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The Stockman

Air.-"Boorooloola."

I'm a stockman, yes I am;
They call me "Ugly Sam"-
I'm old and lame, and only got one eye.
In a yard I'm good, of course,
But put me on a horse,
And I'll do what plenty young 'uns will not try.

I can lead them through the gidyea,
Through country rough and ridgy,
I can lose 'em in the very worst of scrub;
I can ride 'em rough or aisy,
With a head-rope I'm a daisy,
And a right down bobby-dazzler at a pub.

You should see me use a whip;
Can't I give the beggars zip,
Make 'em roar and make the echoes ring,
And with a brand-Ah ! well
I'm a perfect blooming swell-
In fact I'm good at any blessed thing.

I'm a star at spoiling hide,
And can't I put on side,
Come the silvertail as if my blood was blue.
Strike me blue or green or red,
I can stand upon my head,
And be then as good as any other two.

I've a notion in my pate,
It isn't luck, it's fate,
For I'm far above the common blessed run,
Oh ! strike me pink, oh! do,
Come, cut me up in two,
For I'm far too jolly good to be in one.

       CROOKED MICK.

Notes

Published in the, The Queenslander Saturday 2 March 1895 p. 404. In the regular column:-

Flotsam and Jetsam.
Songs of the Bush.

The editor writes:
"Some readers who have been kind enough to send in contributions for this column evidently do not understand that only bush songs are wanted. The majority of so-called songs sent in are simply poems, often of the sender's own composition. While some of these are worthy of publication, and are therefore held with a view to future insertion, they can have no place in this column, which is reserved for songs and songs only."

See also on this collection The Flash Stockman

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australian traditional songs . . . a selection by mark gregory