The Austra——laise [poem by C. J. Dennis]

[Editor: This poem by C. J. Dennis was published in Backblock Ballads and Other Verses (1913) and Backblock Ballads and Later Verses (1918). In Backblock Ballads and Other Verses it was published under the title of “A Real Australian Austra—laise”. The missing word in this poem, one not spoken in polite society at that time, was “bloody”; it was the same (missing) word in all instances, except for the eighth line (the last line in the first stanza), where the word “bastards” would be appropriate.]

The Austra——laise

Fellers of Australier,
Blokes an’ coves an’ coots,
Shift yer —— carcases,
Move yer —— boots.
Gird yer —— loins up,
Get yer —— gun,
Set the —— enermy
An’ watch the —— run.

Chorus:
Get a —— move on,
Have some —— sense.
Learn the —— art of
Self de- —— -fence.

Have some —— brains be-
Neath yer —— lids.
An’ swing a —— sabre
Fer the missus an’ the kids.
Chuck supportin’ —— posts,
An’ strikin’ —— lights,
Support a —— fam’ly an’
Strike fer yer —— rights.

Chorus:
Get a —— move, etc.

Joy is —— fleetin’,
Life is —— short.
Wot’s the use uv wastin’ it
All on —— sport?
Hitch yer —— tip-dray
To a —— star.
Let yer —— watchword be
“Australi- —— -ar!”

Chorus:
Get a —— move, etc.

’Ow’s the —— nation
Goin’ to ixpand
’Lest us —— blokes an’ coves
Lend a —— ’and?
’Eave yer —— apathy
Down a —— chasm;
’Ump yer —— burden with
Enthusi- —— -asm.

Chorus:
Get a —— move, etc.

W’en the —— trouble
Hits yer native land
Take a —— rifle
In yer —— ’and
Keep yer —— upper lip
Stiff as stiff kin be,
An’ speed a —— bullet for
Pos- —— -terity.

Chorus:
Get a —— move, etc.

W’en the —— bugle
Sounds “Ad- —— -vance”
Don’t be like a flock uv sheep
In a —— trance
Biff the —— foeman
Where it don’t agree.
Spifler- —— -cate him
To Eternity.

Chorus:
Get a —— move, etc.

Fellers of Australier,
Cobbers, chaps an’ mates,
Hear the —— enermy
Kickin’ at the gates!
Blow the —— bugle,
Beat the —— drum,
Upper-cut and out the cow
To kingdom- —— -come!

Chorus:
Get a —— move on,
Have some —— sense.
Learn the —— art of
Self de- —— -fence!

Source:
C. J. Dennis, Backblock Ballads and Later Verses, Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1918, pages 147-150

Previously published in:
C. J. Dennis, Backblock Ballads and Other Verses, Melbourne: E. W. Cole, [1913], pages 110-112 [as “A Real Australian Austra—laise”]

Editor’s notes:
“The Australaise” was written in the same style as the poem “The Great Australian Adjective” by W.T. Goodge.

The missing word in “The Australaise” is understood to be “the great Australian adjective”, i.e. “bloody”; this was the most common expletive used at that time, but it was regarded as so rude and uncouth that it could not be printed.

The word missing from the last line of the first stanza (“An’ watch the —— run”) may be “bastards”, but that is open to conjecture.