The Song of the Shears (1891)
With back all stiff and tired, and cabbage-tree on his head,A shearer- stood in his shearing clothes on the floor of a shearing shed ;
Clip, clip, clip, rang harshly in his ears,
Whilst with a low and mournful voice he sang "The song of the shears." "Clip, clip, clip they go from morn till night,
Clip, clip, clip, off comes the wool so white.
It's who'd be a boss over a shearing shed
When a man has not to use his hands but only use his head. But clip, clip, clip the shears most always go.
For while one is standing to think, another's tally will grow.
We're up with the sun at morn and down with the sun at night,
And all is heat and flurry and bustle and worry and fight. Clip, clip, clip, this is the way to shear,
Open it up the brisket and run it round by the ear,
And over the whipping shoulder and down the other side,
And then the wool is carried away and laid on a bench aside. Clip, clip, clip, another empty pen,
Open that gate beyon' and fill it up again,
Lambs and ewes and wethers, wethers and ewes and lambs.
And old and feeble crawlers and strong and sturdy rams. But clip, clip, clip, work on ye noble band,
Your work is the most important in all the Australian land,
Cut off those golden locks that grow when men are asleep,
And send them away, from other backs the frost and cold to keep. Clip, clip, clip, the work is going still,
Boss and men and boys are working with a will,
Boss and men and boys including drummer and wringer,
And all the rouseabouts none for a moment will linger. Clip, clip, clip, we'll leave it oft to-night,
For the sun below the horizon is sinking out of sight,
Come reckon up the tallies and put the shears away,
And gather round the supper board finish up the day. With face all covered with smiles and stove pipe on his head.
This shearer stood in after years on the floor of a shearing shed.
Clip, clip, clip, 'twas music in his ears,
As with a sweeter and happier tone (For the sheep around were all his own),
He sang "The Song of the Shears." Notes From the Sydney Newspaper The Australian Star 26 Dec 1891 p. 7.