Look Out Below
A young man left his native town
Through trade being slack
at home
To seek his fortune in this land
He crossed the briny foam
And when he came to the Lachlan
His heart was in a glow
To hear
the sound of the windlasses
And the cry 'Look out below'
Wherever
he turned his wandering eyes
Strange sights he did behold
Of full and
plenty in the land
And the magic power of gold
He says now I am
young and strong
And a digging I will go
For I like the sound of windlasses
And the cry 'Look out below'
So now he's settled down again
With
a charming little wife
He says there's nothing can compare
To a jolly
digger's life
Ask him if he'll go home again
And he'll quickly answer
no
For he likes the sound of windlasses
And the cry 'Look out below'
Notes
One of Charles Thatcher's songs from the goldrush days of the 1850's. This version was given to John Meredith by Ida Fielding (a friend of Sally Sloane) of Dripstone NSW who got it from her father. The tune is from Sally Sloane and is also used for the ballad 'Peter Clarke'