Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin (22 February 1962 – 4 September 2006), nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian wildlife expert, television personality, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted with his wife Terri. Together, the couple also owned and operated Australia Zoo, founded by Irwin's parents in Beerwah, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of the Queensland state capital city of Brisbane. Irwin died on 4 September 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming an underwater documentary film titled Ocean's Deadliest. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship MY Steve Irwin was named in his honour.
Irwin was born on his mother's birthday to Lyn and Bob Irwin in Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. He moved with his parents as a child to Queensland in 1970, where he attended Landsborough State School and Caloundra State High School. Irwin described his father as a wildlife expert interested in herpetology, while his mother Lyn was a wildlife rehabilitator. After moving to Queensland, Bob and Lyn Irwin started the small Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, where Steve grew up around crocodiles and other reptiles.
Get With The Program
Plot
Times are tough in a Chicago real-estate office; the salesmen (Shelley Levene, Ricky Roma, Dave Moss, and George Aaronow) are given a strong incentive by Blake to succeed in a sales contest. The prizes? First prize is a Cadillac El Dorado, second prize is a set of steak knives, third prize is the sack! There is no room for losers in this dramatically masculine world; only "closers" will get the good sales leads. There is a lot of pressure to succeed, so a robbery is committed which has unforeseen consequences for all the characters.
Keywords: all-male-cast, ambiguous-title, arizona, bar, based-on-play, boss, breaking-and-entering, business, cafe, capitalism
The hardest thing in life is sell
A Story For Everyone Who Works For A Living.
Lie. Cheat. Steal. All In A Day's Work.
Blake: These are the new leads. These are the Glengarry leads. And to you they're gold, and you don't get them. Why? Because to give them to you would be throwing them away. They're for closers.
Ricky Roma: How was her crumbcake?::Shelley Levene: Hmm? Oh... from the store.::Ricky Roma: Fuck her.
Blake: We're adding a little something to this month's sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anybody want to see second prize? [Holds up prize] Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.
Blake: Your name is "you're wanting", and you can't play the man's game, you can't close them, and then tell your wife your troubles. 'Cause only one thing counts in this world: get them to sign on the line which is dotted. You hear me you fuckin' faggots?
Shelley Levene: What the hell are you? You're a fuckin' secretary. Fuck you. That's my message to ya: fuck you and you can kiss my ass and if you don't like it baby I'm going across the street to Jerry Graff, period, fuck you.
Blake: A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing, always be closing.
Ricky Roma: They say that it was so hot in the city today, grown men were walking up to cops on street corners begging them to shoot them.
Williamson: Will you go to lunch? Go to lunch. WILL you GO to LUNCH?
Blake: What's the problem, pal?::Dave Moss: You - [correcting him] Moss. You're such a hero, you're so rich, how come you're coming down here wasting your time with such a bunch of bums?::Blake: You see this watch? You see this watch?::Dave Moss: Yeah.::Blake: That watch costs more than you car. I made $970,000 last year. How much you make? You see pal, that's who I am, and you're nothing. Nice guy? I don't give a shit. Good father? Fuck you! Go home and play with your kids. You wanna work here - close! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit? You don't like it, leave.
Blake: You got leads. Mitch & Murray paid good money. Get their names to sell them. You can't close the leads you're given, you can't close shit, *you are* shit, hit the bricks pal, and beat it, 'cause you are going *out*.::Shelley Levene: The leads are weak.::Blake: "The leads are weak." The fucking leads are weak? You're weak. I've been in this business fifteen years...::Dave Moss: What's your name?::Blake: Fuck you. That's my name.::[Moss laughs]::Blake: You know why, mister? 'Cause you drove a Hyundai to get here tonight, I drove an eighty thousand dollar BMW. *That's* my name.
Billabong
Why don't you get out of it with me
I hope there's nothing wrong
In the way I turn on in your company
I hope you don't mind that I'm off my face over you
'Cause if you turn me away I don't know what I'd do
Oh Billabong (do-do-do-do-do)
Billabong (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Plenty bamboo (didly-didly-didly...), a little water
Take a big deep breath (do-do-do-do-do)
And away we go (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
In a big canoo (didly-didly-didly...), up the river
There's something about the way you walk on by
It's the walk in your wiggle
Or the wiggle in your walk that caught my eye
I never forgot the day you said goodbye
Don't you think maybe it's worth another try
Oh Billabong (do-do-do-do-do)
Billabong (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Plenty bamboo (didly-didly-didly...), a little water
Take a big deep breath (do-do-do-do-do)
And away we go (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
In a big canoo (didly-didly-didly...), up the river
I got rum in the fridge and a couple of jay-jay pails
A breeze comes through here every night, it never fails
We're two lonely people on nowhere trails
Maybe we'll get our wheels back on the rails
Oh Billabong (do-do-do-do-do)
Billabong (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Plenty bamboo (didly-didly-didly...), a little water
Take a big deep breath (do-do-do-do-do)
And away we go (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
In a big canoo (didly-didly-didly...), up the river
One more time -
Oh Billabong (do-do-do-do-do)
Billabong (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Plenty bamboo (didly-didly-didly...), a little water
Take a big deep breath (do-do-do-do-do)
And away we go (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
In a big canoo (didly-didly-didly...), up the river
Sippin' beer and thinking things
The deepest thoughts that fire brings
Is it all that I can do
Or will this be the last time
Snorin' truckies, windmill sings
Lonely sounds of Renner Springs
Round and round the road I go
The everlasting travellin' show
An old guitar, a brand new crew
Another song of missing you
Another roadhouse, black with one
Keeping m' eyelids open
I'll see Katherine on my way
She is on m' mind today
Round and round the road I go
The everlasting travellin' show
Takin' the bad with the good
It evens out okay
I don't count m' blessings when I should
I am well ahead, touch wood
Takin' the good with the bad
Shoot me if I moan
Round and round the road I go
The everlasting travellin' show
If only a few turn up tonight
I'll get m' mind around all right
I'll give 'em a show they won't forget
They'll remind me one day
Remember you signed an autograph
A piece of paper torn in half
One for m' Dad and one for me
Where is the glory when war is won
A man hits the bottle and belts his son
So I ran away to the Cattle Run
Where I learned to fight and swallow rum
And I learned to go barefoot you see
Just like an Aborigine
For one of their tribe belonged to me
The Prettiest Girl in the Kimberley
Oooh . . .
But I could not marry the girl I adore
Black and white was against the law
They chain you up to a Boab Tree
For kissing an Aborigine
But a ringer's heart is immune to pain
A bull rips your leg and you carry on
You clench your teeth and you cry alone
And ride for a week till the poison's gone
Oooh . . .
But me and my dog we're not alone
The Pension provides us with beef and a bone
I've given up drifting and drinking rum
We're up and about before the sun
And I can still quarter a beast in a dash
Have your freezer full of spare ribs in a flash
And I still dream of the one for me
The Prettiest Girl in the Kimberley
Oooh . . .
Yes I still dream of the one for me
Well I've ripped and dug out burrows on a sandy bulloak hill,
Eradicating rabbits doesn't take a lot of skill
But a boy born in the Mallee doesn't find 'em hard to kill
No self-respecting farmer lets a rodent eat his wheat
He'll shoot 'em and he'll skin 'em and he'll dress 'em up to eat
But since the spread of mixo He's almost got 'em beat
And I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee boy
Where little town dogs howl at the morning train,
Where a cocky makes a living on twelve inches of rain
Where his woman provides and is rare to complain
And I still love the smell of that sandy soil,
Some say it's dusty, some say it's gold
Cause it grows the sweetest fat lambs the markets ever sold
And I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy,
No I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy.
Where you can lose an ear on duck opening day,
Where slickers bring their shotguns from miles away,
And shoot the life out of shags and swans that fly their way.
Where a bloke grows as stocky as a Mallee bull,
Where they come from miles around to see the tractor pull,
When the paddocks are clean and seed silos are full,
And I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy.
Well I've ripped and dug out burrows on a sandy bulloak hill,
Eradicating rabbits doesn't take a lot of skill,
And a boy born in the Mallee doesn't find 'em hard to kill.
But they'll never be as rare as a Quandong tree
My grandma made some jam for my brothers and me
They're like the Mallee Fowl you hardly ever see
But I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy.
No I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy.
Just layin' with my lady on a houseboat in the sun
Can't hear the city hummin', and I'm feelin' good
With a belly full of oysters and some white wine on the ice,
I've got that laid back lovin' feeling - it's really nice
What I call Hawkesbury River lovin', good Aussie wine
Workin' hard at bein' lazy, no bait on the line
My kind of paradise, a river honeymoon
Just layin' with my lady on a houseboat in the sun
Well I know I should be out there. . .searchin' for a job. . .
I could try a pick 'n shovel. . .but what the hell. . .
Why can't I be born again and come back as a swan. . .
Head up north for the winter. . .and back again. . .to find some
Hawkesbury River Lovin', good Aussie wine
Workin' hard at bein' lazy, no bait on the line
My kind of paradise, a river honeymoon
Just layin' with my lady on a houseboat in the sun
And I know you don't mind how many times I say 'I love you',
As long as you can stay around for more
What I call Hawkesbury River Lovin', good Aussie wine
Workin' hard at bein' lazy, no bait on the line
My kind of paradise, a river honeymoon
Just layin' with my lady on a houseboat in the sun
From Townsville to Greenvale we're building a line
Through the ranges and the gorges and the great nickel mine
The long days are dusty and hotter than hell
And that's why we all worship Three Rivers Hotel
There's Thiess Brothers camp on the banks of the Star
Where men from all nations and walks of life are
And it's funny to listen to the stories they tell
Every night 'round the bar at Three Rivers Hotel
And we curse at the things that go wrong through the day
And vow that we'll snatch it, and go far away
But when day is done and we're soon feeling well
The laughter rings out from Three Rivers Hotel
And the night after payday there's fun and romance
It's a night for the fam'lies to sing and to dance
You can let down your hair and come out of your shell
You can do your own thing in Three Rivers Hotel
And if you listen to the bosses when the night's gettin' late
On the progress they're makin' the best in the state
They'd be finished this line and the maintenance as well
If they worked like they bragged in Three Rivers Hotel
All together now
From Townsville to Greenvale we're building a line
Through the ranges and the gorges and the great nickel mine
The long days are dusty and hotter than hell
And that's why we all worship Three Rivers Hotel
Oh the long days are dusty and hotter than hell
Old Man Emu
Let me tell you of an interview with an Old Man Emu
He's got a beak and feathers and things
But the poor old fella ain't got no wings
Aren't you jealous of the wedge-tailed eagle - Um-ba-da-lip-ida-da-da
While the eagle's flyin' round and round I keep my two feet firmly on the ground
Now I can't fly but I'm tellin' you, I can run the pants off a kangaroo
Ba-da-doo-doo, da-doo-doo-doo, doo-da-do-do, doo-doo
He can't fly but I'm tellin' you, he can run the pants off a kangaroo
Well he was the model for the fifty cents - Um-ba-da-lip-ida-da-da
The designer should have had more sense - Um-ba-da-lip-ida-da-da
If you take a look it'll prove to you (ha-ha-ha-ha), I ran the pants off that kangaroo
Ba-da-doo-doo, da-doo-doo-doo, doo-da-do-do, doo-doo
Take a look, it'll prove to you, he ran the pants off the kangaroo
You can't loop the loop like a cockatoo - Um-ba-da-lip-ida-da-da
Swoop and toss like an albatross - Um-ba-da-lip-ida-da-da
You silly gallah, I'm better by far, than a white cockatoo or a budgerigar
They squeak and squawk and try to talk, why me and them's like cheese and chalk
Ba-da-doo-doo, da-doo-doo-doo, doo-da-do-do, doo-doo
He can't fly but I'm tellin' you, he can run the pants off a kangaroo
Well the last time I saw Old Man Emu - Um-ba-da-lip-ida-da-da
He was chasing a female he knew- Um-ba-da-lip-ida-da-da
As he shot past I heard him say
Hoo-choo-ah-hoo-choo-ah-hoo-choo-ah-hoo-choo
She can't fly but I'm tellin' you, she can run the pants off a kangaroo
Ba-da-doo-doo, da-doo-doo-doo, do-da-do-do, doo-doo
She can't fly but I'm tellin' you, she can run the pants off a kangaroo
Pastel red to burgundy and spinifex to gold,
We've just come out of the Mulga where the plains forever roll.
And Albert Namatjira has painted all the scenes,
And a shower has changed the lustre of our land.
And it's raining on the Rock,
In a beautiful country,
And I'm proud to travel this big land,
As an Aborigine.
And it's raining on the Rock
What an almighty sight to see,
And I'm wishing and I'm dreaming that you were here with me.
Everlasting daisies and a beautiful desert rose
Where does their beauty come from heaven knows.
I could ask the wedge-tail but he's away too high,
I wonder if he understands it's wonderful to fly.
It cannot be described with a picture,
The mesmerising colours of the Olgas.
Or the grandeur of the Rock
Uluru has power!
And it's raining on the Rock,
In a beautiful country,
And I'm proud to travel this big land,
As an Aborigine.
And it's raining on the Rock
What an almighty sight to see,
Boogie With M Baby
It was before the dollar - and before the pill
I went to this rock dance - in Swan Hill
I arrived in me E.K. - hair slicked back
And I saw this sheila in tangerine socks - hair pitch black
And she walked right by me
And she said, you wanna boogie with m' baby
You wanna move with m' baby, you wanna groove with m' baby
Well I strolled across the dance floor - loves fool
And I looked her right in the eye - real cool
And I said nuffin'
She said, you wanna boogie with m' baby
You wanna move with m' baby, you wanna groove with m' baby
Doo-do-do-doo-do, do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-doody-doody-do
Well, I didn't let her go, she wasn't real rough
Dingo, Dingo - why you runnin' scared?
Dingo, Dingo - why you runnin' scared?
Guard dog of the mountains
Keepin' the rats from eatin' it all away
Dingo, Dingo - koori warragul
Dingo, Dingo - koori warragul
Guard dog of the plains
Keepin' the sheep from eatin' it all away
Dingo, Dingo - why you get so mad?
Dingo, Dingo - why you get so mad?
Guard dog of the desert
Well I've listened with patience to all your sad tales,
When you're short of a smoke or the pub's got not ale,
But tell me fair dinkum, I don't want you to kid,
Have you ever been sipping and short of a quid.
Have you been to strange town in search of job,
Where a stranger's not welcome by the local born mob.
You’ve probably done the same thing as I did,
Stood around in the bar and was short of a quid.
As I gazed at the drinkers all quenching their thirst,
My lips were so dry I thought they would burst.
I reckoned someone would notice but no-body did
They’ve apparently never been short of a quid.
The publican's looks were black as the night,
And I heard someone whisper, ‘this bloke’s on the
bite’’.
So I held up my wrist-watch and called for a bid,
But no one would buy it or lend me a quid.
Oh you blokes who have money to travel in style,
May laugh at my story but I too can smile.
To the ?traveller? and the drifter I’ll raise my old
head,
‘Cause they know what it’s like to be short of a quid.
Well I’ve listened with patience to all your sad tales,
When you’re short of a smoke, or the pub’s got no ale,
But tell me you Gypsies I don’t want you to kid,
Galleries of pink galahs
Crystal nights with diamond stars
Apricots preserved in jars
That's my home
Land of oceans in the sun
Purple hazes, river gums
Breaks your heart when rain won't come
It breaks your heart
It takes a harsh and cruel drought
To sort the weaker saplings out
It makes room for stronger trees
Maybe that's what life's about
Winter's come, the hills are brown
Shops are closed, the blinds are down
Everybody's leavin' town
They can't go on
The south wind through verandah gauze
Winds and bangs the homestead doors
A mother curses dusty floors
And feels alone
Trucks and bulk bins filled with rust
Boy leaves home to make a crust
A father's dreams reduced to dust
But he must go on
Tortured redgums unashamed
Sunburnt country wisely named
Chisel ploughed and wire claimed
But never, never, never tamed
Whirlwind swirls a paper high
Same old news of further dry
Of broken clouds just passing by
That's my home
Land of oceans in the sun
Purple hazes, river gums
Breaks your heart when rain won't come
Hey, true blue
Don't say you've gone
Say you've knocked off for a smoko
And you'll be back later on
Hey, true blue
Hey, true blue
Give it to me straight, face to face
Are you really disappearing
Just another dying race
Hey, true blue
True blue, is it me and you?
Is it mum and dad, is it a cockatoo?
Is it standing by your mate?
When he's in a fight or just Vegemite
True blue, I'm asking you
Hey, true blue
Can you bear the load? Will you tie it up with wire
Just to keep the show on the road?
Hey, true blue
Hey, true blue
Now be fair dinkum, is your heart still there?
If they sell us out like sponge cake,
do you really care?
Hey, true blue
True blue, is it me and you?
Is it mum and dad, is it a cockatoo?
Is it standin' by your mate?
When she's in a fight or just Vegemite
True blue, I'm asking you
True blue, is it me and you?
Is it mum and dad, is it a cockatoo?
Is it standin' by your mate?
When he's in a fight or just Vegemite
When I think of all the men that played
That took the knocks and made the grade
The legends that the game has made
I can’t believe I’m here.
I’ll wear the gold with a sleeve of green
It makes me strong it makes me keen
And I’ll go forward like a steel machine
‘Til cracks in the foe appear.
Could it be a dream
My father’s son that’s me
Humbled by the truth I am
A Golden Wallaby
And I will seize the day
‘Cause it belongs to me
I have a number on my back
I am a Wallaby.
And if the ball won’t roll my way
No matter how I try that day
I won’t let my temper fray
I’ll fight on ‘til the end
And I will keep a solid chin
‘Cause champions don’t always win
They’re known for coming back again
And we will make amends.
Could it be a dream
My father’s son that’s me
Humbled by the truth I am
A Golden Wallaby
And I will seize the day
‘Cause it belongs to me
I have a number on my back
I am a Wallaby.
Yes could it be a dream
My father’s son that’s me
I have a number on my back
Farewell to Old England forever
Farewell to my rum culls as well
Farewell to the well known Old Bailee
Where I used for to cut such a swell
Chorus
Singing toorali-orali-addity
Singing toorali-oolari-ai
Singing toorali-ollari-addity
We're bound for Botany Bay
Chorus
'Taint leaving Old England we cares about,
'Taint 'cos we mispells wot we knows
But becos all we light fingered gentry
Hop's around with a log on our toes.
Chorus
There's the captain as is our commander,
there's bo'sun and all the ship's crew
there's first and the second class passengers,
Knows what we poor convicts goes through
Chorus
Oh had I wings of a turtle-dove,
I'd soar on my pinions so high,
Slap bang to the arms of my Polly love,
And in her sweet presence I'd die
Chorus
Now all my young Dookies and Duchesses,
Take warning from what I've to say,
Mind all is your own as you toucheses,
Or you'll find us in Botany Bay,
At the Boomerang Cafe where I first met you
With lipstick on your lips and vinegar on your chips
At the Boomerang Cafe where I sat down beside you
Do you remember my darling
You thought I was a fool as I rolled a cigarette
You thought I was too old but I bet you don't forget
The Boomerang Cafe
Where I first met you
Do you remember my darling
Wasn't long ago, was just the other day
You played with the sugar and I didn't know what to say
Or was it just a daydream that I'll never run again
In memories with you
Instrumental passage (Saxaphone)
At the Boomerang Cafe all I could see
Was your brown eyes
Which would change the world for me
And the Boomerang Cafe changed the world for you
Do you remember my darling
I recall it was raining
The heavens tore apart
Or was it just the lightning and thunder in my heart
At the Boomerang Cafe
Where I first met you
Do you remember my darling
You can almost touch the ocean
Shimmering in the distant haze,
As you stand there on the mountain
On this loveliest day of days.
Round half the world you've drifted
Left no wild oats unsown,
But now your view has shifted
And you think you've just come home.
REPEAT INTRO
And you're drowning in the sunshine
As it pours down from the sky,
And there's something stirring in your heart
Bright colours fill your eyes.
As from here to the far horizon
Your beauty does unfold,
And oh, you look so lovely
Dressed in green and gold.
To the homeless and the hungry
May we always open doors,
May the restless and the weary
Find safe harbour on our shores.
May she always be our dreamtime place
Our spirit's glad release,
May she always be our shelter
May we always live in peace.
Australians all let us rejoice
For we are young and free
We've golden soil and wealth for toil
Our home is girt by sea
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare
In history's page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair
In joyful strains then let us sing
A city girl is happy with her friends and family life
Appreciates a wine with him at night
She tries to find the sparkle, she searches but it's gone
With lots of love she hopes he'll be alright
Her man has gone all quiet he's not at ease
He doesn't feel at home he's hard to please
He gets itchy feet he's tired of noises in the street
He needs to walk for hours through the trees
CHORUS
No a bushman can't survive on city lights
Opera rock and roll and height of heights
His moon shines on the silver brigalow
Shimmers down the inland river flow
Out there where the yellow belly bites
He's working with his hands today on a building site
He can smell the Cypress on the floor
It takes him to a sandy ridge out amongst the pines
No shearin' no ploughin' anymore
His kelpie dog is tired and fast asleep
Sick of searchin' gardens for the sheep
His master doesn't whistle tunes he's not in the mood
His love for open spaces runs too deep
CHORUS
He tries to please his woman the lady of his life
He's standing at a party with a plate
She finds him on the balcony staring at the moon
An old familiar face he can relate
CHORUS
His moon shines on the silver brigalow
Shimmers down the inand river
When m' travellin' days are done
Will you still be with me?
When all the songs have been sung
Standin' right beside me
Watchin' the grandkids grow
I've got everything but nothing without you
I've got mountains, I've got rivers
I've got a chandelier of stars
Got blossoms on the Bloodwoods
Friends all 'round the country
And a heart as good as new
I've got everything but nothing without you
Too much time for thinking
It's gonna drive me mad
I walk along the river
I watch a motel movie
But lovers make me sad
I've got everything but nothing without you
So when this life that binds me
Turns me loose
Lets me rest on m' laurels
Will you put y' head on m' shoulder
And share the peaceful years
We had a cat
his name was bill
he caught our budgie on the window sill
one holy day, one sunday morn
left only feathers on our back lawn
oh no bill, you can't do that
you silly pussy, you stupid cat
so we took him down, our family pet
and we left his balls with the family vet
Meeoooww meeeoooww
Well the very next day he packed his bags
left all his penthouse and playboy mags
how could we do it to the family vet
go and leave his balls with the family vet
well we get no postcards, no telephone calls
he's out in the bush somewhere, with no balls
and he's obsessed with sweet revenge
so he eats our parrots and our fairy wrens
(chorus)
yes he's mortified and we all regret that we left his balls with the family vet
How he's highly sought by the feral choir
for his new found talent to sing much higher
has no more time for female friends
only parrots and fairy wrens
no sense of humour, ex-family pet
he's still angry, he's still upset
it still hurts, he can't forget
that we left his balls with the family vet
I'm into cattle, my Father was too
From Great Great Grandfather all the way through
And we scarcely have wasted an hour of daylight
Stickin' to Herefords and it's been all right
Prepared for the lean times and save for a drought
But you can't always plan how the future turns out
Life's gettin' harder to make what we need
With low cattle prices and more mouths to feed
Oh, six generations where camels run free
I hope I am never too blind to see
How fortunate, how proud can an old fella be
Three sons in their swags 'round the stock camp with me
Sent the boys off to school to see Adelaide
How other folks live, get a job learn a trade
Couldn't keep them away 'cause their hearts are still here
My butcher, my welder, my diesel engineer
Oh, six generations where camels run free
I hope I am never too blind to see
How fortunate, how proud can an old fella be
Three sons in their swags 'round the stock camp with me
And I come in for dinner, the sun hits the range
In a matter of seconds the colours all change
From gold down to violet the soul has been burned
And I understand fully why they have returned
Cause I'm into cattle, my Father was too
From Great Great Grandfather all the way through
And we've never been guilty of wasting daylight
We work hard, we play hard and we sleep well at night
Oh, six generations where camels run free
I hope I am never too blind to see
How fortunate, how proud can an old fella be
Three sons in their swags 'round the stock camp with me
Teary eyes at the window,
Where did Mum and Dad go?
I wish someone would hurry up and come and get me,
Gee I'm scared
The cat shot through, She saw the light and fled.
Cracker night was a real big deal, when I was a little kid
They started lettin' them off after tea I ran inside and hid
And all the dogs from everywhere were underneath me bed.
We all went down in our dressing gowns to see the big bonfire
Wide eyes watched the straw man burn on a mile-high pile of tyres
Hot as hell, big black smell and red hot rings of wire.
Sky rockets zinging,
Catherine wheels spinning,
What a flamin' evening,
Fire trucks were screaming
Smoky haze hangin' round for days
And Grandma's ears were ringing.
Everynight after school draggin' bits of wood,
Boxes and branches and rotten old fences,
And mattresses were good.
We even scrounged a vinyl lounge
And anything we could
Little Guy Fawkes's and letter boxes
Blown all out of shape
Light the wick and back off quick,
And make the big escape
Cackin' ourselves and rippin' my shirt
Scrambling through the gate
Sky rockets zinging
Catherine wheels spinning
What a flamin' evening
Fire trucks were screaming
Smoky haze hangin' round for days
And Grandma's ears were ringing.
A house burnt down on the edge of town
We all took off with Pa
This thing whizzed across the road
And nearly hit our car
A bang and spark lit up the park
And everyone went Ah! Ah! Ah!
Cracker night was a real big deal,
When I was a little kid,
It seems like only yesterday
Tucked away in bed
Dreams of schemes and double bunger
Driving like a madman in the dark and silvery night
Maybe I won't make it, I don't care that I might
My life is such a mixup, my woman won't behave
Could this be the highway, and my way to the grave
It's been so long since I've been home,
Maybe I won't walk the grass again,
So when I die don't bury me,
Just leave the ashes in the sky,
Let the wind take me where I belong
Driving with the devil and a woman on my mind
I don't understand why she was so unkind
I was being faithful, she was untrue
Life just ain't worth living, what more can I do
Don't tell my Ma, don't tell my Pa
Their only son was acting mighty strange
Please say that I died a happy man
And leave the ashes in the sky,
Let the wind take me where I belong
Driving like a madman in the dark and silvery night
Maybe I won't make it, I don't care that I might
My life is such a mixup, my woman won't behave
Could this be the highway, and my way to the grave
No more crying, it's all been done
This man died some time ago,
When a wicked woman took away his heart,
Just leave the ashes in the sky,
Someday I'll have money,
Money isn't easy, to come by,
By the time it's come by I'll be gone,
I'll sing my song and I'll be gone
Some day I'll have lovin',
Lovin' isn't easy, to come by,
By the time it's come by I'll be gone,
I'll sing my song and I'll be gone
ohhohhh
Lived a life of luxury,
Doesn't seem to be for me, be for me,
Movin' around comes naturally,
Movin' around and feelin' free,
That's for me
Someday I'll have money,
Money isn't easy, to come by,
By the time it's come by I'll be gone,
I'll sing my song and I'll be gone
Some day I'll have lovin',
Lovin' isn't easy, to come by,
By the time it's come by I'll be gone,
I'll sing my song and I'll be gone
ohhohhh
Lived a life of luxury,
Doesn't seem to be for me, be for me,
Movin' around comes naturally,
Movin' around and feelin' free,
That's for me
Someday I'll have money,
Money isn't easy, to come by,
Lovin' isn't easy, to come by,
Neither of them easy, to come by
By the time they've come by I'll be gone,
What am I doing here?
On the banks of the Diamantina
Where only skinny dingoes and horny lizards go
The moon is loud and clear
Like the notes on m' concertina
I'll play another drovin' song the white owl wouldn't know
Forty years been drovin', no woman by my side
No one gives me orders on this dusty road I ride
But the sun can sure get angry as it burns you from the ground
One day those skinny dingoes can drag my bones around
Channel country, gibber plains, tablelands I know
And then there's gentle sand dunes where little Mallees grow
There's a friendly campfire everywhere I go
I'll play another drovin' song the white owl wouldn't know
So see you later Birdsville, you're far too flash for me
While the beer was cold and yummy from here it's Billy Tea
The mob is keen on movin' and that's sounds good to me
Good feed they reckon southbound, we're heading for Marree
Forty years been drovin', no woman by my side
No one gives me orders on this dusty road I ride
But the flies can drive you crazy and the wind can get you down
My Dad Snores does yours?
My Grandpa snores too
Through walls and doors
It rumbles right through
M' Mum's nearly goin' insane
Though she kicks him again and again
What are we goin' to do
Your dad, does he snore too?
My Dad Snores, does yours?
Like an old steam train
There he goes again
Like thunder and rain
We tried a peg on his nose
When he snores through the T.V. shows
What are we goin' to do
Your dad, does he snore too?
My Dad Snores, he roars
Like an old school bus
What's the fuss, he says
What's the matter with us
So we taped him on a blank cassette
But he still doesn't believe us yet
What are we going to do
Your dad, does he snore too?
What are we going to do
Things'll never be the same in Port Lincoln
Since they rolled the cameras there
Roll up and be a movie extra
Take it lightly if you dare
Give the man a uniform
Give the man a gun
He's your younger brother
He's your only son
This is Gallipoli
They coulda been ya mates
They coulda been me
Ya can't blame a bloke who likes adventure
He saw the posters on the wall
See the world through the sights of a rifle
Grab ya mates and go to war
And give the man a bayonet
Give the man a hat
Land him on the beaches
Eight thousand never came back
A rat-a-tat-tat
This is Gallipoli
And don't you forget
You are the Diggers of the Anzac
Slap bang in the middle of an ambush
The johnny turk was all around
Sitting ducks fled like nine-pins
But the Diggers held their ground
And men like Simpson upheld the spirit
Of the Digger who gives a mate a hand
And in the end they showed the world
The spirit of Australia
So things'll never be the same in Port Lincoln
Since they made a movie there
Knock off the shearing
And knock off the fishing
Bring up the clippers and knock off the hair
Give the man a uniform
Give the man a gun
He's your younger brother
He's your only son
This is Gallipoli
And don't you forget
You are the Diggers of the Anzac
This is Gallipoli
And don't you forget
You are the Diggers of the Anzac
There's gonna be some wheat around this year
The little town is smiling from ear to ear
It'll go a ton with no more rain
And farmers will go shopping again
Mary's got her eye on a dress
She'll throw out some shoes
Her wardrobe is a mess
And Jack deserves a new John Deere
Yeah, things are on the improve out here
Hey it's good to see the country people smiling
Old Henry at the general store
Bought himself a ticket to Bali
And traded in the Commodore
The butcher and the cute beautician
The barber and the auctioneer
Reckon that their town is moving
Yeah, things are on the improve out here
A crying shame for young Ned
He just couldn't wait - he might've got ahead
They sold him up before the rain
We wonder if he'll try again
New boots and new overalls
The shops will sell some hats
And paint to paint the walls
We'll see a lot of brand new gates
And watch 'em raise the council rates
Hey it's good to see the country people smiling
Old Henry at the general store
Bought himself a ticket to Bali
And traded in the Commodore
The butcher and the cute beautician
The barber and the auctioneer
Reckon that their town is moving
Yeah, things are on the improve out here
Hey it's good to see the country people smiling
Old Henry at the general store
Bought himself a ticket to Bali
And traded in the Commodore
The butcher and the cute beautician
The barber and the auctioneer
Reckon that their town is moving
Yeah, things are on the improve out here
Misery Farm
We've got a farm, a barn of a farm
Right in the middle of a swamp
Now there ain't any charm in our little farm
Right in the middle of a swamp
All the hens won't lay, we can't make hay
We work all day and we get no pay
We're all miserable, all so miserable
Down on Misery Farm
So are the animals, so are the vegetables
Down on Misery Farm
Oh there's pigs and sheep all fast asleep
Right in the middle of our room
Mother can't cook 'cause she's feelin' crook
And the straw's warn out on her broom
All the hens won't lay, we can't make hay
We work all day and we get no pay
We're all miserable, all so miserable
Down on Misery Farm
So are the animals, so are the vegetables
If you take me from my land
You leave me with no soul, I am like a tree
Everything I am is rooted in the soil
Or I am just a stick to burn
I see you my brother
In your desert shining
With your hand of gentle welcome
You're looking for my sense of humour
I wonder how you do it
Carryin' a heavy load
And I am proud to know you
The Keeper of the Stones
Elder of your tribe
The truth is turning slowly
I feel it in my bones
Rising on a beautiful day
I see it in your knuckles
I see it in your eyes
You have been as low as you can go
It makes me happy brother
To see how well you're travelling
You've risen from the ashes, yeah
Soon you'll be a poppy, standing on your own
They'll try to bring you down when you're tall
But you have the power given in the stones
They called him Camel Boy
But he was a man
He walked behind us ...with a billy
He tended the campfire ... and he made the tea
Drowned in the colours ... we didn't see
And the ghost gums stand ... gleaming white
Showed him a paint brush ... he showed us the light
I apologise ... for the condescension
Paid no attention to the pain of the Camel Boy
It's Namatjira ... he became the one
We remember ... all alone
Under a huge sky ... with a gentle hand
Painted the pictures ... of an ancient land
What fools we were ... what did we mean
Dressed in white ... to meet the queen
Take down her picture ... hang up a ghost gum
Put up a landscape... by the Camel Boy
'Cause her majesty... was in his eye
The 'sleeping lubra', the Aranda sky
I apologise... for the condescension
Paid no attention to the pain of the Camel Boy
And the ghost gums stand ... gleaming white
Showed him a paint brush ... he showed us the light
Drowned in the colours ... we didn't see
What a man was he ... Albert the Camel Boy
Albert the Camel Boy
I have seen a burning, never seen it higher
If you haven't seen a firestorm
You haven't seen a fire
Saw 'em runnin' down the street, with no home to go
Just the shoes on their feet, nothin' else to show
I have seen hard times, as far I can tell
But I hadn't seen a firestorm
So I hadn't seen hell
Saw the courage of the 'fireys'
What they're trained to do
But you can't beat a firestorm, no matter who
Saw a neighbour with a green hose and a trembling hand
Cursing the thing he loves, this dry, dry land
I have seen a burning, never seen it higher
If you haven't seen a firestorm
You haven't seen a fire
Saw 'em crawlin' up a log with no place to hide
Saw a mother with a joey, before they died
Day went into night when it rained from hell
And it told us who we loved
I'll sing you the desert, where blackmen sailed
Waterhole to water, where whitemen failed
See the face of dreamers, forgotten souls
Hear the voice of cattlemen crackle in the coals
Maybe we will learn what's written in the sand
A thousand generations living off the land
I'll sing you the waters, runnin' through the town
Wildflowers and Wattles when it settles down
The Outback is impossible, forever and it's free
No way can I find an end to what it means to me
The Outback
I'll sing you the miners, steel and coal
Opals and diamonds, silver and gold
Emeralds and sapphires, I wish for you
Holes in the outback, down below
There's lakes and there's rivers, caves to be found
And there's another landscape underground
I'll sing you the waters runnin' through the town
Wildflowers and Wattles when it settles down
The backbone of the women who fight on and on
The healing of the sunset when all is said and done
The Outback is impossible, forever and it's free
No way can I find an end to what it means to me
To what it means to me
Why don't we go back to the sheep,
And leave this old lady alone.
We've pushed and we've pulled,
We've killed and we've mauled,
And there's nowhere to hide from the sun.
Why do we take more than we need,
What is this strange disease?
We turn everything we can see into money,
Damn the earth, damn the sky, damn the seas.
Why do we destroy so much life,
When we're more than flesh on the bone.
I jump in my truck, but I'm out o' luck
'Cause most of THE TREES HAVE NOW GONE.
(Take the) girls for a pony ride, show them the brigalow.
Like the hair on my face it was all over the place,
Eighty odd years ago,
(There's a) couple on the side of the road,
And one's got some kind of grub.
(There was) box and boonery, belah and black wallaby.
Ask the old bloke down the pub.
There was supple-jack and leopard wood,
Myall, Wilga and it goes on.
I jump in my truck, but I'm out o' luck,
'Cause most of THE TREES HAVE NOW GONE,
Most of THE TREES HAVE NOW GONE.
(So why) don't we go back to the wool,
Start keeping the whole world warm,
We've dug and we've dirted,
We've sprayed and we've squirted,
And it all floats away in the storm.
My life is just a flash in the dark, I know,
And I'm just a victim of fate,
Why was I born in this beautiful world,
Why was I born too late,
To walk in the virgin bushland,
Put damper and billy on,
I jump in my truck, but I'm out o' luck,
'Cause most of the trees are now gone
What am I gonna do - what about the future?
Gotta draw the line without delay
Why shouldn't I get emotional - the bush is sacred
Ancient life will fade away
Over the hill they go, killing another mountain
Gotta fill the quota - can't go slow
Huge machinery wiping out the scenery
One big swipe like a shearer's blow
Rip rip woodchip - turn it into paper
Throw it in the bin, no news today
Nightmare, dreaming - can't you hear the screaming?
Chainsaw, eyesore - more decay
Remember the axemen knew their timber
Cared about the way they brought it down
Crosscut, blackbutt, tallowood and cedar
Build another bungalow - pioneer town
I am the bush and I am koala
We are one - go hand in hand
I am the bush like Banjo and Henry
It's in my blood - gonna make a stand
Rip rip woodchip - turn it into paper
Throw it in the bin, no news today
Nightmare, dreaming - can't you hear the screaming?
Chainsaw, eyesore - more decay
Rip rip woodchip - turn it into paper
Throw it in the bin - don't understand
Nightmare, dreaming - can't you hear the screaming?
Koala Koala - we love you
But we chop down your home
And you run
Koala, Koala - where do you go
When we take your gum tree away
Please don't run on the road
And please don't cry
Help is on its way
We're gonna learn what makes you die
Gonna send in some money today
You can't dig a hole
Or live in a roof
Or hang from a big, fig tree
If I plant you a special Eucalypt
Will you come and live with me
Koalas they used to be everywhere
What a paradise it could be
A walk in the bush could be heaven
Bring the dreamtime back to me
Yeah, we're going to learn what makes you die
Don't go lookin' through that old camphor box, woman
You know those old things only make you cry
When you dream upon that little bunny rug
Makes you think that life has passed you by
There are days when you wish the world would stop, woman
But then you know some wounds would never heal
But when I browse the early pages of the children
It's then I know exactly how you feel
Hey it's July and the winter sun is shining
And Cootamundra wattle is my friend
For all at once my childhood never left me
'Cause wattle blossoms bring it back again
It's Sunday and you should stop the worrying, woman
Come out here and sit down in the sun
Can't you hear the magpies in the distance
Dont' you know a new day has begun
Can't you hear the bees makin' honey, woman
In the spotted gums where the bellbirds ring
You might grow old and bitter 'cause you missed it
You know some people never hear such things
Hey it's July and the winter sun is shining
And Cootamundra wattle is my friend
For all at once my childhood never left me
'Cause wattle blossoms bring it back again
Don't buy the daily papers any more, woman
Read all about what's going on in hell
They don't care to tell the world of kindness
Good news never made a paper sell
There's all the colours of the rainbow in the garden, woman
And symphonies of music in the sky
Heaven's all around us if you're looking
But how can you see it if you cry
Hey it's July and the winter sun is shining
And Cootamundra wattle is my friend
For all at once my childhood never left me
Real country people in their prime,
Livin' in New South on Queensland time
He's a stockman, likes raisin' sheep,
Likes raisin' children, don't get much sleep
On the shady big verandah, with his hardworking wife,
Three young sidekicks,
It's a way of life.
Some years they make it, some years they don't
Sometimes the creek flows, sometimes it won't
Sometimes he's mean, he's got a gun
When the ewes are lambing he's got pigs on the run
Out in the lignum, on the water course
You could lose a pig dog, you could lose a horse.
Think you oughta know the channel's coming through
Wipin' out the bushland and the kangaroo
Greedy men with water rights to neutralise the land
When's it gonna stop I just don't understand.
With cotton in their ears and dollars in their eyes
Their banker grins and our country dies.
They love the bush, they grow the wool
They respect the land and it's beautiful
Blue Bonnets, Leatherheads and Red-Back Wrens
Bower Birds, Ring Necks and Water Hens
Red Wings and Red Tailed Black Cockatoos Think of all the rainbows we could lose
Real country people in their prime
Livin' in New South on Queensland time
He's a stockman likes raisin' sheep,
Likes raisin' children, don't get much sleep
On the shady big verandah with his hard workin' wife
Three young side kicks,
Chorus
I'M FAIR DINKUM, bloody oath I am
I've loved the smell of gum leaves, since I was in a pram
Some places may be greener, but I don't give a damn
'Cause I'M FAIR DINKUM, bloody oath I am.
Now I was in the doctor's just the other day
He told me take an aspirin, the pain would go away
So I pulled out my chequebook, 'cause sickness doesn't pay
I said, "Are you fair dinkum?" - what did the doctor say?
He said, "Ah so . . ." (Repeat Chorus with Chinese accent)
I said, "Well can you recommend a nice little Chinese restaurant?"
Then I whistled down a taxi cab and headed for the east
A bad case of the munchies, I was ready for a feast
The driver said "Indian?" - I said, "Oh well, I'd rather not"
He said, "Why don't you come around to my place,
My curry's rather hot".
I said, "Are you fair dinkum?"
He said, "Oh . . ." (Repeat Chorus with Indian accent)
Well, I tipped the nice cabbie so he wouldn't make a fuss
I shot out like a bullet and I grabbed a Bondi bus
I said, "Take me to the waves mate, I'm dyin' for a dip"
He said "Now you be very careful and watch you don't slip.
"Oh, are you fair dinkum?"
He said, "Ah by gum . . ." (Repeat Chorus with Pommy accent)
Well everybody's claiming Australia as their own
I'm no aborigine, so I won't point the bone
It shows good taste mate, so I shouldn't moan
If you got a problem, get Al Grassby on the phone.
Bridge
Yeah, we're Fair Dinkum, bloody oath we are
We all love Koalas and singin' round the bar
And con somebody's missus to drive the flamin' car
Yeah, we're Fair Dinkum, bloody oath we are.
Now give me a home where life is what you make
Where I can walk about, just for walking's sake
Where I can tell our leaders to go jump in the lake
But I'll never knock Australia, you make no mistake.
(Repeat Chorus to tune of bridge)
Diamantina Drover
The faces in the photograph have faded
And I can't believe he looks so much like me
For it's been ten years today
Since I left for Old Cork Station
Sayin' I won't be back till the drovin's done
For the rain never falls on the dusty Diamantina
And a drover finds it hard to change his mind
For the years have surely gone
Like the drays from Old Cork Sta-ation
And I won't be back till the drovin's done
Well it seems like the sun comes up each mornin'
Sets me up and takes it all away
For the dreaming by the light
Of the camp fire at ni-ight
Ends with the burning by the day
For the rain never falls on the dusty Diamantina
And a drover finds it hard to change his mind
For the years have surely gone
Like the drays from Old Cork Sta-ation
And I won't be back till the drovin's done
Sometimes I think I'll settle back in Sydney
But it's been so long it's hard to change my mind
For the cattle trail goes on and on
And the fences roll forever
And I won't be back till the drovin's done
For the rain never falls on the dusty Diamantina
And a drover finds it hard to change his mind
For the years have surely gone
Like the drays from Old Cork Sta-ation
And I won't be back till the drovin's done
For the rain never falls on the dusty Diamantina
And a drover finds it hard to change his mind
For the years have surely gone
Like the drays from Old Cork Station
Tell me old Bill Sullivan when you were a lad
Did you hear of murderin' ways
You speak a little Aranda and Walpiri
But you'd rather speak of drovin' days
Can you remember, not so long ago
Aborigines weren't allowed to come to town
But Pioneer Picture Night, oh boy, what a treat
They broke the rules and let 'em watch the cowboys
Gene Autry, Tom Mix
Yahoo! Here they come
Chasin' all the Indians away
Shoot 'em down, round 'em up
Yahoo! For the cowboys
But what about the Indians
Those brave native Indians
Do we love those cowboys today?
Up in the saddle, black men by your side
They knew the nomad days were done
Proud to be ringers, perfect for the job
In the hot and dry and dusty run
Big hats, red shirts, hear the jingle jangle
This is how the west was won
Now down on the riverbed, nothin' left to do
Sun goes down in the evening west
Now you can see nature's best
Red and gold in their full
Now you can feel the evening cool
Desert child lay down your head
And listen to what's being said
Stars are out in their majesty
Out here everyone is free
Desert child lay down your head
And listen to your song
Desert child lay down your head
And listen to your song
Hear the crows, back they come
To spend the night in the river gum
Soon the owl will softly glide
Chilpa better run and hide
Close your eyes the fire is low
We're all here for you, you know
Mum-Mum sings a lullaby
The Shed
Hey, did you ever wake up in the morning
On the wrong side of the bed
I bit confused and yawning
You go straight out the back to your shed
Yeah, all Australian boys need a shed
A place where he can go, somewhere to clear his head
To think about the things his woman said
Yeah, all Australian boys need a shed
A joint to learn to read an' write, to work on his bike at night
To grow up as he likes, to grow anything under lights
A place to keep his tools, nuts and bolts and drills
To hang a hide, to hide the dry or hang to pay the bills
Well my old shed, she leaks a bit, the roof is caving in
Nothing that a bloke can't fix with a few spare sheets of tin
The beams are old telegraph poles, white ants have eaten them
She creaks and sways on windy days and leans towards the sound
Yeah, all Australian boys need a shed
At the back of the shed where the dogs are fed near last years bails of lucern
Sticky tall green leaves came up from thrown out seeds
All it took was bantam poop, I watered 'em once and they grew some
They should be prime 'bout Easter time if no nosy neighbour steals 'em
Yeah, all Australian boys need a shed
To weld up broken gates, a place for all his mates
To come 'round Sunday arvo' for a gin
A place to make a racket, to find the pipe and pack it
To think about the things his woman said
Yeah, all Australian boys need a shed
Yeah, all Australian boys need a shed
Salisbury Street
Now's not the time for wailin'
While there's water in the river
We'll all lay down and cry when it's gone
I'll be a jackass and laugh at every sunrise
Celebrate the day when it's born
And we'll cruise one more time down the river
While our hearts overflow-ow with joy
And we'll reminisce our days down Salisbury Street
Salisbury Street, Salisbury Street
Yeah we'll cruise one more time down the Murray
Don't wave the river gums goodbye
Just thank 'em for the shade and the storie-ie-ies
Tomorrow there'll be ti-ime to cry
So untie the ropes my darlin's
There's broken cloud today
And that lucky 'ole' will paint those billows blush
Don't wanna miss the sundown shinin' on the water
Chasin' sneaky shadows through the bush
And we'll cruise one more time down the river
While our hearts overflow-ow with joy
And we'll reminisce our days down Salisbury Street
Salisbury Street, Salisbury Street
Yeah we'll cruise one more time down the Murray
Don't wave the river gu-ums goodbye
Just thank 'em for the shade and the storie-ie-ies
Tomorrow there'll be ti-ime to cry
Tomorrow there'll be ti-ime to cry
I'm just a river crying out
You don't love me anymore
You float your boats and bottles
And spew out on my shore
You don't love me anymore
Just a river crying out
You don't drink me anymore
Splash about and swim me
Like you did before
You don't love me anymore
I've given all I can
My love has been a flood
Flowing through the country
Am I not your blood
Just waiting for the rain
To wash the poison in my veins
No, You don't love me anymore
I've been around the world a couple of times, or maybe more,
I've seen the sights, I've had delights on every foreign shore,
but when my mates all ask me the place that I adore,
I tell them right away.
Give me a home among the gum trees,
with lots of plum trees, a sheep or two, a ka-kangaroo.
A clothes line out the back, verandah out the front,
and an old rocking chair.
You can see me in the kitchen cooking up a roast,
or Vegemite on toast, just you and me, a cup of tea.
And later on we'll settle down and mull up on the porch,
and watch the possums play.
Give me a home among the gum trees,
with lots of plum trees, a sheep or two, a ka-kangaroo.
A clothes line out the back, verandah out the front,
and an old rocking chair.
There's a Safeway up the corner, and a Woolys down the street,
a brand new place they've opened up where they regulate the heat,
but I'd trade them all tomorrow for a simple bush retreat
where the kookaburras call.
Give me a home among the gum trees,
with lots of plum trees, a sheep or two, a ka-kangaroo.
A clothes line out the back, verandah out the front,
and an old rocking chair.
Some people like their houses with fences all around,
others live in mansions, and some beneath the ground.
But Me, I like the bush, you know with rabbits running 'round,
and a pumpkin vine out the back.
Give me a home among the gum trees,
with lots of plum trees, a sheep or two, a ka-kangaroo.
A clothes line out the back, verandah out the front,
and an old rocking chair.
Give me a home among the gum trees,
with lots of plum trees, a sheep or two, a ka-kangaroo.
A clothes line out the back, verandah out the front,
To hear your voice, to see you smile
To sit and talk to you awhile
To be together the same old way
That would be our greatest wish today
To hear you laugh, to hear you cry
Or just a chance to say 'goodbye'
To say the things we didn't say
That would be our greatest wish today
But all we can do is throw a flower on the water
Look for the sun through the rain
Lay a little frangipani gentle on the water
Remember how we loved you
To comb your hair, to lace your shoes
Buy some flowers, let you choose
A phone call when you're away
An old digger in an armchair
Through purple jacaranda
All alone with slipper on his feet
His loves have all gone north
To live in New South Wales
And his tired eyes
don't focus on the street
Would he be my Grandpa?
I wonder would he mind
He could take me fishin',Oh,Oh,
And i could pick his apricots
And put 'em in a tin
But he probably doesn't like me
Hey old man verandah
Can't you see the boy
Throwin stones so bored
And so lonely
He might break a window
'Cause he might be a world
For you to love
Would he be my grandpa
I wonder would he mind
He could take me drivin
In his humber
And maybe he could teach me
How to shoot a gun
And how to skin a rabbit
Hey old man verandah
Can you hear the boy
Rattlin pickets just for
Your attention
He could do alot for you
You'd do alot for him
'Cause he might be a world
For you to love
It's just another lonely picture
You can hang it on the wall
On sunday they still gather
On the lawn
The peppercorns are older
But no-one seems much wiser
They sent the boy to fight
Well old Bob hasn't got much but he values his boots
He values the time he spends growin' flowers
He still loves his babies that grew to be men
He recalls all the days 'n' nights and the hours
When he and his woman worked on the land
In the heat and the dry, in the cold and the wet
He still picks her a rose and his old heart still races
She's still the most beautiful girl that he's met
And you ask is he happy... and you ask is he happy...?
He's got wrinkles from smiling, he feels lucky and free
And he knows what it means to live here in the sunshine
He's got wrinkles...
He walks with Amelia down to the store
With a little cane basket for the bread and the daily Sun
Still hand in hand like babes in the meadows
And young faces turn
Love is so beautiful, it can be so deep
And a man is a king when he has his own princess
Bob wears no crown, no long flowing robe
But there in his mind he still rides on his black stallion
Then a cold winter came, and Bob was alone
His beautiful princess had flown with the angels
He faded so quickly, the man became old
And the wandering dew soon covered the roses
First just a cane, then a strong stick for walking
Then just a chair with a grey old man dying
All that he lived for was always beside him
So Bob left in peace, to join his lady
And you ask is he happy... and you ask is he happy...?
He had wrinkles from smiling
He felt lucky and free
And he knew what it meant to live here in the sunshine
Perfectly pretty, perfectly shy
Little girl from the dryland, wonderin' why
There's no trees on the south side
To stop that howlin' wind
Little girl from the dryland
Only the creaky weatherboards
Painted the milky green
Keepin' that scary world outside
It's bangin' on the windows
Blowin' the washin' off the line
Callin' out for that little girl on the dryland
Two older brothers, y' sister and you
One little nipper, another one due
Hiding under the homestead
When strangers come along
Father out on the wheatfield
You hide the whisky, but then what for?
Your father is awake to you
But you are 'protector'
And your mother always knew
You wondered why you were born
Out on a wheatfield
You know there is much more to life
Than sky and endless plains
Your father told you stories of the war
Of Singapore and Paris, and how you long to go
Only 19
Mum and Dad and Danny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal
It was a long march from cadets
The sixth battalion was next to tour, it was me who drew the card
We did Canungra, Shoalwater, before we left
And Townsville lined the footpaths as we marched down to the quay
This clipping from the paper shows a youngon', strong and clean
And there's me with me slouch hat, my SLR and greens
God help me - I was only nineteen
From Vung Tau riding Chinooks to the dust at Nui Dat
I'd been in and out of choppers now for months
We made our tents a home, V.B. and pinups on the lockers
And an Asian orange sunset through the scrub
And can you tell me, doctor, why I can't get to sleep?
And night time's just a jungle dark and a barking M.16?
And what's this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means?
God help me - I was only nineteen
A four week operation, any step could be your last one on two legs
It was a war within yourself
But you wouldn't let your mates down 'til they had you dusted off
So you closed your eyes and you thought about somethin' else
Then someone yelled out "Contact", and the bloke behind me swore
We hooked in there for hours, then a God almighty roar
Frankie kicked the mine the day that mankind kicked the moon
God help me - he was goin' home in June
I can still see Frankie, drinkin' tinnies in the Grand Hotel
On a thirty-six hour rec. leave in Vung Tau
And I can still hear Frankie, lyin' screamin' in the jungle
'Til the morphine came and killed the bloody row
And the Anzac legends didn't mention mud and blood and tears
And the stories that my father told me never seemed quite real
In South Australia I was born
Heave away haul away
In South Australia round Cape Horn
Bound for South Australia
Heave away you rolling kings
Heave away haul away
Heave away oh hear me sing
Bound for South Australia
When I sailed across the sea
Heave away haul away
My girl said she'd be true to me
Bound for South Australia
Heave away you rolling kings
Heave away haul away
Heave away oh hear me sing
Bound for South Australia
When we lolloped round Cape Horn
Heave away haul away
You'd wish to God you'd never been born
Bound for South Australia
Heave away you rolling kings
Heave away haul away
Heave away oh hear me sing
Bound for South Australia
Wish I was on Australia's Strand
Heave away haul away
With a glass of whisky in my hand
Bound for South Australia
Heave away you rolling kings
Heave away haul away
Heave away oh hear me sing
Bound for South Australia
In South Australia I was born
Heave away haul away
In South Australia round Cape Horn
Bound for South Australia
Heave away you rolling kings
Heave away haul away
Heave away oh hear me sing
Bound for South Australia
Heave away you rolling kings
Heave away haul away
Heave away oh hear me sing
Wouldn't you like to ride along a country road
I'll give you a gentle push
I swell with pride to see the countryside
When I wander aimlessly through the bush
'Cause that's where I get my music
And that's where I live my life
You can call me a jolly swagman if you like
Call it humpin' my bluey, I reckon that's the style
So why don't you climb aboard with me, along the road a while
Been workin' in the big smoke, singin' at the pub
I talk to people everywhere - they still love the scrub
Longing for a piece of land and the Eucalyptus air
So why don't you come with me, I'll take you there
Maybe we'll find a shack somewhere
Plant an avocado tree
With fences only to deep out the cows
Share a dream with me
I've spent some time in your town, at every waterhole
'Cause I must drink a big brown land to quench a thirsty soul
From W.A along the Nullabor and north to the black soil plains
Through cattle, sheep and hills of golden grain
The snow on Kosciusko
My friends in the Territory
Engaged to be married to a life on the land
In the Kurrajong shade he's asked for your hand
And the shade disappears as he waits for your answer
there's sheep and there's cattle to feed
And his tears of joy flow when you answer 'yes'
you're just what this dry country needs
City life never was easy for you
But its part of the journey that led you back to
A beautiful landscape to live and breathe in
With a man who is honest and true
In the place where your childhood was swept away
A perfect home-coming for you
Chorus
When you wear your wedding ring
It goes round and round forever
And we wish you all the seasons of joy
In your lives together
Girls from the bush find it hard to stay
Nothing to keep them from moving away
But to you it's as natural as autumn and springtime
You love the man and you love the life
A dream has come true for your mother
One of her daughters, a country wife
Chorus
There's a rose bush in the garden
Been there since I was born
That celebrates its age without fear
I touch the velvet petals
And smell the breath of angels
And pick the purple roses every year
Now you think you're passed your prime my sweet woman
Your use-by date is faded and grey
But sad and sorry thoughts like that my darlin'
Is throwin' purple roses away
You're tired of pretending that you're younger
When gravity is real and here to stay
So you wear your clothes more easily for comfort
You used to be too skinny anyway
Now you're looking in the mirror
A picture of your Mother
But you don't see the woman that I see
Denying grace and pride the good Lord gave you
Is throwin' purple roses away
Yeah, sad and sorry thoughts like that my darlin'
It's just a modern world we live in, but why do they
pick on me
Why just the other week my missus had the cheek to talk
me into a va-sec-tom-y
At first it never clicked that I was gettin' nicked, I
thought it was to test verility
Than after I went through it, ten days we couldn't do
it and then the doctor said to me
I couldn't believe it folks - He said please blow into
this bag, please sir
What? - to test your capability
I beg your pardon? - we're cutting down on accidents
I said are you fair dinkum - He said please blow into
this bag and we'll see
Well - I couldn't believe it at first but you know what
they say about doctors orders
So he gave me the little bag and ushered me into the
little room with all the pin-ups
Grubby little room it was, too, and I came back with my
little bag
And the doctor was quite satisfied, and so was I
It's just a modern world we live in, there's knew
fangled things every day
The cop said I was speedin', accordin' to his readin'
But I was three kilometers away
I was feelin' pretty mad when he took out his pad, I
tried to stay as calm as I could be
He found a bawldy tread, he saw my eyes were red
And then he said this strange thing to me - I said what
again?
He said please blow into this bag, please sir
I said hang on - to test your capability
What? - we're cutting down on accidents
I said are you fair dinkum - He said please blow into
this bag and we'll see
Well this time I really was shaken up, the cop could
see I was a bit excited
He said well you better take a good grip on yourself
So I went around behind a big gum tree and came back
with my little bag
Well you can imagine what happened
It's just a modern world we live in, I'm feelin' very
sad and pale
The judge said I was sick and threw me in the nick
And missus said she wouldn't pay the bail
So take it from a fool like me, beware of quacks and
boys in blue
I'm feelin' pretty bruised so don't you get confused
I'd catch a train if I was you-ou
All together now - please blow into this bag, please
Ahh, It sends a shiver down my spine
Please blow into this bag, please sir
It's not a hard place it's a soft and gentle land
Gonna lay my bed on the soft and gentle sand
Hear old man time whisper in my ear
A Thousand Feet have been through here
Hear the desert wind play a lonely tune
Through the desert oak on a rusty dune
Stay a while and it's all so clear
A Thousand Feet have been through here
Inka ninka pitjikala
Take it slow take a look around
All the signs are on the ground
Bird and snake and lizard, kangaroo
An ancient man has been here too
Hear the desert wind play a lonely tune
Through the desert oak on a rusty dune
Stay a while and it's all so clear
There's a story is it true
The kiwi has a brother
The Aussies calls him emu
He runs around Uluru
They've been mates that wingless pair
Tho ones up here and ones down there
A pair of Anzacs stuck like glue
(Chorus)
So don't be fooled if you see them fight
When tempers fray on a summer's night
If you pick on one you pick on two
The kiwi and the emu
The kiwi says he's very proud
He's from the land of the long white cloud
The emu brags of open plans
Way out where it seldom rains
They argue that there home is bliss
They will fight it out at a rugby test
There thick as thieves I'm telling u
The kiwi and the emu
(Chorus)
So don't be fooled if you see them fight
When tempers fray on a summer's night
If you pick on one you pick on two
The kiwi and the emu
So don't be fooled if you see them fight
When tempers fray on a summer's night
If you pick on one you pick on two
The kiwi and the emu
They fought together many wars
Side by side on foreign shores
Back away no not at all
They buried there mates to the bugle
Always wearing a diggers hat
Never forgotten that is that
Feel like brothers? Of course they do
The kiwi and the Emu
So here's a warning take it in
These two birds thought thick and thin
Will stick together till the end
Cause a mate is a mate far dinkum
(Chorus)
And don't be fooled if you see them fight
When tempers fray on a summer's night
If you pick on one you pick on two
The kiwi and the emu
No don't be fooled if you see them fight
When tempers fray on a summer's night
If you pick on one you pick on two
The kiwi and the emu
No don't be fooled if you see them fight
When tempers fray on a summer's night
If you pick on one you pick on two
The kiwi and the emu
No don't be fooled if you see them fight
When tempers fray on a summer's night
If you pick on one you pick on two
There's nothing like heading up the road
to where we've never been
Emu birds... smell new smells...
see things we've never seen.
And it's all rolled up
and tied right down
so the load cannot shift...
'cause Murphy's law'll never fail
and things will come adrift.
Down dusty roads trusty friends
were headed without a care...
To Frangipani Bay...
way, way up there.
Now there's more to Darcy Gollum than meets the eye...
he's built bridges, gravel roads...
he even used to fly...
with a standcaster, kinda bashed...
brim over the nose...
cigarette growing on his lip...
our leader, I suppose...
Through the mozzie net I see...
the stars are still abright...
the carpenter bird is hammerin'
...the mozzies cannot bite.
I smell the coffee's on.
Rod's keen to catch a fish
...a big juicy baramundi
we wish... we wish... we wish!
Down dusty roads trusty friends
were headed without a care...
To Frangipani Bay...
way, way up there.
Of course the girls are with us
they didn't have a choice...
They're resigned to the fact
that boys will be boys.
But we wouldn't go without 'em
and they wouldn't stay behind...
Three good cooks with real good looks
are very hard to find!
Down dusty roads trusty friends
were headed without a care...
To Frangipani Bay...
Well it cost me thirty bucks to fix my budgie,
When the little blighter only cost me five.
The veterinary surgeon saw me coming,
But I had to keep my feathered friend alive;
He was shaking on his perch, the kids were crying,
The family gathered round his little cage.
I said I think it's time we got a new one,
That's when the family went into a rage.
Oh, the waiting room ponged like a rat house,
With heart worms and lung worms and lice.
And a Persian had her eye on the shoebox,
I suppose she thought our budgie might be nice.
Well the bird shit on the veterinary surgeon,
I heard him say the dirty little chick.
Guess he wondered why I didn't use my brains
And hit him over the head with a brick.
[Chorus]
Oh antibiotics for his color,
Two drops a day on his beak.
Some powder on the nose for his feathers
And clean out his cage twice a week.
Well it cost me thirty bucks to fix my budgie
When the little blighter only cost me five
And the bludger wakes me early in the morning,
It's got me puzzled how he survives.
One night I'll feed him to the tom cat.
Instead of worrying about him when we go away.
No-one wants to feed a shitty budgie,
When everyone's on holiday.
She had her back to him
As he walked in through the door
He'd been down in the forest
He said, "I cut me a walkin' stick palm
Down by the stingin' tree
Never thought I'd see the day I'd need one"
She said, "The real estate people came again today
I made them a pot of tea
They said we'd fetch a million dollars
For our little old 'Rosewood Hill'
I guess they thought we might consider
What would we do with a million
When we own paradise
Buy us an acre of sand
You tell those eager beavers
They won't be talkin' to me
This paradise is not for sale"
He's the last of the old cow cockies
Up there in the clouds
Wouldn't white-coast gold shoes love to get
Their hands on his land
Smell the crispy bacon
Spit and crackle on the fry
The promise of a brand new day
Shake the cloudy blanket
And throw it to the sky
The valley takes your breath away
The crows are perched and waitin'
The family dreams of gold
Send down the rain, Lord, if you don't mind.
Send down the rain, lightning and thunder,
If my crops don't get a drink we cannot stay
I'll take my wife and kid's. . .an' just walk away
Yes, send down the rain, Lord, if you don't mind
Send down the rain, lightning and thunder
I grew like a tree on this farm and I'm goin' to die
I couldn't live in town. . .my roots go deep down
Yes, send down the rain so I can stand in it
Send down the rain, just like cats 'n' dogs
Fill up the crack's, float a few logs down the river
Send down the rain, Lord, if you don't mind
Send down the rain, lightning and thunder
It's just plain dirt but it's the world to me
I love all the bird's. . .I love every tree
Send down the rain, Lord, if you don't mind
Send down the rain, lightning and thunder
I've never been known to pray, but it's worth a try
Lord, we're on our knee's. . .it's so damn dry
Yes, send down the rain so I can stand in it
Send down the rain, just like cats 'n' dogs
Fill up the cracks, float a few logs down the river
I can't feel those chains any longer, can you?
I'm footloose and free
I can't see the sense in red, white and blue
It's still Union Jack to me
We're drifting in the ocean alone now
Like a beautiful ship at see
I can't feel those chains any longer
I love this big country
So I'll raise my glass to the Diggers
Jump like a kangaroo
Stare 'em in the eye like an emu
I'll always be true blue
Have you ever spoken to a gumtree?
What am I trying to say to you?
Love this place as half as much as I do
And your a true blue too
Hey! I can't feel those chains any longer can you?
I'm footloose and free
I can't see the sense in red, white and blue
It's still Union Jack to me
We're drifting in the ocean alone now
Like a beautiful ship at see
I can't feel those chains any longer
I love this big country
Make a little wool and wine
Theres no gold at the end of the rainbow
No fruit without the vine
You've gotta be fair dinkum
Coz thats the way it has to be
Or there won't be enough to build a doghouse
C'mon sing this song with me
So I'll raise my glass to the Diggers
Jump like a kangaroo
Stare 'em in the eye like an emu
I'll always be true blue
Have you ever spoken to a gumtree?
What am I trying to say to you?
Love this place as half as much as I do
And your a true blue too
Hey! Glory to Australia
Glory to the green and gold
We've come a long way since Botany Bay
And we're nearly two hundred years old
Glory to Australia
Glory to the green and gold
We've come a long way since Botany Bay
Galah they know that its that time (SARAH)
upside down on the power line
making a family on their minds
its raining on the plains again
can you hear it drummin on the old tin sheet (JOHN)
no better sound to make you fall asleep
to dream of tonne crops and big fat sheep
its raining on the plains again
A D A
Havn't seen the warrambungles all day (SARAH)
A D A
theres a fair chance so the old folks say
A D - A
reminds them of the storm back in 58
A E A
thunder on the plains again
A D A
looks like the break we've been looking for (JOHN)
A D A
the dogs are doing dounuts on the lawn
A D A
chasin their tales they can smell the storm (BOTH)
A E A
raining on the plains again (JOHN)
CHORUS:
D A
You can't make money out of dirt thats dry (BOTH)
E A
bring on the rain from a stormy sky
D A D
grab a beer from the fridge and raise it high
A E A
cause, its raining on the plains again
INSTRUMENTAL A/E/A x 4 (something like that, I just
fill here)
The last time the dog did that, (SARAH)
couldn't get to my ute for the fences and logs
couldn't sleep with the noise
from the mozzies and the frogs
from the storm on the plains again
Galah they know that its that time (JOHN)
upside down on the power line
making a family on their minds (BOTH
its raining on the plains again (JOHN)
CHORUS x 2 - BOTH
Oh there once was a swagman camped in a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree
And he sang as he looked at his old billy boiling
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
Chorus
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda my darling
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
Waltzing Matilda and leading a water bag
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
Down came a jumbuck to drink at the water hole
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker bag
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
Down came the squatter a riding on his thoroughbred
Down came the troopers one two three
Whose is that jumbuck you've got in the tucker bag
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
But the swagman he up and he jumped into the water hole
Drowning himself by the coolibah tree
And his ghost may be heard as it sings in the billabong
It's time to think of why we're proud to be a part of
A land so ancient, so hard to get a hold of
Why the kangaroo and emu is on the baggy green
Why do we sing of coolabahs, billabongs and cockatoos
Do we really care, are we aware of what we lose
While we knock it down again and again and again
C'mon wattle soldiers, wildlife warriors get angry
They'll call you green, they'll call you red
Just stay strong and turn your head
And think of little bilbies and gliders and rare wallabies
Now's the time to stir again
It's time, it's time, it's time, it's time, IT'S TIME
Yeah, it's time to stop the slaughter of our native land
No more telling lies, drawing lines in the sand
Maybe we didn't know but surely now it's underhand
No more crocodile tears, did he die in vain
Did he make us cry, did he suffer all his pain
Don't knock the old hillbillies
People love 'em out in the bush
A simple tune with words that you can hear
Y' don't need complications where hearts are kind and true
Just words that ring like Bells In A Bushman's Ear
Maybe you need to stroll down a little dirt track
Slow down and walk in time with a drover
Hear the wind play a tune on the cypress pine
Y' don't need beer and y' don't need wine
Just words that ring like Bells In A Bushman's Ear
Like the hovering kite that whistles
Telephone wires that hum
Thunderstorms that rumble loud and clear
He smells the rain that's coming
Hear the cockies screech and yell
Words that ring like Bells In A Bushman's Ear
Maybe you need to stroll down a little dirt track
Slow down and walk in time with a drover
Rattle an enamel mug with a spoon
Talk to y' dog, or talk to the moon
With words that ring like Bells In A Bushman's Ear
Yeah rattle an enamel mug with a spoon
Throw him a bone and make him swoon
Words that ring like Bells In A Bushman's Ear
No don't knock the old hillbillies
People love 'em out in the bush
A campfire is no place for rock n' roll
The proof is in the pudding, they don't come and go
Images embedded in your soul
Maybe you need to stroll down a little dirt track
Slow down and walk in time with a drover
And when it rains y' run amuck
Dance on the back of a cattle truck
Yeah words that ring like Bells In A Bushman's Ear
Peaches swimmin' inside a tin
Mutton chops that grease y' chin
Bob Dylan sang 'Lay Lady Lay'
On a hazy, crazy, lazy day
It was '71 in Coogee Bay
We cried and gave our hearts away
You're still mine, my only one
I'll never leave our love undone
I'll bring you breakfast when you're down
Buy you a sexy dressing gown
I love you - can't you tell
I love you when you're sad as well
You look at me when you're upset
And there you are - the girl I met
Bob Dylan sang 'Lay Lady Lay'
On a hazy, crazy, lazy day
It was '71 in Coogee Bay
We cried and gave our hearts away
Mr. Perfect, no not me
I'm not the man I'd like to be
Too self-centered, that's for sure
A bit uncouth and a whole lot more
But please m' darlin' lean on me
Life begins from here you'll see
Middle-age is no regret
'Cause there you are - the girl I met
Bob Dylan sang 'Lay Lady Lay'
On a hazy, crazy, lazy day
It was '71 in Coogee Bay
We cried and gave our hearts away
I love you - can't you tell
I love you when you're sad as well
You look at me when you're upset
And there you are - the girl I met
Bob Dylan sang 'Lay Lady Lay'
On a hazy, crazy, lazy day
It was '71 in Coogee Bay
We cried and gave our hearts away
Bob Dylan sang 'Lay Lady Lay'
On a hazy, crazy, lazy day
It was '71 in Coogee Bay
With the blue Coolabah and the red sunset
And the green Mitchell grass I'll stay
Right before my eyes
I see the Barwon River rise
And it washes all my worrying away
It's a good night for a campfire tonight
With a clear sky and a half-moon I might
Grab a yabbie-tin, throw a line in
And con a Cod fish to bite
It's all quiet in Walgett tonight
The publican has turned out the light
Just a little frog on a river log
Looking for a fight
But most of all, hold me tonight
With the Milky Way and the Southern Cross I might
Drink a little beer, whisper in your ear
Shes my mother, she's my aunty, she is many that I've known
The backbone of the bush, where country kids have grown
She's raised and she's nurtured those children of her own
While her man does his battles on the land
And he comes in from the shearing, still aching in the back
The kids are finally tucked away, her days are never slack
But she makes it look so easy, as she cooks him up a storm
That unselfish, unsung hero of the land.
She's keeping books, she's nursing, raising money for the town,
She's the last one standing, when all is falling down,
Ferocious as a tiger to defend her little clan,
My hero the woman on the land.
So I propose a toast, to the mothers that we know
Proud to be the better half, who really run the show
And if you shed a tear boys, I will understand
To our hero the woman on the land
Instrumental
And he comes in from the harvest, a disappointing yield
He's tired and he's dusty, twelve hours in the field
And although her day's been difficult, she greets him with a smile
That unselfish, unsung hero of the land.
So I propose a toast, to the mothers that we know
Proud to be the better half, who really run the show
And if you shed a tear boys, I will understand
To our hero the woman on the land
Will you ever stop singing Chad, old mate
Do you think you might retire
Lie right back in grandpa's chair
In front of the open fire
When you reach the 70's, Chad
I thought that might be it
You're just like a young bloke
Champing at the bit
I'll never retire John, old mate
This stage I'll never leave
I'll push out another song, old mate
As long as I can breathe
As long as there's a sunrise
I'll always tune me throat
As long as the fish are biting, mate
I'll never leave the boat
Ah that's what it's like to be a Country Balladeer
It'll never up and leave you lonely
There's nothing new about it
It's like old Uluru
So don't you go changing, mate
I'll thump you if you do
Do you think you'll drop the guitar, John
Leave it in the case
Head into the hills and disappear without a trace
If you reach a hundred albums, mate
They'll tell you that's enough
No you'll be just the same as me
And I don't give a stuff
You've hit the nail on the head, Chad
You've got me to a tee
I'm part of the guitar
And it's a part of me
No matter where I go, Chad
I've got it in the ute
Call me one-track minded
Havin' a barbie by the river
With no one else around
A tropical honeymoon
Knocking a Four X down
She was standing in the water
Eating a pumpkin scone
When crunch! she was gone
They were doing the crocodile roll
The woman and the reptile
Doing the crocodile roll
In the middle of the river
Down came her husband
With a gun and a carving knife
To slaughter every crocodile
For taking his darling wife
You can't go round eating Queens landers
You overgrown goannas
I'll turn you all into shoes
Crunch!
It was in the news
They were doin the crocodile roll
The husband and the reptile
Doin the crocodile roll
In the middle of the river
Down came his bloodhound
With mangy curly hair
Picked up the scent
Away he went
Bum in the air
Then the dog got carried away
And ran out on a log
When church! no more dog
They were doing the crocodile roll
The canine and the reptile
Doing the crocodile roll
In the middle of the river
Down came a wild pig
Rooting all about
The little swine
Drank the wine
And really pigged it out
Then the crocodile chased him round
And the little pig said "up yours!"
Crunch! into another crocs jaws
They were doing the crocodile roll
The porker and the reptile
Doing the crocodile roll
In the middle of the river
There's no moral to the story
Just a brand new dance
Grab your partner by the neck
And swing your crocodile pants
Dip your toe in the water
Are you ready for romance?
Swirl your tail around the floor
C'mon take a chance
Now your doing the crocodile roll
Stirring up the mud
Doing the crocodile roll
In the middle of the river
They were doing the crocodile roll
Stirring up the mud crabs
Doing the crocodile roll
In the middle of the river