[Editor: A song about the cricket matches played between England and Australia. Published in The Queenslander, 1 August 1896.]
Lions v. Kangaroos.
Air, “Ten Thousand Miles Away.”
Singing oh! for a fine and manly sport, for cricket is my theme,
Singing oh! for Captain Harry Trott, and his good Australian team,
That’s gone to show the lions, my boys, how our marsupials play,
Hurrah! for the news of those kangaroos twelve thousand miles away.
Chorus.
Then up, my boys, your hats — and cheer those splendid bats,
Whose brilliant scores in England’s shores are wired us every day,
And cheer Australians all, their prowess with the ball,
Which scatters their bails and lowers their tails twelve, thousand miles away.
They’re quite au fait at all-round play, as dear old Leo knows,
Their fast round arms are full of alarms and “tricky” are their slows,
They’ve twists like snakes and “breaks,” my boys, and up they go in play,
When willows wield and our boys in the field, twelve thousand miles away.
Chorus. — Then, &c.
Their fields are smart, and “wickets” is art itself personified,
And as for the bat, they are great with that, and can open their shoulders wide,
And can open their shoulders wide, my boys, as the British lions can say,
When they are all in pursuit of the ball, twelve thousand miles away.
Chorus. — Then, &c.
Our kangaroos have not that “grace” of which the lions boast,
But they have got a “darling trot,” that “knocks” the “ maidens” most.
You bet those English “ducks,” my boys, as safe as eggs will lay,
“The trot” by scores, while Leo roars twelve thousand miles away.
Chorus, — Then, &c.
Here’s to the “grace” of the English race, the “Indian “giffen” in,
And here’s “our lot” and their “darling trot,” whoever scores the win,
Whoever scores the win, my boys, in the final test they play,
Will have a cheer from all out here, twelve thousand miles away.
Chorus.
We’ll cheer, my boys, our best if we add the final test
To the wins and draws on England’s shores we’re scoring every day.
And dear old Leo knows we’ll cheer our English foes
If they should wrest the final test twelve thousand miles away.
W. E. P. O.
Source:
The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld.), Saturday 1 August 1896, page 212
Also published in:
Clarence and Richmond Examiner (Grafton, NSW), 1 September 1896, p. 3
Editor’s notes:
giffin = George Giffen (1859–1927), a famous Australian cricketer
grace = W.G. Grace (1848–1915), a famous English cricketer
kangaroos = Australia, or Australians, as the representative emblem of Australia is a kangaroo
Leo = lion (Britain), an allusion to the name of “Leo the lion”
lions = Britain, or British, as the representative emblem of Britain is a lion
wickets = the game of cricket, from the wickets at each end of the pitch
willow = cricket bats, as the bats were commonly made of wood from willow trees
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