Clancy of the Overflow-Barry Ryan

[ti:Clancy of the Overflow] [ar:Barry Ryan] [al:Orchestral Songs of Australia] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]Clancy of the Overflow - Barry Ryan [00:53.57]I had written him a letter which I had for want of better [00:59.90]Knowledge sent to where I met him down the Lachlan years ago [01:05.62] [01:06.29]He was shearing when I knew him so I sent the letter to him [01:12.22]Just on spec addressed as follows [01:15.34]Clancy of The Overflow [01:18.72] [01:29.23]And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected [01:35.02] [01:35.96]And I think the same was written in a thumbnail dipped in tar [01:41.45] [01:42.01]'Twas his shearing mate who wrote it and verbatim I will quote it: [01:47.86]Clancy's gone to Queensland droving and we don't know where he are [01:54.80] [01:55.58]In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy [02:01.62] [02:02.16]Gone a-droving down the Cooper where the western drovers go; [02:08.14]As the stock are slowly stringing [02:11.08]Clancy rides behind them singing [02:13.97] [02:14.64]For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know [02:19.88] [02:20.75]And the bush hath friends to meet him and their kindly voices greet him [02:26.87]In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars [02:33.07]And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended [02:39.01] [02:39.61]And at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars [02:46.54] [02:56.42]I am sitting in my dingy little office where a stingy [03:01.40]Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall [03:06.75]And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty dirty city [03:11.70]Through the open window floating spreads its foulness over all [03:16.18]And in place of lowing cattle I can hear the fiendish rattle [03:21.35]Of the tramways and the buses making hurry down the street [03:26.28]And the language uninviting of the gutter children fighting [03:31.15]Comes fitfully and faintly through the ceaseless tramp of feet [03:36.04]And the hurrying people daunt me and their pallid faces haunt me [03:40.65]As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste [03:45.64]With their eager eyes and greedy and their stunted forms and weedy [03:50.43] [03:51.03]For townsfolk have no time to grow they have no time to waste [03:56.84] [04:02.87]And I somehow rather fancy that I'd like to change with Clancy [04:08.87] [04:09.41]Like to take a turn at droving where the seasons come and go [04:14.54] [04:15.30]While he faced the round eternal of the cashbook and the journal [04:20.96] [04:21.62]But I doubt he'd suit the office Clancy of [04:25.60]The overflow [04:28.43]And the bush hath friends to meet him and their kindly voices greet him [04:35.31]In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars [04:41.26]And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended [04:46.92] [04:47.43]And at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars