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Lyr Req: The Broken-Down Squatter

16 Sep 01 - 03:50 AM (#551387)
Subject: Does anyone recognise this song?
From: Egmond

Many years ago when I first started singing in folk clubs I learnt a song that I have long since forgotten. Having recently restarted singing in clubs again I wondered if any one had the words to it. Unfortunately I can only remember the chorus and the first two verses. The first verse went,

Oh come, stumpy old man, let us shift while we can.
All your mates in the paddock are dead.
Let us bid a farewell to Glen Evens sweet dell
And the place where your lordship was bred
All together we rode from our drought-stricken home
It’s sad that such things have to be
And it’s hard on a horse when he got for a boss
A broken-down squatter like me

Chorus:
And the banks are all broken they say
And the merchants are all up a tree
When the bigwigs are brought to the bankruptcy courts
What chance a poor squatter like me?

I have tried searching the DigiTrad but nothing comes up.
Can anyone help please?

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 20-Jan-02.

16 Sep 01 - 03:55 AM (#551390)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE BROKEN-DOWN SQUATTER^^^
From: Pene Azul

From this page: http://scs.une.edu.au/Bushrangers/songs.htm

THE BROKEN-DOWN SQUATTER

Come, Stumpy, old man, we must shift while we can,
All your mates in the Paddock are dead;
Let us wave our farewells to Glen Eva's sweet dells,
And the hills where your master was bred,
Together to roam from our drought stricken home
Seems hard that such things have to be,
And it's hard on the horse when he's nought for a boss,
But a broken-down squatter like me.

Chorus:
For the banks are all broken they say,
And the merchants are all up a tree;
When the bigwigs are brought to the bankruptcy court,
What chance for a squatter like me?

No more shall we muster the river for strays,
Or run on the fifteen-mile plain,
Or dash through the scrub by the light of the moon,
Or see the old homestead again.
Leave the sliprailings down, they don't matter much now,
For there's none but the crows left to see,
Perching gaunt in the pine, as though looking to dine
On a broken-down squatter like me.

When the country was cursed with the drought at its worst,
And the cattle were dying in scores
Though down on my luck, I kept up my pluck,
Thinking justice might soften the laws;
But the farce had been played, and the Government aid
Ain't extended to squatters, old son;
When my money was spent, they doubled the rent
And resumed the best part of the run.

16 Sep 01 - 04:00 AM (#551393)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Does anyone recognise this song?
From: Pene Azul

It is, in fact, in the DT here (slightly different, plus another verse).

Jeff

16 Sep 01 - 10:53 AM (#551539)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Does anyone recognise this song?
From: McGrath of Harlow

Here is another song by the same writers Horace and Charles Flower in the 1890s. It's in a massive set of great Australian songs at that website.

16 Sep 01 - 03:38 PM (#551737)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Does anyone recognise this song?
From: GUEST,Captain Swing

By, that brings back memories Eg. That's the one we used the idiot board for - the idiot board with the spelling mistake on - the spelling mistake which Brain Dawson corrected with a red pen during a performance.

17 Sep 01 - 04:26 PM (#552574)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Does anyone recognise this song?
From: Egmond

Thats the one Capt. I remember the first two verses and now after reading the other two verses from the digi trad I do recall most of it, however what at the time seemed like a song without meaning now seems quite sensible. Maybe because I now have the correct words and not the words that I thought you were singing at the time. Life seemed so much simpler then. Maybe I could still get away with singing my words, would anyone know??

18 Sep 01 - 02:46 PM (#553373)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Does anyone recognise this song?
From: GUEST,Captain Swing

"however what at the time seemed like a song without meaning now seems quite sensible" - is this the result of my previous bad diction or your current insanity?

21 Sep 01 - 04:30 AM (#555573)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Does anyone recognise this song?
From: Egmond

Must be my current insanity I think