Do you remember the days when the drover was king,
and the bush was the kingdom he roamed?
when a hat and a billy and a set of moleskins,
were the only damned things that he owned?

when the dust you collected in the pit of your lungs,
made you cough till you thought you would die?
and your skin became blistered in the heat of the sun,
and you froze to the bones in the night?

do you remember the sounds of the dingo at all,
as it carried along on the wind?
and the bleat of the sheep as they answered it's call,
and that dingo pack slowly moved in?

yeah, they were the days when the drover was king,
and the outback was open and free,
before high rise buildings replaced everything,
and spelt the end for old drovers like me,

Oh I know there's still drovers, but it just ain't the same,
with their jeeps and land rovers, and moving whole herds by train,
and those damned great Marquees to keep 'em out of the rain,
what happened to old drovers like me?

Don't you long for the days when the darling would flood,
and you'd drag horses and wagons through three feet of mud?
and the flies and mosquitoes would feed on your blood?
or is that just old drovers like me?

Why I remember occasions too many to count,
it seemed like half of Australia was stricken by drought,
but when water was needed, who was it sent out?
yeah, that's right, old drovers like me,

And we'd ride through the desert till our backside was raw,
and our horse would collapse, 'cause it can't walk anymore,
but we'd always bring water back to our station door,
we were hardy, old drovers like me,

Now the bush land is fenced, and the squatters have rights,
and cities spring up, seems almost over night,
well if you're asking me cobbers, it just isn't right,
there's no place for old drovers like me,

 

                         by S.E.Ralph

                           18-7-2006