Australian Folk Songs

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Your Responses

Australian Folk Songs
has been on the WWW since February 1995

Some years back I put together these extracts 
from the hundreds of email responses I have received in that time. Thanks to all 
those visitors and special thanks to those who encouraged this project. Some time 
I'll gather some more material or set up a real guest book 
			
Mark, 
I've just logged on to AFS and it looks great and it's a great addition to the 
pages on the WWW about Aussie Music. 


Outstanding site, Mark! Very comprehensive (I'm guessing) and painstakingly crafted. 
Beautiful background, too. It sure passes my "I didn't know you could do that!" 
test. Thanks again for the link. That's mighty fine company. 


Thanks for your pages on Australian folk songs. Useful and appreciated. I also 
tried your demo hypercard stack and found it amusing. I recently found The Digital 
Tradition, which, like you, I found amazing. I was very very saddened in reading 
your review of it, though, to find you mention that Harry Robertson had died. 
The Wee Pot Stove is one of my favourite songs and as a one time sailor, a long 
time ago, I appreciate it, though we never sang. Anyway can you tell me anything 
more about Robertson? 


Mark! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am a Music Teacher in Orlando, Florida, 
U.S.A. I've been searching for folk music from everywhere, but expecially Australia 
(because personally, I'm fascinated by the place). My students are going to get 
a great exposure to this unfamiliar culture, thanks to you! You just helped 500 
kids gain insight. Feels good, huh? 


Thanks very much, Mark - this is exactly what I needed. I've got the Eric Bogle 
record with the Queensland Whaler song, but I like the Ballina Whalers better. 
I've been learning and performing songs about the fishing industry and its decline 
in the North Atlantic, so the theme of fishermen leaving their regular trade to 
go whaling for more money interests me.I'm sorry to hear of Harry Robertson's 
death - he was a fine songwriter... 


Thanks for doing all the work of putting together your database - we'll both be 
logging on regularly. Mark, congratulations on an excellent Web site! 


I was looking for a particular song and I wondered if you could help? I'm afraid 
I don't know what it's called but.... It's about a guys who's called to war in 
1915. He is essentially crippled, is put into hospital and returned to Australia. 
The interesting part about the song is that it uses "waltzing matilda" as a repeated 
refrain. 


Your collection of song lyrics and tunes is wonderful! I was wondering if you 
had the lyrics to some of Harry(?) Robertson's whaling songs. I'm especially interested 
in one that Nic Jones recorded, which has as the chorus "All you trawler men, 
come on, Forget your snapper and your prawn, It's out of Ballina we'll sail, Hunting 
for the humpback whale." 


What an excellent set of pages. I only wish there were more around the place, 
but this and the Digital Tradition seems all there is. 


This is an Email from the AAA (Australian Announce Archive) Congratulations you 
have been selected for the Australian Cool Site of the Day Award 


Outstanding! Thanks for telling me. Of course I always knew it was a treasure. 
Now so does everybody else! 


Mark, I saw your web site for Australian folk music, it looks great. I have a 
friend who is a teacher and has been teaching a unit on Australia to her class 
this year. For Christmas she has been looking to find traditional Australian carols 
for her kids to sing. Do you perhaps have any sheet music and lyrics on your service 
that you could send to me? 


Hello Mark, I got your email address off the internet (Australian Bush Songs). 
I'm trying to find the 'bawdy' verse of the war years(1940s, referred to in the 
Age 'Good Weekender - 25.11.95', titled 'The Bastard from the Bush'. I heard it 
years ago, and there's a couple of old timers here who know bits of it. 


Hello Mark, I will be glad if you come to visit our site in Naples, Italy. We 
are collected a lot of neapolitan folks songs and are making a 'Virtual Museum 
of Neapolitan Song'. 


Hello Mark, I came across your web site today for the first time. It's good to 
see some Australian songs: I've found a few in the Digital Tradition database 
from the states but not many. I've downloaded a song or two and I'll try to learn 
them and sing them around the UK clubs. 


My son is a second year trombone player. We are planning a trip to Australia this 
summer (from upstate New York, USA). Would any of your music be appropriate for 
him to learn to play? 


I am 11 years old writing to you from Toronto Canada. I am doing a school project 
on Australia, and part of my project is having to find out what the meaning of 
the words from the song Waltzing Matilda .(swagman - billabong -jumback -tuckerbag 
-billy -squatter- and Matilda,are. My project is due in four days I would very 
greatful if you could help me. 


Congratulations! Your Internet site Australian Folk Songs has been selected by 
The McKinley Group's professional editorial team as a "3-Star" site. This rating 
is a special mark of achievement in Magellan, McKinley's comprehensive Internet 
directory of over 1.5 million sites and 40,000 reviews. 


I just found a song 'Four Little Johnny Cakes' on the web site, by AB Patterson. 
Where can I find more info on him/her...dates, history etc. and on the song itself? 



Mark : Thank Goodness for the Internet! I was just surfing around when I came 
across your 101 Australian Folk Songs and to my delight it included "Female Rambling 
Sailor." I have been searching for any information on this folk song for almost 
4 years. My search has taken me to Ottawa, Canada and Eugene, Oregon. 


Hi, Congratulations, your site was chosen to have a link added to you from within 
our 'Site Seeing' section of Music Boulevard (www.musicblvd.com) 


Hello Mark, we would like to draw your attention on the area dedicated to neapolitan 
song: "Virtual Museum of the Neapolitan Song" 


Hi ya Mark! Have enjoyed your page on the Web and comments on Pete Seeger etc. 
Downloaded the songs (15) and enjoyed singing along with them. It's extraordinary 
what one can do with the computer and sound. Has anyone else done anything similar 
for overseas songs? 


Mark, Congratulations on a very well put together web site! My interest in Australian 
Folk music has been revived over the last few weeks, and I was thinking that a 
web site of Aussie folk songs, perhaps categorised by subject (eg Convict, Bush 
ranger, Droving, etc) would be useful. A search on Yahoo produced a link to yours!!!


I would just like to tell you that this site is wonderful and very interesting 
and that I would really like to receive more information about any songbooks containing 
these songs.


Mark, found your name on songNet, am interested in finding information on (I hope 
I spell this right) digeridoo. I am not a musician but I do enjoy a wide variety 
of music. I heard a fellow playing a digeridoo on my local NPR station out of 
Wayne State University in Detroit. If you have any information on this instrument 
I would be in your debt if you could e-mail it to me.


Hi Mark Thanks for the words to the song. It's a good one but not the one 
I am after unfortunately. The one I'm looking for is about a redback on the toilet 
seat, I think it's an old Slim Dusty song, but I'm not sure. If you happen to 
come across it at some time I'd appreciate it if you could send it to me.


Good morning! I found your home page with Australian Folk songs fascinating. 
I listened to a few on MOV format and they sounded great.


Dear Mark, I am an Australian studying at Boston College, MA, USA. I have 
a professor who is looking for some recordings by Danny Spooner. I have never 
heard of him - but am led to understand that he is very good. Since you have 
a web page dealing with folk music, I was wondering if you might be able to help 
me locate some recordings of Spooner and other Aussie folk musicians.


Dear Mark Your page is a delight!! My test search (just to see what you 
had) yielded all the results I could wish for and even a couple I didn't expect.


From "Education Views" (incorporating Education Office Gazette!). July 5,1996, 
page 18, from a column called "Online..."  Music on the the WWW: Australian 
Folk Songs is a fascinating WWW site.


Hi Mark! I have a new independent record label, Musica Pangaea, that will 
to some extent be specializing in Australian folk and world music. Having just 
put our web page up today, I have put in a few links that I thought appropriate. 
Your wonderful Aussie Folk Song page is there, of course.


I'm an Aussie living in the U.S. and we have tapes of most of the songs on your 
website, of course, but to find the music is really cool. Thanks!


I gave a lecture on Irish convicts today and made mention of the book review of 
Warrior Women and Popular Ballads. The course is Gender and Punishment. With 
your permission, I'd like to include a printout of the review as part of the handout 
pertaining to today's lecture. Naturally you and your site would be appropriately 
credited.


I am in the process of constructing a web site for Oz history, in particular, 
bushranging. Your songnet collection is a great source. I had intended a much 
smaller project to include a few music bites, scores and lyrics in my site, but 
rather than do it all over again can I just use a link to your site? 


I am looking for the words to an Australian folk song called "On The Banks Of 
The Reedy River" for a friend and not having much luck so far. I was wondering 
if you might know of it and be able to send the words to it or know of a place 
on the web where it could be found. 


Found your wonderful site while searching for one that might lead me to the tune 
of an old Camp Fire Girls song, "Beauty Stands at the Crossroads". I know it was 
published in a 1929 songbook and said it was to the tune of "At the bend of the 
River", but noone I ask knows that song either. It is an old song and engraved 
on a mantle at Camp Sealth, Vashon Island, WA (Camp Fire Camp) 


Thanks for replying to my e - mail. It was really cool to find music to Waltzing 
Matilda, Flash Jack From Gundagai, and songs like that. Just a little suggestion 
- why don't you put the Oz national anthem on there? 


I don't know of any Australian folk song databases on the internet. However, I 
do own 150 recordings or so Australian folk recordings that I am in the process 
of entering into my own database so that I can easily find various versions of 
the same song. The data categories are Performer - Album title - Song - Keywords 
- Song duration. So... if you are just trying to build your own cross-reference 
for your song list, I would happy to contribute my info (when it is done!). 


Hi, My grandparents were after the lyrics to "The Pub with no Beer" so they 
could send them to a friend in England who works with Princess Ann. I looked on 
you page, but I couldn't find it. Do you have it?? If you don't do you know 
where I might be able to find it?


Howdy, just stumbled across your web site, and it is great! I've finally found 
some lyrics that I have been unsure of. A record I have has another verse to the 
song "Another Fall Of Rain" in case you are interested


Hi Mark I wonder if you an help me with a reference enquiry. I have been 
completely unable to track down the name of the person who wrote the lyrics (and 
the melody) for "Click go the shears". That well known composer called anonymous 
perhaps? I have been asked to find the answer before Monday (17/2/97). It 
is in connection with the local philatelist's club. Apparently there is a stamp 
commemorating this song and that is the subject of their next meeting


One thing that I have noticed. Been all over the Net and cannot find the words 
to Peter Allen's I Still Call Australia Home. Read once that you knew you were 
away too long when you start missing that song. I know that it's not exactly folk, 
but it doesn't seem to be exactly anything. Just curious if there was a reason 
that it was so hard to come by. Going to check out some more of your site. Keep 
up the great work.


Mark what a fabulous site!! I attended a conference in Calgary Canada a couple 
of weeks ago and spent the week with two wonderful people from Australia. One 
night on a bus, several of us from Canada, and several of the folks from Australia 
traded folk songs - singing away, joining in where we could... 

 
Searching for the lyrics for "Waltzing Matilda" I found your site...and many of 
the other tunes we sang that night. Thanks again...you've really made my day 

 
Thanks so much for the lyrics!!! I was so glad to finally hear this song again 
... also cleared up some Australianisms(?) that I wasn't sure about. If it's 
not too much trouble, I was wondering if you could tell me a place where those 
groups you mentioned (and/or other Australian folk groups) are available to order 
thru the net? I live in a small town (american) and don't have much access to 
international music. 

 
My brother and I are members of the Co. longford historical society and we are 
researching an incident which ocurred in Longford during the famine (1846-7) following 
which, some people were transported - one to NS Wales, others to Bermuda,we are 
publishing shortly (just a small local effort) When searching the web I came across 
your songNet and Moreton Bay - I would like to include it in out publication if 
that is alright with you? 

 
Years ago I met some Australian ski instructors in Austria. They taught me a folk 
song about the battle of Gallipoli and a soldier who lost his legs. I have not 
been able to find it since. Do you know the words and music? 

 
Dear Mark Thank you for your prompt reply. That is indeed the song. I can 
remember most of the melody. It is funny how some songs you only hear once or 
twice but you remember for years. Thanks again. 

 
I am in year 11 at high school in Sydney Australia. I am doing an assignment on 
Australian Folk music, and have looked for quite a while for any information but 
without any luck . If you would know of any information of helpful links, I would 
greatly 

 
Mark, I have an interest in the Australian Aborigional instrument called the Dijorie-do.
(I hope I spelled it correctly) I have recently purchased one of bamboo and am interested 
in learning how to play it. Could you please help me to get on the right track? 
I've searched the net and come up woefully short on info. I appreciate anything 
you could do. 

 
Greetings from Canada, One of your long lost souls hanging out on the flipside 
of the world. (Grew up down under!) Play guitar - do you have any copies of these 
songs with chord changes on them. 

 
Our national folk radio program, "A Prairie Home Companion", featured a song about 
an Australian war vet who fought at Gallipoli. In the song, he describes how he 
sailed off to Gallipoli and lost his leg. Do you have any such lyrics? 

 
Thanks for help cobber, with your help I picked circular breathing up within 4-5 
days. 

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australian traditional songs . . . a selection by mark gregory