|
On the twenty-first of May, THE BACKBLOCKS SHEARERI'm only a backblocks shearer, boys, as can be plainly seen,I've shore in almost every shed on the plains of the Riverine, I've shore in most of the famous sheds, I've seen big tallies done, But somehow or other, I don't know why, I never became a gun. chorus: Hurrah, me boys, my shears are set, I feel both fit and well Tomorrow will find me at my pen when the gaffer rings the bell With Haydon's patent thumbguards fixed and both my blades pulled back Tomorrow I go with a sliding blow for a century or the sack I've opened up the windpipe straight, I've opened behind the ear I've practiced every possible style in which a man can shear I've studied all the cuts and drives of the famous men I've met But I never succeeded in plastering up those three little figures yet As the boss walked down this morning, boys, I saw him stare at me For I'd mastered Morgan's shoulder-cut, as he could plainly see But I've another surprise for him that'll give his nerves a shock Tomorrow he'll find I've mastered Pierce's rang-tang block! If I succeed as I hope to, then I intend to shear At Wagga demonstration that they have there every year, Then down the colours will come, my boys, the colours of Mitchell & Co. Instead of Deeming, you will hear of Widgegoweera Joe! The liner notes by Edgar Waters (1965) on Gary Shearston's 1965 recording,The Springtime It Brings On The Shearing, sum up the song with the following words: "According to one old bush singer this song was written in New South Wales by a shearer named Bill Tully. But Widgeegowarmee Joe probably really came from Widgeegoara, which is in Queensland; and this version of the song comes from Victoria. It was recorded by collectors of the Folk Lore Society of Victoria from an old bushman called Alf Dyer. Joe got around, it seems, and so did this song, which pokes fun at him for being too much of a skite and not enough of a shearer. John Meredith - who got down a rather different version of the song from an old Riverina bushman called Jack Lee - says that the tune was taken over from an old Irish song, Castle Gardens. Another folklorist, John Manifold, thinks that Bill Tully must have had uppermost in his mind an old sailor song which begins "Hurrah, my boys, the sails are set, the winds are blowing fair...." The song is full of shearers' technical talk, and a few topical references.Mitchell, obviously, was a highly-regarded shearer. But Deeming was a murderer - in fact, a multiple murderer - whose name made a splash in the newspapers towards the end of the last century." Eight little whores, with no hope of heaven, Gladstone may save one, then there'll be seven. Seven little whores beggin for a shilling, One stays in Henage Court, then there's a killing. Six little whores, glad to be alive, One sidles up to Jack, then there are five. Four and whore rhyme aright, So do three and me, I'll set the town alight Ere there are two. Two little whores, shivering with fright, Seek a cosy doorway in the middle of the night. Jack's knife flashes, then there's but one, And the last one's the ripest for Jack's idea of fun. The above verse is not about Deeming but Jack the Ripper. Undated but supposedly sent to the police in England in 1888 at the time of the murders, it was among a number of letters that were thought to have come from the killer. As there were only 5 murders at the time the letter is more likely to date from around 1915.
This webpage © 2004 Simply Australia
|
