Road to Omeo
As we started down from Nariel one early morn in spring
The
busy bees were humming and the mocking bird did sing
The little birds all
round us joined in the morning song
So we saddled up our horses and we steered
for Corryong
There was Billy Moore and Brownie, Doug Warland and two
more
And none of us afraid of quod we'd all been there before
We'd whips
and whips of rhino and I mean to let you know
That we wont go back with Jacksons
on the road to Omeo
Now we reined them up at Winns
Hotel the best pub in the town
We wasn't there so very long and our cheques
was all knocked down
Brownie said we're stoney broke and I think we'd better
to go
But we wont go back with Jacksons on the road to Omeo
Now we steered down into Tintaldra to see big Jack
McGrath
His breath would faily stun you as he served behind the bar
His
wine would knock you silly and his beer would make you blow
But we wont go
back with Jacksons on the road to Omeo
Now my
spree is nearly ended and I think I've drunk my share
If ever I get another
cheque I'll act up on the square
Saddle up an old grey horse and a shearing
I will go
But we wont go back with Jacksons on the road to Omeo
Oh
now my spree is over and it's home I will return
Ill go back to that pretty
girl her heart will surely yearn
I'll roll her in the clover let the wind
blow high or low
But we wont go back with Jacksons on the road to Omeo
Notes
Collected by John Meredith and first printed in Folk Songs of Australia Vol 2 Meredith recorded the song from Wally Wilesmith of Tumbarumba, NSW, who knew it as 'Jacksons'. Meredith writes: "The Jacksons are still remembered as a hard-drinking, hard-fighting family, who were road contractors. If the words of the song are to be believed, they were hard bosses as well....the words have an affinity with thiose of 'The Road to Gunagai', perhaps better known these days as 'Lazy Harry's', and the tune may even have been the original of that same song. Certainly of Irish descent, at different times it resembles the air of 'Frank Gardiner', 'The Old Bark Hut' or 'The Garden where the Praties Grow'".