[Editor: This song by John Neilson (1844-1922), with alterations by Cecil W. P. Poole, was published in The Adelaide Observer (Adelaide, SA), 6 November 1886. The original version of the song, “Waiting for the Rain”, by John Neilson, was first published in 1878.]
The Song of the Shearer.
[The following verses were shown me by Mr. Thos. Partridge, of Yardea, who obtained them from a shearer. The song is a favourite at shearing time, and as a typical bush production well worthy of entering the world of publication. I have made some very slight alterations from the text of the unknown author in order to smooth the metre. — Cecil W. P. Poole.]
Air — “The little old Log Cabin in the Lane.”
Some were taking quarters* and coiling in their bunk
When we shore the six-tooth wethers from the plain;
And if the next are harder more of them will funk,
Unless we get another fall of rain.
Chorus.
For the boss is getting rusty and the ringer’s† caving in,
His bandaged wrist is aching with the pain,
And the second man, I fancy, will make it hot for him
Unless we get another fall of rain.
Chorus.
The cockies living near have been talking like a book
About the sad dry weather for the plain.
But I see the lunch is coming — make way for Dick the cook,
For Dick is nigh as welcome as the rain.
Chorus.
Hark! I hear the distant thunder, mutt’ring deep and loud;
The western wind is sweeping o’er the plain;
And I see the lightning flashing from the edge of yonder cloud,
And I hear the gentle pattering of the rain.
Chorus.
Now lads, put on your slippers and let us to the hut,
We’ll sit around and have a quiet game,
For some will play at euchre and some at ante-up,
And some will stand out, looking at the rain.
Chorus.
Now the rain is over, the pressers spin the screw,
And the teamsters back their wagon in again;
But I fear we’ll block the classer by the way we put them through,
For everything goes merry with the rain.
Chorus.
Let the boss bring down the bottle and wet the final flock,
For never shall we all meet here again;
Some may meet next shearing, but perhaps not even then,
For we may all have vanished — like the rain.
Chorus.
*Quarters — Quarter of a day spell.
†Ringer — The fastest shearer in the shed.
Source:
The Adelaide Observer (Adelaide, SA), 6 November 1886, p. 43
Also published in:
The Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld.), 4 December 1886, p. 8 [submitted by Cecil W. P. Poole]
The Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld.), 8 December 1886, p. 3 [submitted by Cecil W. P. Poole]
The Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle (Port Augusta, SA), 14 December 1886, p. 4 [attributed to “Anon.” (anonymous)]
The Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA), 8 January 1887, p. 3 [submitted by Cecil W. P. Poole]
The South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA), 13 January 1887, p. 3, column 4 [submitted by Cecil W. P. Poole]
Editor’s notes:
The chorus referred to is the stanza beginning “For the boss is getting rusty”; this is made clear in other printings of the song in other newspapers:
The Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle (Port Augusta, SA), 14 December 1886, p. 4 (entitled “Shearer’s Song”)
The National Advocate (Bathurst, NSW), 13 November 1889, p. 4 [part of an article, three stanzas only]
The World’s News (Sydney, NSW), 21 February 1925, p. 8 (entitled “Another Fall of Rain”)
classer = a wool classer (someone who classes or grades wool, sorting the wool according to its quality and type)
cockie = (also spelt “cocky”) a farmer (the term was used to refer to poor bush farmers, from having land so poor that they were jokingly said to only be able to farm cockies, i.e. cockatoos, a type of bird; however, it was later used to refer to farmers in general)
euchre = a card game for (usually) four players, which is played with a deck of 24, 28, or 32 cards (especially popular in the 19th century)
metre = the rhythmic arrangement or pattern of a poem, song, or piece of music (also spelt: meter)
mutt’ring = (vernacular) muttering
o’er = (archaic) over (pronounced the same as “oar”, “or”, and “ore”)
presser = a wool presser (someone who puts wool into wool packs, in a wool press, to produce a bale of wool)
ringer = the fastest shearer in a shearing shed
talking like a book = talking in an articulate, authoritative, and formal manner; talking in a pedantic manner; talking using little-known, rarely-used, academic, or highly-intellectual words (using words which are unknown or unintelligible to ordinary people, such as words normally only used by experts in a particular field)
teamster = the driver of a team of animals (such as horses, mules, or oxen), for the purpose of hauling goods (especially as an occupation)
Thos. = an abbreviation of the name “Thomas”
wether = a castrated ram
yonder = at a distance; far away
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