I suppose there's always been a stress between England and her "colonies" - implied or outspoken, as in this song. Ray Wales tells me that "grubbing" is humping out stumps, and the idea of Freedom hooting aroun- the outback because she got lonely for all the hardworking people who left England is a dear one to me. A good picture, painted by Henry Lawson, to a tune that was floating around Australia before the turn of the century. Annie Muir sings this one with me. * "humping bluey" - to shoulder a blanket and walk the outback. ** "cooey" - call
Australia's a big country and Freedom's humping bluey*,
And Freedom's on the Wallaby, ah, can't you hear her coaey**?
She's just begun to boomerang, she'll knock the tyrant silly,
She's going ta light another fire and boil another billy.
Our fathers toiled far bitter bread, while loafers thrived
beside them,
For food to eat and clothes ta wear, their native land
denied them.
And so they left their native land, in spite of their
devotion,
And so they came, or, if they stole, were sent across the
ocean.
Then Freedom couldn't stand the glare of royalty's regalia;
She left the loafers where they were and came out to
Australia.
But now, across the mighty main, the chains have come to
bind her;
She little thought to see again the wrongs she left
behind her.
Our fathers grubbed to make a home (hard grubbing 'twas,
and clearing);
They wasn't troubled much with lords when they was
pioneering.
But, now that we have made this Zand a garden full of
promise,
Old Greed must crook his dirty hand and come to take her
from us.
So we must fly a rebel flag, as others did before us,
And we must sing a rebel song and join in rebel chorus.
We'll make the tyrants feel the sting of those that they
would throttle;
They needn't say the fault was ours, if blood should
stain the wattle.
----repeat first verse.