Clancy Of The Overflow-John Schumann

[ti:Clancy Of The Overflow] [ar:John Schumann] [al:True Believers] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]Clancy Of The Overflow - John Schumann [00:17.50]I had written him a letter which I had [00:21.64]For want of better [00:23.22]Knowledge sent to where [00:25.39]I met him down the Lachlan years ago [00:28.64] [00:31.00]He was shearing when I knew him [00:33.10] [00:33.94]So I sent the letter to him [00:36.57]Just on spec addressed as follows [00:39.17] [00:39.80]Clancy of the overflow [00:41.91] [00:44.18]And an answer came directed [00:46.41] [00:47.13]In a writing unexpected [00:49.79]And I think the same was written [00:52.25] [00:53.04]With a thumbnail dipped in tar [00:55.40] [00:57.59]His shearing mate who wrote [00:59.63] [01:00.42]Verbatim I will quote it [01:03.00]Clancy's gone to queensland droving [01:05.60] [01:06.37]And we don't know where he are [01:08.51] [01:10.78]In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of clancy [01:16.01] [01:16.70]Gone a droving down the cooper [01:18.74] [01:19.56]Where the western drovers go [01:21.81] [01:24.09]As the stock are slowly stringing [01:26.61]Clancy rides behind them singing [01:29.19] [01:29.94]For the drover's life has pleasures [01:32.16] [01:32.94]That the townsfolk never know [01:34.97] [01:40.23]And the bush hath friends to meet him [01:42.45] [01:43.11]And their kindly voices greet him [01:45.28] [01:46.13]In the murmur of the breezes [01:48.29] [01:49.07]And the river on it's bars [01:51.43] [01:53.53]And he sees the vision splendid [01:55.62] [01:56.42]Of the sunlit plains extended [01:59.00]And at night the wondrous glory [02:01.60] [02:02.35]Of the everlasting stars [02:04.53] [02:24.24]I am sitting in my dingy little office where a stingy [02:29.81]Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down [02:33.55]Between the houses tall [02:35.32] [02:37.67]And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty dirty city [02:42.70] [02:43.54]Through the open window floating [02:45.69] [02:46.36]Spreads it's foulness over all [02:48.33] [02:50.61]And in place of lowing cattle [02:53.07] [02:53.85]I can hear the fiendish rattle [02:56.16] [02:56.85]Of the tramways and the buses [02:59.08] [02:59.69]Making hurry down the street [03:01.86] [03:04.20]And the language uninviting [03:06.30] [03:07.10]Of the gutter children fighting [03:09.21] [03:10.07]Comes fitfully and faintly [03:12.43] [03:13.06]Through the ceaseless tramp of feet [03:15.21] [03:20.31]And the hurrying people daunt me [03:22.55] [03:23.31]Their pallid faces haunt me [03:25.50] [03:26.07]As they shoulder one another [03:28.14] [03:29.03]In their rush and nervous haste [03:31.61] [03:33.66]With their eager eyes and greedy [03:35.76] [03:36.66]Their stunted forms and weedy [03:38.69] [03:39.72]Townsfolk have no time to grow [03:42.14] [03:42.87]Have no time to waste [03:44.62] [03:49.82]And I'd somehow rather fancy [03:51.97] [03:52.74]That I'd like to change with clancy [03:54.88] [03:56.06]The take turn at droving [03:57.79] [03:58.67]Where the seasons come and go [04:00.79] [04:03.13]While he faced the round eternal [04:05.09] [04:05.98]Of the cashbook and the journal [04:08.60]Yeah I'd doubt he'd suit the office [04:11.02] [04:11.84]Clancy of the overflow