The Rum Parade

Now ye gallant Sydney boys, who have left your household joys
To march across the sea in search of glory,
I am very much afraid that you do not love parade,
But the rum parade is quite another story.
For the influenza came and to spoil its little game,
They ordered us to drink a curious mixture;
Though at first it frightened some, when we found it mostly rum,
Parade became a very pleasant fixture.

Chorus    

So it's forward the Brigade, if they'll hold a rum parade
At Pretoria there's nothing to alarm ye;
And it's easy to be seen if they leave the quinine,
Ye'll be there before the blessed British Army.

Then a corporal he come and he said I drank the rum,
But the quinine never reached its destination;
For begob he up and swored that I threw it overboard,
Sure my heart was filled with grief and indignation.
For I'm different to some, I prefer quinine to rum,
And I only take the rum just as a favour,
And it's easy to be seen I'm so fond of the quinine,
That I keep it lest the rum should spoil its flavour.

When we get to Africay we'll be landed straight away,
And quartered with the troops of Queen Victoria;
And we hope they'll understand that the moment that we land
We are ready for a march upon Pretoria.
And we'll pay off all the scores on old Kruger and his Boers,
And just to prove our manners aren't a failure,
And to show we are not mean, shure we'll give them the quinine,
And drink the rum in honour of Australia.

Andrew Barton Paterson

Andrew Barton Paterson, also known as Banjo Paterson, was an Australian bush poet, journalist, and author. Renowned for his poignant and humorous depictions of rural Australia, he wrote iconic works like "Waltzing Matilda" and "The Man from Snowy River." His storytelling, deeply rooted in Australian culture, has cemented his legacy as one of the nation's most beloved literary figures.

Andrew Barton Paterson

Mulligan's Mare

Andrew Barton Paterson, Simple Poetry

It's Grand

Andrew Barton Paterson, Simple Poetry

A Voice From The Town

Andrew Barton Paterson, Simple Poetry

Old Australian Ways

Andrew Barton Paterson, Simple Poetry

English

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The Old Keg Of Rum

My name is old Jack Palmer,
    Im a man of olden days,
And so I wish to sing a song
    To you of olden praise.
To tell of merry friends of old
    When we were gay and young;
How we sat and sang together
    Round the Old Keg of Rum.

                            Chorus

    Oh! the Old Keg of Rum! the Old Keg of Rum!
    How we sat and sang together
        Round the Old Keg of Rum.

There was I and Jack the plough-boy,
    Jem Moore and old Tom Hines,
And poor old Tom the fiddler,
    Who now in glory shines;

And several more of our old chums,
    Who shine in Kingdom Come,
We all associated round the
    Old Keg of Rum.

                            Chorus

    Oh! the Old Keg of Rum! the Old Keg of R...

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The Overlander

Theres a trade you all know well
    Its bringing cattle over
Ill tell you all about the time
    When I became a drover.
I made up my mind to try the spec,
    To the Clarence I did wander,
And bought a mob of duffers there
    To begin as an overlander.

                            Chorus

    Pass the wine cup round, my boys;
        Dont let the bottle stand there,
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Next morning counted the cattle
    Saw the outfit ready to start,
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Australia Today 1916

They came from the lower levels
Deep down in the Brilliant mine;
From the wastes where the whirlwind revels,
Whirling the leaves of pine.

On the western plains, where the Darling flows,
And the dust storms wheel and shift,
The teamster loosened his yokes and bows,
And turned his team adrift.

On the western stations, far and wide,
There's many an empty pen,
For the "ringers" have cast the machines aside
And answered the call for men.

On the lucerne flats where the stream runs slow,
And the Hunter finds the sea,
The women are driving the mowers now,
With the children at their knee.

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"We're All Australians Now"

Australia takes her pen in hand
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From Broome to Hobson's Bay,
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Stands straighter up today.

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To grimly stand the test,
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The old state jealousies of yore
Are dead as Pharaoh's sow,
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We're all Australians now!

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