Oh to be out in the West again,
the West again,
Where the hard, lean bushmen go;
To shed the collar and vest again,
To wangle the miles and rest again,
Hi-ho for the Westlands, oh!
Camel or pack, and a golden haze
From suns unclouded to light our days,
And cloudless skies in a lonely light
To arch the calm of a Western night!
Oh to be out with the best again,
The best again.
Out of Pilbarra or out of Broome,
Easy going and plenty of room,
A reef to seek or a deed to do,
A black quart pot and a nigger too --
Ah, to be out in the West again!
Oh to be gone to a Land of Gold,
So young in story and yet so old,
To take a chance though the flour-bags shrink,
And soupy water is hard to drink.
Hey and a-ho for the bars of Perth,
For days of pleasure and nights of mirth,
Hey and a-ho!
The gold dust won and the wine aglow --
A-hey and a-ho! A-hey and a-ho.
You've heard the story of Jack Dalveen?
His credit is closed, he hadn't a bean;
His old man said, as these old men do,
"You can go to Hell, I have done with you!"
He worked his passage, he's proud to say,
On a cargo tub to Cossack Bay;
He shed the East and he started square -=-
Now Jack Dalveen is a millionaire.
Hey and a-ho.
There's old George Falls, of Oberon;
We sat together in days long gone,
Clapping our heels in the mornings cool
Under the desk at Oberon school.
I hear the George has a fortune made,
Over in Broome in the pearling trade --
Good-o! Good-o!
And he's bought a farm by Busselton --
You like to know how your pals get on.
Hey and a-ho.
Camel or pack and the wide Nor'-West,
Oh to be out again on the quest,
The quest again!
Out of Carnarvon or out of Broome,
Camel or pack and plenty of room,
Oh to be out in the West again!
Oh to be out in the West again,
To take a chance with the best again;
To wangle the miles and rest again.
A-hey and a-ho!
To make a fortune or face a fall,
Camel or pack and God for us all,
A-hey and a-ho!
First published in The Bulletin, 27 November 1924
Author reference sites: Austlit, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian Poetry Library
See also.
See also.
