Tram, Tram, Tram

Words: Unknown
Tune: George F Root (Tramp, Tramp, Tramp)



As we speed upon our way,
With our motors puffing gay,
We cheerily and deftly glide along;
And. we clear the course, you bet,
For we make the people "get,"
While this is still the burden of their song :—

Chorus: Tram, tram, tram the cars are coming;
Shriek, puff, jingle through the street;
And the motto, ' Save who can,' yells each bold equestri-an,
Each cart or carriage-driver that they meet.

When we make our whistle screech,
Folks for mercy may beseech,
As with speed of Derby-winners off they go ,
For their steeds we stimulate
To a pace would win a Plate,
And our metal fires the slowest of the slow! .

Chorus: Tram, tram, tram. etc

Now the circuses must fail
To draw box-ites or canaille—
They never can our gratis show surpass;
Every sawdust 'daring feat'
Is outrivalled in the street;
While to watch the riders antics beats a farce !

How our lungs we do exert
When we tumble in the dirt
Some fat old party climbing on a car ;
As he sprawls upon his back
Sure 'tis merry sport, good lack!
'Which our lively sense of humour cannot mar.

Folks may growl about the dust,
But then stir it up we must;
Whilst from smoke-stacks showers of burning ashes fly ;
How it makes a fellow prance,
An impromptu ' break-down' dance,
When he gets a fiery cinder in the eye!

Chorus: Tram, tram, tram. etc

Those who want to save their time
Don't admit our speed is prime ;
But of elegance and ease in praise we talk;
Time is made but for a slave,
So if that you want to save,
Why, hail the nearest omnibus, or—walk !

Chorus : Tram, tram, tram, etc

Our passengers we squeeze,
Little reckoning for their ease,
As we jam them helter-skelter, great and small;
Those who cannot sit may stand;
And tho' amusement waxes grand
When with sudden jerk we cause a headlong sprawl!

Chorus: Tram, tram, tram etc.

Sometimes—'tis true, alas !
That sometimes the trams must come to pass
And grim death, with scythe and hour-glass takes a hand;
With the 'Crowner' and his 'quest,
O'er the victim sent to rest
By this fiery Demon shrieking o'er the land !

Chorus: Than Tram, Tram, Tram,
The cars are coming
Shriek, puff, jingle through the street,
And the motto, “Save who can”, yells each bold equestrian,
Each cart or carriage-driver that they meet!


This magnificent parody of Tramp, Tramp, Tramp:The Prisoners' Hope is to be found on Warren Fahey's Australian Folklore Unit site. The original song was written in 1864 "to give hope to Unionist prisoners of war".