Bluey Brink

Unknown



There once was a shearer by name Bluey Brink
A devil for work and a devil for drink
He could shear his two hundred a day without fear
And drink without winking four gallon of beer

Now Jimmy the barman who served out the drink
He hated the sight of this here Bluey Brink
Who stayed much too late and who come much too soon
At evening, at mornin, at night and at noon

One morning as Jimmy was cleaning the bar
With sulphuric acid he kept in a jar
Old Bluey came yelling and bawling with thirst
Whatever you've got Jim just hand me the first

Now it aint in the history, it ain't put in print
But Bluey drunk acid with never a wink
Saying that's the stuff Jimmy, well strike me stone dead
This'll make me the ringer of Stephenson's shed

Now all that long day as he served out the beer
Poor Jimmy was sick with his trouble and fear
Too worried to argue too worried to fight
Seeing the shearer a corpse in his fright

Now early next morning, he opened the door
And along come the shearer, asking for more
With his eyebrows all singed and his whiskers deranged
And holes in hide hide like a dog with the mange.

Says Jimmy and how did you find the new stuff?
Says Bluey it's fine but I've not had enough
It gives me great courage to shear and to fight
But why does that stuff set me whiskers alight?

I thought I knew drink, but I must have been wrong
For what you just give me was proper and strong
It set me to coughing and you know I'm no liar
But every cough set me whiskers on fire


Another collected by AL Lloyd, this time from Across the Western Plains (1958).