An Australian Folk Song A Day: Cane Killed Abel

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Cane Killed Abel

Words: Merv Lilley
Tune: Chris Kempster

I was a cane cutter, but now I'm at sea,
Stool it, and top it, and load it my boys
Once cane killed Abel, but it won't kill me,
Stool it, and top it, and load it my boys

There was an old seaman who sang this refrain,
He stood to the bar and he filled up again.

I rose every morning about half past three,
To cook me my breakfast, my dinner and tea.

I worked very hard until I went to sea,
Once cane killed Abel, and it almost killed me.

Mark Gregory's Union Songs site has the refrains as "load it up high" and "Load it up wet and load it up dry". This version from Singabout, Volume 1, Number 1, Summer, 1956.

You can watch a short film, Cane-cutting and Mateship on the National Film and Sound Archive website.

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The Idea

This blog was inspired by John Boden's "Folk Song A Day" blog, featuring mostly unaccompanied renditions of English folk songs.

I thought that Australia Day was a good time to start an Australian version*. While some of the songs will be previously-recorded songs, most will be recorded for this blog. I plan to use a variety of arrangement styles and recording approaches. While I will attempt to record versions of these songs which are pleasant to listen to, this is more of an archiving project than a recording venture.

I'm hoping that this will be a site where new and old songs can be gathered and where the visitors to the site will share in the rich history and texture of the lovely conglomeration that is Australian traditional song.

*Australia Day is January 26. My blog accounts time was set to UK time when I started the blog. This explains why the first entry is now marked January 27. Changing the time in February is also the reason there are 29 entries for February. You can't have too much of a good thing!