The Stockman's Lament

Words:  Stuart Marshall 
Tune:  Norbert Schulze (Lilli Marleen)




Down beside the mail-box, near the station gate,
Every wintry night, so patiently I wait,
And there in the darkness, cold and blue,
I stand until the mail comes through,
I'm waiting for my trousers, they're so long overdue.

At last the truck comes thund'ring along the dusty road,
The driver climbs down from it and opens up his load,
He throws down parcels big and small,
I carefully check them one and all,
But no, there is no trousers, there's nothing there at all.

When the mail's departed, roaring through the night,
I sadly wend off homeward -  a sorry looking sight,
The wind whistles through my pants forlorn,
Through gaps and rents where they've been torn,
I feel so cold and naked I wish I wasn't born.

Perhaps some day you'll send them - I hope it's not too late,
To save me from the breakdown that soon will be my fate,
I'm slowly sinking to despair,
I'm losing handfuls of my hair,
If they don't soon arrive here, my backside will be bare.



Sent to Ron Edwards by Stuart Marshall in 1968 with the following note:

To be sung to the tune of "Lilli Marlene." In the days of material and fuel shortages this was posted to one of Australia's best-known mail order houses.


I've assumed that Stuart was the writer of the lyrics.  The original German song (Lilli Marleen) was set to its well-known tune in 1938.