[Editor: A song by “Dryblower” Murphy about the visit of the American fleet to Australia in 1908. Written for the pantomime “Jack & Jill” (1908), this version was based upon his song “We’ve Got a Big Brother in America” (1908). From the sheet music published circa 1909.]
This Bit of the World Belongs to Us
Written and Composed by “Dry Blower.” — Sunday Times.
Johnathan has visitied the lonely Kangaroo
Lonely by the old Pacific Sea
While his ships went by
We hear a warning cry
Keep the broad Pacific white and free
So we’ve asked the Motherland if she would show us how
Old Britain’s ships were built to steam and fight
No better guide could be
Than the mistress of the sea
And we’ll help her to maintain the Empire’s might
CHORUS
And we’ve got the boys to do it in Australia
Australia
Australia
The same old blood, the same old speech
The same old songs are good enough for each
We’ll all stand together boys
If the foe wants a flutter or a fuss
And we’re hanging out the sign,
From the Leeuwin to the line
“This bit of the world belongs to us.”
And we’ve us
Nations numberless swarm the tropic seas
Where Australia’s lonely sentry stands
Soon our sturdy sons
Must stand beside their guns
Guns that they have fashioned with their hands
So our battle ships we’ll build to guard our native land
We’ll man them with the bravest at the game
For what the Yank can do
The sturdy Kangaroo
Should give himself a chance to do the same
CHORUS
And we’ve got the boys to do it in Australia
Australia
Australia
The same old blood, the same old speech
The same old songs are good enough for each
We’ll all stand together boys
If the foe wants a flutter or a fuss
And we’re hanging out the sign,
From the Leeuwin to the line
“This bit of the world belongs to us.”
And we’ve us
Source:
This Bit of the World Belongs to Us [sheet music], Melbourne: Allan & Co.
The sheet music is undated; however, as the front cover referred to the song as being “The Song Sensation of the Year”, as sung by Bert Gilbert in the pantomime “Jack & Jill” (which came out in time for Christmas in December 1908), this would indicate a likely date of 1909.
See: 1) “Jack and Jill” (advertisement), The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 21 December 1908, p. 12
2) “Theatres and entertainments”, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 26 December 1908, p. 11
3) “A new pantomime”, The Maitland Weekly Mercury (Maitland, NSW), 6 February 1909, p. 7
4) ““Dryblowers” Song”, The Daily News (Perth, WA), 13 March 1909, p. 6
Editor’s notes:
The song “This Bit of the World Belongs to Us”, by “Dryblower” Murphy, was based upon his song “We’ve Got a Big Brother in America”, which was written by him in 1908 for the visit of the American fleet to Australia in that year [see: We’ve Got a Big Brother in America”, The Sunday Times (Perth, WA), 22 February 1942, p. 1]
Text from the front cover of the sheet music:
The Song Sensation of the Year. As sung by Mr. Bert Gilbert in J. C. Williamson’s Gorgeous Pantomime “Jack & Jill”. This bit of the World belongs to us. National Song Written & Composed by “Dry Blower” (“Sunday Times”)
Leeuwin = Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia, the most south-westerly point of the Australian mainland
the line = in the context of Western Australia, “the line” is the state border or dividing line between WA and the rest of Australia; originally this was the border between New Holland (claimed by the Dutch) and New South Wales (claimed by the British) [for example, see: We’re hanging out the sign, from the Leeuwin to the Line: This bit of the world belongs to us!”, The Western Mail (Perth, WA), 12 August 1926, p. v of the pictorial section]
[Editor: Corrected “Leuwin” to “Leeuwin”. Inserted a comma after “old blood”. Capitalized “if” in “If the foe”.]
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