> Danny Spooner > Songs > The Backblocks Shearer

The Backblocks Shearer / Widgegoera Joe

[ Roud - ; AFS 96 ; Ballad Index MA038 ; DT BACKBLCK ; Mudcat 2810 ; trad.]

According to the note of the Mudcat Café lyrics of The Backblocks Shearer, this song was written by W. Tully at Nimidgee, NSW, and can be found in most Australian collections.

Martyn Wyndham-Read sang Widgegoara Joe in 1978 on his Autogram album Ballad Singer. He noted:

Widgegoara Joe came into its own in recent years because of the popularity of the musical Reedy River (produced in Sydney in 1954), and the recording of the songs from it. The particular version used in that production had been collected by Russel Ward and John Meredith from the singing of Jack Lee, Auburn, NSW.

There is a footnote in the original Reedy River Song Book saying: “This song is parodied on an old Irish transportation ballad called Castle Gardens.” The present version is taken from Bandicoot Ballad no. 11 (see John Manifold’s notes on this in The Penguin Australian Song Book).

There is a station called Widgeegoara in west Queensland, 110 miles west of Dirranbandi and about 17 miles north of the NSW border.

Bill Murray sang Widgegoarra Joe in 2008 on his Wren Music CD Down ’pon Ole Dartymoor. He noted:

This is the first of a set of three songs that I learnt from Bob Cann. I can see why Bob, who worked for many years as a farm manager, was attracted to the words of this song and as a musician to the emotive tune. It is one of the many songs that include ‘Haydens Patent Thumb Guard Clips’ in the chorus. According to Bob, it was necessary to shear a hundred sheep in a shift to become a ‘Gun’.

Danny Spooner sang The Backblocks Shearer in 2017 on his final CD, Home. He noted:

Collected from Jack ‘Hoop-Iron’ Lee, an old bushman and shearer. It was the first Australian folk-song collected by John Meredith. There is a very good biography available on John Meredith by Keith McKenry (2014).

Lyrics

Martyn Wyndham-Read sings Widgegoara Joe

I’m only a backblocks shearer, as easily can be seen,
I’ve shore in almost every shed in the plains of the Riverine.
I’ve shore in most of the famous sheds, I’ve seen big tallies done,
But somehow or other, I don’t know why, I never became a gun.

Chorus (after each verse):
Hurrah, my boys, my shears are set, I feel both fit and well;
Tomorrow will find me at my pen, when the gaffer rings the bell,
With Haydon’s patent thumb-guards fixed and both my blades pulled back.
Tomorrow I go with my siding blow for a century or the sack.

I’ve opened up the windpipe straight, I’ve opened behind the ear;
I’ve practised every possible style in which a man can shear;
I’ve studied all the cuts and drives of the famous men I’ve met,
But I’ve never succeeded in plastering up those three little figures yet.

As the boss walked down this morning, I saw him stare at me,
For I’d mastered Moran’s great shoulder-cut, as he could plainly see,
But I’ve another surprise for him that’ll give his nerves a shock –
Tomorrow he’ll find that I have mastered Pierce’s rang-tang block.

If I succeed as I hope to do, then I intend to shear
At the Wagga demonstration which is held there every year.
And there I’ll lower the colours, the colours of Mitchell & Co.
Instead of Deeming, you will hear of Widgegoara Joe!

Danny Spooner sings The Backblocks Shearer

I’m only a backblocks shearer, mate, as easily can be seen,
Shore in most of the shearin’ sheds on the plains of the Riverine,
I shore in most of the famous sheds, and I’ve seen big tallies done,
But somehow or other, I don’t know why, I never became a gun.

Chorus (after each verse):
But hurrah, my boys, my shears are set, and I feel both fit and well,
Tomorrow you’ll find me at my pen when the gaffer rings the bell.
With Hayden’s famous thumb-guards fixed and both o’ my blades pulled back,
Tomorrow I’ll go with a sliding blow, for the century or the sack.

I’ve opened up the wind-pipe straight, I’ve opened behind the ear,
I shore in every possible style in which a man could shear.
I studied all the cuts and drives of the famous men I’ve met,
But I never managed to plaster up those three little figures yet.

Well, the boss came up this mornin’, and I saw him stare at me,
I’d mastered Morgan’s shoulder-cut, as he could plainly see.
But I’ve another surprise for him, ’t will give his nerves a shock,
Tomorrow he’ll see that I’ve mastered Pierce’s rang-tang block!

And if I succeed as I hope to do, then I intend to shear
At the Wagga demonstration that’s held there every year,
And there I’ll lower the colours, my boys, the colours of Mitchell & Co.,
And instead of Deeming you shall hear of Widgegoera Joe!