Friday, June 09, 2006
Song of Oz
I was day-dreaming a few days ago, trying to recall the time we were travelling in Western Australia, and we managed the travel arrangements so that all the “poms” spent the day together in the Land Rover. The reason for organising this subterfuge was to get together to compose a song which reflected our thoughts on the first few weeks of travelling in Oz. I was trying to remember the title of the song it was based on, and couldn’t, and was thinking that I might post a request for anyone who could recall the song and the lyrics.
A couple of days later, John and Sandy Smith called around with a surprise packet. John had recently contacted Graham Strachan, who is running a South American travel business in Croydon, Victoria – see the link on the right: Destination Holidays.
The surprise which John brought was Graham’s scrapbook of the trip in 1970-71, containing contributions from just about everyone who was on the trip. It was like being presented with the Holy Grail. And contained within the pages were the lyrics to the song I had been trying to recall a few days earlier.
With many thanks to Graham, and Sandie and Chrissie Jobson who had the foresight to write down the lyrics, and to the tune of “We three Kings…” here is…
The Poms Song
We six poms from England are,
Come to Aussie via Africa,
Streams and creeks, pisses and leaks,
Stopping at ev’ry bar.
Chorus:
Verse 2
We came here with hopes so high,
All we’ve left is a throat that’s dry,
The price of beer is too bloody dear,
And all we can do is sigh.
Verse 3
Land of sheep and kangaroos,
Waterless rivers and stupid emus,
Bushflies, bores and Hay Street whores,
Travellin’ our way right through.
Verse 4
Melbourne’s there, we could be late,
For we had three broken clutch plates,
This is the end, we’re round the bend,
So we’ll wish you “Hiya Mates!”
Unlikely to make the top ten, but not bad for a one day effort while travelling several hundred kilometres, in 40 degree heat, in remote W.A.
A couple of days later, John and Sandy Smith called around with a surprise packet. John had recently contacted Graham Strachan, who is running a South American travel business in Croydon, Victoria – see the link on the right: Destination Holidays.
The surprise which John brought was Graham’s scrapbook of the trip in 1970-71, containing contributions from just about everyone who was on the trip. It was like being presented with the Holy Grail. And contained within the pages were the lyrics to the song I had been trying to recall a few days earlier.
With many thanks to Graham, and Sandie and Chrissie Jobson who had the foresight to write down the lyrics, and to the tune of “We three Kings…” here is…
The Poms Song
We six poms from England are,
Come to Aussie via Africa,
Streams and creeks, pisses and leaks,
Stopping at ev’ry bar.
Chorus:
Ohhh, land of nothing, land of shite,
Land of flies that torment and bite,
Eastward heading, clothes we’re shedding,
What will happen to us tonight.
Verse 2
We came here with hopes so high,
All we’ve left is a throat that’s dry,
The price of beer is too bloody dear,
And all we can do is sigh.
Verse 3
Land of sheep and kangaroos,
Waterless rivers and stupid emus,
Bushflies, bores and Hay Street whores,
Travellin’ our way right through.
Verse 4
Melbourne’s there, we could be late,
For we had three broken clutch plates,
This is the end, we’re round the bend,
So we’ll wish you “Hiya Mates!”
Unlikely to make the top ten, but not bad for a one day effort while travelling several hundred kilometres, in 40 degree heat, in remote W.A.
# posted by Brutus : 12:11 PM
