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The Swagman's Rest - by Banjo Paterson (bonus track)

from The Bulletin Debate (Henry Lawson vs Banjo Paterson) by Liam Gerner and Luke Moller

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The Swagman's Rest - by Banjo Paterson (bonus track)
music by Liam Gerner

lyrics

THE SWAGMAN’S REST – Banjo Patterson

We buried old Bob where the bloodwoods wave
At the foot of the Eaglehawk;
We fashioned a cross on the old man's grave
For fear that his ghost might walk;
We carved his name on a bloodwood tree
With the date of his sad decease
And in place of "Died from effects of spree"
We wrote "May he rest in peace".

For Bob was known on the Overland,
A regular old bush wag,
Tramping along in the dust and sand,
Humping his well-worn swag.
He would camp for days in the river-bed,
And loiter and "fish for whales".
"I'm into the swagman's yard," he said.
"And I never shall find the rails."

But he found the rails on that summer night
For a better place -- or worse,
As we watched by turns in the flickering light
With an old black gin for nurse.
The breeze came in with the scent of pine,
The river sounded clear,
When a change came on, and we saw the sign
That told us the end was near.

He spoke in a cultured voice and low --
"I fancy they've 'sent the route';
I once was an army man, you know,
Though now I'm a drunken brute;
But bury me out where the bloodwoods wave,
And, if ever you're fairly stuck,
Just take and shovel me out of the grave
And, maybe, I'll bring you luck.

"For I've always heard --" here his voice grew weak,
His strength was wellnigh sped,
He gasped and struggled and tried to speak,
Then fell in a moment -- dead.
Thus ended a wasted life and hard,
Of energies misapplied --
Old Bob was out of the "swagman's yard"
And over the Great Divide.

The drought came down on the field and flock,
And never a raindrop fell,
Though the tortured moans of the starving stock
Might soften a fiend from hell.
And we thought of the hint that the swagman gave
When he went to the Great Unseen --
We shovelled the skeleton out of the grave
To see what his hint might mean.

We dug where the cross and the grave posts were,
We shovelled away the mould,
When sudden a vein of quartz lay bare
All gleaming with yellow gold.
'Twas a reef with never a fault nor baulk
That ran from the range's crest,
And the richest mine on the Eaglehawk
Is known as "The Swagman's Rest".

credits

from The Bulletin Debate (Henry Lawson vs Banjo Paterson), track released July 24, 2021
Liam Gerner - Guitar, Vocals
Lucky Oceans - Pedal Steel
Salliana Seven Campbell - Nickelharpa
Ben Franz - Double Bass
Gavin Fitzjohn - trumpet and horn arrangement
Daniel Farrugia - drums percusion

Roger Bergodaz - recording engineer, Union St Studios Melbourne
Dani Castela - Mixing engineer, Spain
Pablo Schuller - Mastering

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Liam Gerner Melbourne, Australia

Is a guitarist, singer songwriter based in Melbourne. He has toured his story songs and played guitar for artists through Europe, USA and Australia including Vika and Linda Bull, Ryan Bingham, Paul Weller, Jason Isbell, Elton John, Robbie Fulks, Pnau and The Eurogliders. Liam has released 3 albums and a book of original songs ‘Ukulele Songs By Kids For Kids’. ... more

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