The Ballad of The Overlander
Oh there’s a trade you all know well it’s bringing cattle over
I’ll tell you all about the time that I became a drover
I wanted stock for Queensland to Kempsey I did wander
And bought a mob of duffers there and began as an overlander
Chorus
So pass the bottle round boys and don’t you leave it stand there
For tonight we’ll drink the health of every overlander.
Well when the cattle were counted and the outfit ready to start
The lads were all well mounted with their swags left in the cart
I saw I had all sorts of men from Germany France and Flanders
Lawyers doctors good and bad in the mob of overlanders
The very next morning I fed up where the grass was green and young
And the squatter said he’d break my snout if I didn’t push along
Says I my lad you’re very hard but don’t you raise my dander
For I’m a regular knowing card I’m a Queensland overlander
If ever our horses get done up of course we turn ’em free
And you can’t expect a drover to walk if a pony he can see
So now and then we bone a prad and believe me it’s no slander
To say there’s many a clever trick done by an overlander
In town we drain the whiskey glass and go to see the play
We never think of being hard up nor how to spend the day
We shear up to them pretty girls that rig themselves with grandeur
And as long as we spend our cheque my lads they love the overlander
A little girl on Sydney side, she said don’t leave me lonely
I said it’s sad but my old prad has room for one man only
And now my lads we’re jogging back this pony she’s a goer
We’ll pick up a job with a crawling mob along the Maranoa
Notes
This song was published as early as 1865 in ‘The Queenslanders’ New Colonial Fire Song Book’ . There the tune given is ‘Dearest Mae’ and author ‘Remos’ (Phillip Somer). This version from the singing of AL Lloyd. Also known as ‘The Queensland Drover’ the song has been collected in a number of versions. In his ‘Big Book of Australian Folk Song’ Ron Edwards prints four versions.
With thanks to Mark Gregory at the Folkstream website.
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