Bluey Brink from Mice Tough by Miguel Heatwole

There once was a shearer, by name Bluey Brink
A bugger for work and the devil could drink
He could shear his two hundred a day without fear
Drink without winkin' four gallons of beer

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

One mornin' as Jimmy was cleanin' the bar
With sulphuric acid he kept in a jar
Bluey come yellin' and bawlin' with thirst
"Whatever you've got Jim, just give to me first!"

Now this aint down in history, you wont find it in print
But that shearer drank acid with never a wink
Sayin' "That's the stuff Jimmy! Why strike me stone dead
This'll make me the ringer of Stephenson's shed!"

Now all through the long day as he serves out the beer
Jimmy is sick with his trouble and fear
Too anxious to argue, too worried to fight
Seein' that shearer a corpse in his fright

But next mornin' as Jimmy is openin' the bar
Along come that shearer askin' for more
With his eyebrows all singed and his whiskers deranged
Holes in his hide like a dog with the mange

Says Jimmy: "And how did you like 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
That stuff that you gave me was proper and strong
It set me to coughin' and you know I'm no liar
And every damn cough set me whiskers on fire!

• Folk
• acappella
• aussie bush
• bush music
• choral
• drinking
• environment
• folk song
• political
• shearers
• traditional
• traditional Australian
• traditional folk
• Sydney