There is a famous Australian folk song composed in 1891 and titled,
"Click Go The Shears". It tells the story of an incident in a sheep
shearing shed where the "ringer" (fastest shearer in the shed) is beaten
by the "snagger" (the oldest shearer in the shed) when the snagger was
lucky enough to get the "bare bellied ewe" (which is often mistakenly
called the "bare bellied joe" and in some versions the "blue bellied
joe"). Anyway the snagger gets the bare bellied ewe and, because it has
no wool on its belly, he saves himself a few seconds of shearing time
and manages to beat the ringer by a single "blow" (of the shears).
I've
always thought it was the most Australian song ever written - until
tonight - when I came across an American folk song composed in 1865 and
titled "Ring The Bell Watchman". Both songs are posted below and if you
listen to them you will understand why my memories have been shattered: my
favourite Australian folk song is nothing more than a rip-off of an
American original !
Click Go The Shears (Australia 1891)
Original video here
Ring The Bell Watchman (America 1865)
Original video here
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