Years ago (said the barman),
When the missus was just a jane,
I walked to work--when I 'ad it--
And it gave me a norful pain;
But them days is fled, and we've got instead,
The car and the airyplane.
I put it to you (said the barman),
That flying's the thing to-day.
There's blokes I know . . . Have you heard
The spiel of the pilot what flew away
And ain't come back? And it's gospel
fack, whatever the hell you say.
One Crismus Eve (said the barman).
I was camped on the Bungallo,
When this 'uman 'awk, as they called
him, lobs down in a D.H.2,
And he says, says he: "Keep yer
heye on me, fer I'm hitting the flamin' blue."
Strike me fat (said the barman),
If I'm telling a single lie,
He went aloft like a heagle, as straight as a flamin' die;
I watched him soar fer a mile or more,
A-kissing hisself good-bye.
Ugly mugs (said the barman, taking a sip of beer),
Blanky stic-to-the-earthers . . . .
youse wouldn't fly, no fear;
No not for nuts, but this bloke 'ad guts
If he hadn't he'd still be here.
And this is what (said the barman)
I've went to a spooks in town,
And I says to her: "Speaking friendly wot's happened to Pilot Brown?"
And she says: "They say he'll never come back to town."
Fer he's gorn aloft (said the barman) fer keeps, as the saying, is,
Where there ain't no seegars nor women, nor even a drop of fizz,
And nothing to do till the trumpets blow,
And Gabriel shouts "Ariz!"
Ugly mugs (said the barman, giving the crowd a look),
Ruddy stick-to-the-earthers . . .. but I swear this by the Book,
There was thunder came, and a song o' flame,
On the night old Brown was took.
--"Big X," Broken Hill.
Notes
From the South Australian Newspaper The Sport 8 Jun 1933 p. 8.
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