Digital Tradition Mirror

Nine Miles From Gundagai

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Nine Miles From Gundagai

    G                                                  C
I'm used to drivin' bullock teams across the hills and plains
      C                    D7                             G
I've teamed outback these forty years in blazin' droughts and rains
      G                                                  C
I've lived a heap of troubles through, without a bloomin' lie
       C                 D7                          G
But I can't forget what happened me nine miles from Gundagai

"Twas gettin' dark, the team got bogged, the axle snapped in two
I lost me matches and me pipe, now what was I to do?
The rains come down, 'twas bitter cold, and hungry too was I
And the dog shat in the tucker-box nine miles from Gundagai

Some blokes I know has all the luck no matter how they fall
But there was I, Lord love a duck, no flamin' luck at all
I couldn't make a pot of tea nor keep me trousers dry
And the dog shat in the tucker-box nine miles from Gundagai

I could forgive the blinkin' tea, I could forgive the rain
I could forgive the dark and cold, and go through it again
I could forgive me rotten luck, but hang me till I die
I won't forgive that bloody dog nine miles from Gundagai

Note: Not a parody. There is an (apocryphal?) story
attached to the song. It could never be printed as it was sung,
because of Australian prudes or "wowsers", so it was often
printed that the dog "sat" in (or on) the tuckerbox.  Because the
song thus became nonsense (and whoever heard of having a drover's
dog, the wildest and fiercest around, guard food?) a legend
sprang up to "explain" the song: a drover had been passing
through Gundagai with his trusty dog and had been called away on
an errand; so he left the dog in charge of his tuckerbox.  He
never came back, or was killed, but the dog stayed, faithful unto
death, never letting anyone near the box, until its own death.
This faithful dog allegedly has his own statue in Gundagai
commemorating his deed! JB

Note on note: I've heard this story. I've also heard that this is a
parody of Road to Gundagai (GUNDAGI2). Anybody know for sure? RG

From Michael Cooney
RPf

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!