Folk Song for May 2026: Along the Road to Gundagai

 "Along the Road to Gundagai" is a popular and peppy Australian song, written by Jack O'Hagan in 1922. One interesting fact (according to Wikipedia) is that, in spite of writing a tremendously famous song about the town of Gundagai, O'Hagan did not actually visit it until 1956, when he was the guest of honour at its centenary celebrations.

Lyrics (as recorded by Peter Dawson in 1924)

There's a track winding back
To an old-fashioned shack
Along the road to Gundagai.

Where the blue gums [gum trees] are growing
And the Murrumbidgee's flowing
Beneath the sunny sky,

Where my daddy and mother are waiting for me
And the pals of my childhood once more I will see.
Then no more will I roam when I'm heading right for home
Along the road to Gundagai.

Video Links

The Howie Brothers (This video begins with a half-minute clip from a silent movie. It also adds an extra verse.)

Slim Dusty. Classic version.

Our helpful intro post is sure to liven up your folk song adventures.

For more information on our folk songs, and for Amazon affiliate 

links to purchase individual songs, see our AO Folk Songs page.

These affiliate links help support AmblesideOnline. 

Folk Song for June 2024: Click Go the Shears

"Click Go the Shears" is a traditional "bush ballad," which many Australians remember learning in their first years of school. The song describes the process of shearing sheep with blade shears, and the roles of the different people in the shearing shed, including the "ringer" and the "tar boy."

Variations in the Lyrics

Is it a "blue-bellied joe," a "bare-bellied ewe," or a "bare-bellied yoe?" Is there a correct, "authorized" version? Apparently not! We have chosen one set of lyrics, but if you learned it a different way, feel free to use your favourite version.

One or Two Cautions

In the last verse, the "old shearer" takes his paycheque and heads to the pub. You may or may not choose to include this verse.

Also, the original version of the verse about the "colonial experience man" (a young Englishman sent out to the colonies) uses a non-family-friendly word, and this is still used in certain recorded versions. However, even some of our Australian AO informants were not aware of that, as they were taught only the first verse, or (if they did learn the rest) that  he was "smelling like a flower" (or similar words).

So if you would like to simplify the song, especially for younger children, it would be fine to sing just the first verse and the chorus.

Lyrics

1. Out on the board the old shearer stands,

Grasping his shears in his thin bony hand,

Fixed is his gaze on a bare-bellied yoe —

Glory, if he gets her won’t he make the ringer go.

Chorus:

Click go the shears, boys — click, click, click,

Wide is his blow and his hands move quick,

The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow,

And curses the old snagger with the bare-bellied yoe.

2. In the middle of the floor in his cane-bottomed chair,

Sits the boss of the board with his eyes everywhere;

Notes well each fleece as it comes to the screen,

Paying strict attention that it’s taken off clean.

(Chorus)

3. The tar boy is there, awaiting in demand,

With his blackened tar pot, in his tarry hand,

Sees one old sheep with a cut upon its back;

Here is what he’s waiting for — it’s “Tar here Jack!”

(Chorus)

4. The colonial experience man, he is there of course,

With his shiny leggings on, just got off his horse.

He gazes all around, like a real connoisseur,

With brilliantine and scented soap — he’s smelling like a flower.

(Chorus)

5. Shearing is all over and we’ve all got our cheques,

So roll up your swags, boys, we’re off on the track,

The first pub we come to, it’s there we’ll have a spree,

And everyone that comes along, it’s “Come and drink with me!”

(Chorus)

Video Links

This version by the Stringybark Band includes lots of footage and photos of sheep shearing. (The Colonial Experience man is there, "smelling pretty good.")

Rolf Harris's version is sung with much enthusiasm, and includes some spoken explanation of the difficult words. One verse refers to drinking. (Another way around the problem line: "You can hear him whistling, 'Ain't I the perfect lure?'")

This blogpost, suggested by an Australian AO user, includes a recording of a gentleman singing the song. (Caution: it does include the non-family-friendly word, and an extra verse which you might not want to sing with children.)

This recording by Slim Dusty seems to be popular. (This version includes only the first and last verses, and then switches to other songs..Also, for North Americans: it goes a bit slower!)

Finally, for fun: Olivia Newton-John!

Our helpful intro post is sure to liven up your folk song adventures.

For more information on our folk songs, and for Amazon affiliate 

links to purchase individual songs, see our AO Folk Songs page.

These affiliate links help support AmblesideOnline.

Folk Song for October 2022: Waltzing Matilda

This is the much-beloved, unofficial anthem of Australia. There it is often sung by large crowds at sporting events and other public gatherings. It's often performed at folk festivals in North America, the UK, and elsewhere around the globe as well. So fun to sing!

Unless you’re from the Land Down Under, you’re likely to need an explanation of the lyrics! 

There are many, many variations of the lyrics, but these verses seem to be fairly standard at this point in the song’s long history, and they align most closely with the classic recording by Australian folk singer Slim Dusty.

Waltzing Matilda 

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong

Under the shade of a Coolibah tree

And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me.”

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong;

Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee;

He sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me.”

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me;

He sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me.”

Up rose the squatter, mounted on his thorough-bred;

Up rode the troopers one, two, three;

"Where’s that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?

You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me.”

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me;

"Where’s that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?

You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me.”

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong;

"You'll never catch me alive,” said he.

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,

“You’’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me!”

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me;

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me;

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me!”

Lynn's Youtube Playlist for AO Folk Songs 2022-2023

Our helpful intro post is sure to liven up your folk song adventures.

For more information on our folk songs, and for Amazon affiliate 

links to purchase individual songs, see our AO Folk Songs page.

These affiliate links help support AmblesideOnline.

A New Opportunity

 In its nearly 20 years of existence, AmblesideOnline has never charged for its online curriculum or forum. Our entire offering has been and will always be free. 

We have been able to pay for our work through  Amazon's Affiliate program, but we now have an opportunity to provide an additional way to support AO. 

Living Book Press publishes a number of books that are in AmblesideOnline's curriculum. LBP has several titles for which they've sought and gained reprint rights, and some that have never before been transcribed and republished. This is already a wonderful contribution to the Charlotte Mason community in general, and the AmblesideOnline family in particular. 

One of our objectives at AmblesideOnline is that of using the best possible books that are also readily available. On our site, we include links to free online sources where they exist. We suggest that our families buy used books for their home or group's library, and we also link to inexpensive Kindle e-books. 

As we list books for each year, we have provided links to Amazon. When you purchase a book through that link, AO receives a small percentage, as an Amazon Affiliate. This has helped us sustain the work of AO over the years, a work which we offer completely for free. 

In the light of recent concerns and as assurance regarding those concerns, and also because we are grateful for the work of Living Book Press, we have entered into an additional affiliate program - this time with LBP. On our website, you will see this symbol:  £,  which is a direct link to purchase that title through LBP. When you buy the book that way, AO will also receive a small percentage to help us with the ongoing work of AmblesideOnline. 

We will continue to link to both Amazon and Living Book Press (where applicable), in order to provide our AmblesideOnline family with as many options as we can. 

Folk Songs, term one, 2015/2016 School Year

Around fifteen years ago, AO added folk songs to our curriculum.  At the time, we were about the only CM homeschool curriculum that did.  Of course, that's largely because back then we were about the only CM homeschool curriculum out there.

Some people were and are skeptical about it, but usually, when they give it a try, they find their children really enjoy it, and often the parents do, too.  Folk songs speak to children in a unique way, and they give children the opportunity to participate in this traditional art form by singing the songs themselves.

 Four things you should know about folk music:
1.  Folk music is fun to sing.

2.  There is no one right version. Folk music is created by something called the Folk Process- that is, somebody, somewhere, created a song, perhaps set to music an actual story he knew or just made one up to tell, much the same way somebody started telling the story of The Three Bears, and these things get passed down, and things change over time, and in different locations. You'll find variations all over the place. That's okay.

3.  Some folk music is earthy and bawdy.  Some is macabre and sad.  You don't have to sing those lyrics. (However, I personally think the macabre and sad ones are some of the most enjoyable to sing).

4. Folk music is fun to sing, so sing it, don't just listen to it.

Our folksong lineup for term one of the 2015/16 school year is:

The Bold Grenadier (English, originally, but pretty much every colonial country has a version they claim to own)
On the Road to Gundagai (Australian, distinctly)
Home on the Range (American)

Jeanne has a playlist for you here.  It's for the full year.

I have one for you here- it's currently just for this first term, but I will probably add more later.  I like multiple versions of the same song when I'm learning it and planning to sing it for school, and my playlist reflects that.

If you search Youtube, you will probably find playlists from other AO families as well.

Some of the songs on those playlists do have lyrics, but we also like to provide lyrics to our members when we can.  Here's what we've come up with.

 Here's one version of the lyrics to the Bold Grenadier (also known as One Morning in May or The Brave Volunteer) :

As I was a-walking one morning in May 

I spied a young couple a-making of hay. 

Oh, one was a fair maid, and her beauty shone clear, 

And the other was a soldier, a bold grenadier.

  "Good morning, Good morning, Good morning," said he.

 "Oh, where are you a-going, my pretty lady?" 

"I am going for a walk, by the clear crystal stream, 

To see cool waters glide and hear nightingales sing.:

  They had not been there but an hour or two, 

When out of his knapsack a fiddle he drew 

And the tune that he played made the valleys to ring. 

"Hark! Hark!" cried the lady, "hear the nigntingales sing." 

 Kind soldier, kind soldier, will you marry me? 

Oh no, my sweet lady that never can be,

 I've a good wife at home, in my own country, 

Two wives and the army's too many for me.

  As I was a walking one morning in May, 

I spied a young couple a-making of hay. 

Oh, one was a fair maid and her beauty shone clear;

 And the other was a soldier a bold grenadier. 

 Other versions begin 'one morning, one morning, one morning in May...' I've read that this is typical of the American versions, and the 'a-walking on morning in May' is more typical of those sung in the British Isles.

 Some refer to the brave volunteer rather than the bold grenadier. Both are soldiers, According to Wikipedia, the grenadiers were first established in the 17th century. Chosen from the largest and strongest soldiers, their primary function was throwing grenades. Over time the grenadiers retained their elite status, but were no longer strictly associated with grenade throwing.

 The second folksong for term 1 of this school year is the Australian On the Road to Gungadai- the lyrics are here.

  The third folk song for this first term of the 2015/16 school year is Home on the Range. I think it's kind of interesting that this song and Gundagai express similar sentiments- a nostalgic longing and love for home. There are a lot of lyrics to this one, as with most folk songs. Here are just a few:

 A HOME ON THE RANGE

 OH give me a home where the buffalo roam,
 Where the deer and the antelope play,
 Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
 And the skies are not cloudy all day

Home,  home on the range!
Where the deer and the antelope play.
 Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
 And the skies are not cloudy all day

 Where the air is so pure, the zephyrs so free,
The breezes so balmy and light
 That I would not exchange my home on the range
 For all of the cities so bright

(Chorus)

 How often at night, when the heavens are bright
 With the light from the glittering stars ,
 Have I stood here amazed and asked as I gazed,
 If their glory exceeds that of ours.

   (lyrics selected from those in the 1916 Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads)

Happy singing to you!