Lyrics

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 gallons 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 came much too soon; At evening, at morning, 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 got, Jim, just hand me the first." Now, it ain't in the history, it ain't put in print But Bluey drank acid with never a wink Saying, "That's the stuff, Jimmy, why, strike me stone dead This'll make me the ringer of Stevenson'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 anxious to fight Seeing the shearer a corpse in his fright Now early next morning he opened the door And along came the shearer asking for more; With his eyebrows all singed and his whiskers deranged And holes in his 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 this stuff set my 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 And every cough sets my whiskers on fire."