Billy Barlow In Australia Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AA BBCCCCDDEECCFFCCCCGG HHCC IICCCCIIJJCCKKCCCC LMJJCCJJNNCCJJCCCCOP CCCCQQLLCCRSCCCCHHTU CCVVCCCCWWXXCCA | |
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When I was at home I was down on my luck | B |
And I earned a poor living by drawing a truck | B |
But old aunt died and left me a thousand Oh oh | C |
I'll start on my travels said Billy Barlow | C |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
So off to Australia came Billy Barlow | C |
When to Sydney I got there a merchant I met | D |
Who said he would teach me a fortune to get | D |
He'd cattle and sheep past the colony's bounds | E |
Which he sold with the station for my thousand pounds | E |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
He gammon'd the cash out of Billy Barlow | C |
When the bargain was struck and the money was paid | F |
He said My dear fellow your fortune is made | F |
I can furnish supplies for the station you know | C |
And your bill is sufficient good Mr Barlow | C |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
A gentleman settler was Billy Barlow | C |
So I got my supplies and I gave him my bill | G |
And for New England started my pockets to fill | G |
But by bushrangers met with my traps they made free | H |
Took my horse and left Billy bailed to a tree | H |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
I shall die of starvation thought Billy Barlow | C |
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At last I got loose and I walked on my way | I |
A constable came up and to me did say | I |
Are you free Says I Yes to be sure don't you know | C |
And I handed my card Mr William Barlow | C |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
He said That's all gammon to Billy Barlow | C |
Then he put on the handcuffs and brought me away | I |
Right back down to Maitland before Mr Day | I |
When I said I was free why the J P replied | J |
I must send you down to be i dentified | J |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
So to Sydney once more went poor Billy Barlow | C |
They at last let me go and I then did repair | K |
For my station once more and at length I got there | K |
But a few days before the blacks you must know | C |
Had spear'd all the cattle of Billy Barlow | C |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
It's a beautiful country said Billy Barlow | C |
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And for nine months before no rain there had been | L |
So the devil a blade of grass could be seen | M |
And one third of my wethers the scab they had got | J |
And the other two thirds had just died of the rot | J |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
I shall soon be a settler said Billy Barlow | C |
And the matter to mend now my bill was near due | J |
So I wrote to my friend and just asked to renew | J |
He replied he was sorry he couldn't because | N |
The bill had passed into a usurer's claws | N |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
But perhaps he'll renew it said Billy Barlow | C |
I applied to renew he was quite content | J |
If secured and allowed just three hundred per cent | J |
But as I couldn't do Barr Rodgers and Co | C |
Soon sent up a summons for Billy Barlow | C |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
They soon settled the business of Billy Barlow | C |
For a month or six weeks I stewed over my loss | O |
And a tall man rode up one day on a black horse | P |
He asked Don't you know me I answered him No | C |
Why said he my name's Kinsmill how are you Barlow | C |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
He'd got a fi fa for poor Billy Barlow | C |
What I'd left of my sheep and my traps he did seize | Q |
And he said They won't pay all the costs and my fees | Q |
Then he sold off the lot and I'm sure 'twas a sin | L |
At sixpence a head and the station giv'n in | L |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
I'll go back to England said Billy Barlow | C |
My sheep being sold and my money all gone | R |
Oh I wandered about then quite sad and forlorn | S |
How I managed to live it would shock you to know | C |
And as thin as a lath got poor Billy Barlow | C |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
Quite down on his luck was poor Billy Barlow | C |
And in a few weeks more the sheriff you see | H |
Sent the tall man on horseback once more unto me | H |
Having got all he could by the writ of fi fa | T |
By way of a change he'd brought up a ca sa | U |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
He seized on the body of Billy Barlow | C |
He took me to Sydney and there they did lock | V |
Poor unfortunate Billy fast under the clock | V |
And to get myself out I was forced you must know | C |
The schedule to file of poor Billy Barlow | C |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
In the list of insolvents was Billy Barlow | C |
Then once more I got free but in poverty's toil | W |
I've no cattle for salting no sheep for to boil | W |
I can't get a job though to any I'd stoop | X |
If it was only the making of portable soup | X |
Oh dear lackaday oh | C |
Pray give some employment to Billy Barlow | C |
Banjo Paterson
(1)
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