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Bluey Brink
Bluey Brink
[
Roud 3317
; Ballad Index FaE148
; trad.]
This song of the iron-stomached shearer Bluey Brink was recorded by A.L. Lloyd for both his Riverside LP Australian Bush Songs and for his Wattle album Across the Western Plains. On the latter recording, he is accompanied by Peggy Seeger on banjo. This version was was reissued in 1960 on the Topic LP Outback Ballads and in 1994 on the Larrikin CD The Old Bush Songs. A.L. Lloyd said in this album's sleeve notes:
Old Dad Adams of Cowra, New South Wales, used to sing this song. Rumour had it the pubs didn't stock anything strong enough for Old Dad. It was said he would bore a hole in the bottom of a silo and suck out the fermented juice of the ensilage through a straw. To one expressing disbelief, the answer was: “All right, look for yourself. All the silos around Cowra hav got little holes bored in 'em.” Anyway, Old Dad didn't make the song. Perhaps it was made by the Speewa sleeper-cutter, who went into a chemist's and called for prussic acid with a vitriol chaser, adding: “And don't go dilutin' it with that ammonia, neither.” The tune is just another variant of the tried-and-trusted Dinah and her Villikins (without the refrain and softened out and syncopated a bit) which tune has probably been used for more texts than any other in the English-speaking world
Trevor Lucas sang Bluey Brink on both of his Australian LPs, See That My Grave Is Kept Clean and Overlander.
Peter Bellamy learnt Bluey Brink from A.L. Lloyd's Australian collection and sang it on his cassette Fair Annie: English, Irish, Australian and American Traditional Songs.
Lyrics
| A.L. Lloyd sings Bluey Brink | Trevor Lucas sings Bluey Brink |
|---|---|
|
There once was a shearer, by name Bluey Brink, |
Now there once was a shearer, by the name Bluey Brink, |
|
Now Jimmy, the barman, who served out the drink, |
Now Jimmy, the barman, what served up the drinks, |
|
One morning as Jimmy was cleaning the bar |
Now one day while Jimmy was cleaning the bar |
|
Now, it ain't in the history, it ain't put in print, |
Now, it ain't down in the histories, it ain't down in the prints, |
|
Now all that long day, as he served out the beer, |
And all that day long, as he pulled out the beer, |
|
Now early next morning he opened the door, |
But the next day while Jimmy was opening the bar, |
|
Says Jimmy, “And how did you find the new stuff?” |
Well, says Jimmy to Bluey, “And how's the new stuff?” |
|
I thought I knew drink but I must have been wrong, |
Well, I thought I knew drink but I must have been wrong, |
| Peter Bellamy sings Bluey Brink | |
|
There once was a shearer, by name Bluey Brink, Now Jimmy, the barman, who served out the drink, So one morning when Jimmy was cleaning the bar Now, it ain't put in history, nor it ain't put in print, But the rest of the day as he served out the beer, But next morning when Jimmy he opened the door, Says Jimmy, “And how did you find the new stuff?” | |
Acknowledgements
Lyrics copied from Mark Gregory's Australian Folk Songs and adapted to the actual singing of A.L. Lloyd on The Old Bush Songs and Trevor Lucas on Overlander.
