a week.
    But when Gabriel blows his trumpet, lads, I'll catch the morning train,
    And I'll push for old Tom Patterson's on the One Tree Plain.

    OK, I'm a showoff but you know what boys are like with new toys!

    Cheers,
    Alan

    26 Aug 97 - 07:23 PM (#11294)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Helen, also from Oz

    Hi all

    I have heard a song which starts:

    I'm going back again to Yarrawonga I'll linger longer, at Yarrawonga

    It's acompletely different song to the Gundagai songs and I can't remember much more about it.

    Helen

    26 Aug 97 - 07:45 PM (#11295)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Helen, again

    I found a site which sells CD's etc and one of them has Yarrawonga listed as a track. (BTW, The Road to Gundagai was also on it.)

    http://www.musicworld.com.au/~gregl/catalogue/country.htm

    Sundowners, The Colonial Classics

    I don't really know the Sundowners' work - but I think they are commercially oriented rather than traditional (obsessive/compulsive) folkies. Correct me if I'm wrong, anyone. :-)

    Helen

    27 Aug 97 - 01:59 AM (#11305)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Tinkerbell

    To Everyone,

    Thanks so much for all your various helps - what a nice site and a nice bunch of people!

    Susan of DT- I don't know that those lyrics are relevant here, but I'm glad you joined us!

    And LaMarca - it was great to hear from you also.

    Alan - Nice scanner work! Thanks for the lyrics. I'll see if they work.

    Helen - That was a very helpful site and with the reasonable cost and variety of songs on that CD/cassette I will be forwarding a copy to my friend in the UK.

    I'll let you all know how things turn out.

    Ciao, Tinkerbell (dumb name, huh?) - OK also known as Miriam from Australia!!

    27 Aug 97 - 10:15 AM (#11315)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Alan of Australia

    G'day Tinkerbell,
    So you're closer to home than I thought!

    Helen Jogged my memory with an extra couple of words to Yarrawonga (I'll linger longer) That is the one I remember, and she's pointed you to the ideal CD, I might even get one myself. I have a double CD of various bush bands including the Sundowners & they're not bad.

    Cheers,
    Alan

    27 Aug 97 - 12:04 PM (#11319)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Earl

    Helen,

    I checked the site you mentioned (Greg's Music World) and there certainly is a wealth of music there! I was wondering if you (or anyone else) could recommend anyone in addition to the Sundowners for a good cross section of Austrailian traditional music.

    Thanks.

    27 Aug 97 - 07:45 PM (#11330)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Helen

    Hi Earl,

    There was a thread in the last month called Australian Poignancy, which had a few recommendations of good ballads, but the other band that springs to mind for traditional stuff is the Bushwhackers. They have been around for yonks, and do some vamped up versions of some songs, but I like most of what they do.

    Dave de Hugard is one of my favourites, but the songs he sings are not the more well known (i.e. able to be readily translated to commercial/common interest) songs like the Road to Gundagai etc. The Gundagai song and the dog on the tucker box song (Five Miles from Gundagai) is the type that all schoolkids get to hear sometime in their lives or they get used (or abused) as television and radio commercial jingles.

    I'm sure Alan will have some other recommendations.

    Helen

    28 Aug 97 - 02:58 AM (#11348)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Alan of Australia

    Earl,
    I typed this into the submit box before I left for work this morning about 9 hours ago only to find I had lost contact. In the meantime Helen has beaten me to it but here it is anyway:-

    Earl,
    You might like to check out this thread. If you want to sample some bush bands (Aussie folk song & dance bands) you could write to J&B Records, 39 Whiting Street, Artarmon NSW, Australia 2064 and order "Waltzing Matilda The Best of the Bush Bands" JB565CD. It is a double CD album with songs & tunes from several bands including the Sundowners, Bushwackers etc.

    Possibly the best known bush band is the Bushwackers. A good sampler of theirs is "So Far...1974-1994", 4797782 another double CD. There is no address on the cover but it should be available from EMI Music Australia, 100 Glover Street Cremorne NSW Australia 2090. You may be shocked at the prices we pay here for CDs.

    Cheers,
    Alan.

    28 Aug 97 - 12:32 PM (#11372)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Earl

    Thanks Helen and Alan. I think I'll try the bush band compilation and Dave de Hugard. I'll let you know how I make out.

    19 Sep 97 - 07:20 PM (#12591)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Earl

    Helen and Alan,

    I just wanted to let you know that earlier this week I recieved CD's by the Bushwacker and Dave DeHugard from Greg's Music World. I've been enjoying both of them, thanks for pointing me in the right direction. By the way, the prices are not that bad after allowing for the exchange rate.

    20 Sep 97 - 07:59 PM (#12687)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Helen

    Hi Earl

    Glad to hear 1) that you are enjoying the CD's, 2) that the price of the CD's didn't knock you out (like it does to us over here)

    Happy listening Helen

    21 Sep 97 - 03:46 AM (#12730)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Joe Offer

    Hey, Earl, how much did those CD's cost you in US money? There's one I want for $20 Australian. How much is it gonna set me back, with shipping?
    -Joe Offer-

    21 Sep 97 - 06:24 PM (#12777)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Earl

    The current exchange rate is .72US for 1.00 Australian. Greg's Music World quotes $3.50 US for shipping for one CD(the unit cost is less for more CDs). So a single CD order for $20 Australian would come to about $18 US including shipping.

    22 Sep 97 - 06:13 PM (#12881)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: mandola man

    This may be going off the point a bit, and open to correction, but as a Pom who lived in Australia for a while, it struck me that Gundagai is the place name that is most often found in Australian songs.

    The most recent I can think of being John Dengate's "Bare Legged Kate", based on his mother's childhood.

    If this is a general thread on bush music, then Wongawilli is a name that should not be left out. They are involved in collecting and performing Ozzie traditional music, but the good part is they are also a great band. There is a web site. A search for wongawilli will find it, I need to improve my knowledge to include clever links. If it is more general follow Alan's link, there is some good stuff on the contemporary Oz folk scene, which I hope to be adding to in the near future.

    I picked up a CD by Trevor Lucas, called the Overlander, which has some traditional bush songs on it, but it must have been a re-release of some of his very early recordings, before he joined Fairport Convention. It was in the bargain bin, so I am not sure if it is still available.

    26 Sep 00 - 07:16 PM (#306119)
    Subject: Lyr Add: LAZY HARRY'S
    From: Snuffy

    I originally posted this last weekend - meant to put it on this Gundagai thread, but somehow it got onto a thread with "Jake the Peg", Skippy the Bush Kangaroo" and other highlights of antipodean culture. Anyone seeing the first couple of posts would probably read no further. *BG*

    So apologies for posting the same thing twice, but I think it really belongs here.
    I picked up a tape at Bromyard Folk Festival of field recordings made in Suffolk in the 1980's. On it I was amazed to find this version of the Road to Gundagai - completely different storyline to the version in DT. (Different tune, too - Mr Whiting uses a fairly standard "Wearing of the Green" tune, closer to the Dubliner's "Rising of the Moon" than to the WotG tune in DT).

    But how did it get to Suffolk? My guess would probably be through the army, with UK and ANZAC troops serving together - Boer War, WW1, WW2, etc - although maritime transmission is also a possibility.

    Can any 'catters throw further light on this?

    LAZY HARRY'S

    Well we'd finished up the shearing and we each had took our checks
    So we planned a trip to Sydney just to lubricate our necks
    So we swung the swags up gaily: we had Sydney in the eye
    But we camped at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai

    We camped one night at a station and they treated us real swell
    Next day we started tramping, and the sun was hot as hell
    But we didn't mind the tramping and we didn't mind the flies
    But we camped at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai

    We camped one night at a cockies, at the next the waterhole was dry
    Next day we started tramping beneath the red hot copper sky
    But we didn't mind the tramping: we had Sydney in the eye
    But we camped at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai

    We were miles yet from the railhead and out throats were awful dry
    When we spotted Lazy Harry's pub on the road to Gundagai
    So we thought we'd have a quick one in the pub as we passed by
    But we camped at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai

    Now the barmaids there in Harry's pub would melt a heart of stone
    They'd make you think you were twice your size like you stood out on your own
    And when you knew you'd had enough, they'd convince you you were dry
    So we camped at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai

    Well we ended up as drunk as lords, woke up with an awful head
    Snowy felt down in his pockets and he said "Well, strike me dead!
    Someone has fanned me for me money," then he gave a woeful sigh
    "That means I won't see Sydney now or get as far as Gundagai"

    When we each felt in our pockets, someone had done a proper job
    For they'd fanned us for our money, and they'd left us fifteen bob
    It's a lesson I'll remember now until the day I die
    When we camped at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai

    From Songs sung in Suffolk, Vol 3. Veteran Tapes VT103. (Field recordings 1985-87 by John Howson). Sung by Fred Whiting of Kenton, Suffolk.


    Wassail! V

    27 Sep 00 - 05:43 PM (#306845)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Alan of Australia

    G'day Snuffy,
    Is the tune sufficiently different to warrant transcribing it for the Mudcat MIDI site?

    If so send it in any form you like & I'll post it as a MIDI. There is a link on the site for my email address.

    Cheers,
    Alan

    27 Sep 00 - 06:42 PM (#306892)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Snuffy

    Alan,

    I think it's a fairly standard version of the Irish tune (but the one in DT maybe isn't?). I'll e-mail it you anyway, and you can decide.

    PS - verse 3 starts "We camped one night at a cockies" or is that a Cocky's? Can you enlighten us poms as to what that might be?

    Wassail! V

    28 Sep 00 - 12:09 AM (#307120)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: NH Dave

    The best source for older Australian lyrics I have found is http://crixa.com/muse/songnet/songs.html. This site, which has moved around a bit lists, a number of the older songs with a digital picture of the music as well as the words to each song.

    Dave

    28 Sep 00 - 01:09 AM (#307142)
    Subject: RE: Lyrics: Australian?? folk song
    From: Alan of Australia

    G'day Snuffy,
    That'd be 'cocky's'. In Oz a cocky farmer implies one who farms in a small way, as in Eric Bogle's "Now I'm Easy" which starts: "For nearly 60 years I've been a cocky".

    Cheers,
    Alan

    26 Apr 09 - 11:28 AM (#2619013)
    Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Along the Road to Gundagai (Jack O'Ha
    From: GUEST,j ohagan

    my great uncle wrote that song