“The Australian Stockman” is the traditional Australian song, but the composer of the song was unknown.
What the words mean
- Goburra ~ an old form of the word kookaburra which is an Australian bird
See also Stockman’s Last Bed
The Stockman • Dying Stockman
The sun peers o’er you wooded ridge and thro’ the forest dense,
Its golden edge o’er the mountain ledge looks down on the stockyard
fence,
Looks down, looks down, looks down on the stockyard fence;
And dark creeks rush thro’ the tangled brush, when their shuddering
shadows throng
Until they chime in the rude rough rhyme of the wild goburra’s song.
Till they chime, ha! ha! till they chime, ha! ha! in the wild
goburra’s song;
Till they chime, ha! ha! till they chime, ha! ha! in the wild
goburra’s song.
The night owl to her home hath fled, to shun the glorious pomp
Of golden day she speeds away to her nest in the tea-tree swamp;
Away, away to her nest in the tea-tree swamp.
The dingo looks with a timid stare as he stealthily prowls along,
And his pattering feet in concert beat with the wild goburra’s song.
Till they chime, ha! ha! till they chime, ha! ha! in the wild
goburra’s song;
Till they chime, ha! ha! till they chime, ha! ha! in the wild
goburra’s song.
Oh! let them boast their city’s wealth, who toil in a dusty town;
Give me the beam on the mountain stream, and the range’s
dark-faced frown —
The stream, the stream, and the range’s dark-faced frown.
When our steed shall pass o’er the quiv’ring grass, and the crack
of the sounding thong
Shall bid the startled echoes join the wild goburra’s song.
Till they chime, ha! ha! till they chime, ha! ha! in the wild
goburra’s song;
Till they chime, ha! ha! till they chime, ha! ha! in the wild
goburra’s song.