Down by the catching pen the old shearer stands,
Clasping his shears in his thin bony hands,
Fixed is his gaze on a bare bellied yoe,
Glory if he gets her won't he make the ringer go.
~ ~ Chorus ~ ~
Click go the shears boys, click, click, click,
Wide is his blow and his hands move quick,
The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow,
And curses the old snagger with the bare bellied yoe.
In the middle of the floor in his cane bottomed chair,
Sits the boss of the board with his eyes everywhere,
Noting well each fleece as it comes to the screen,
Paying strict attention that it's taken off clean.
~ ~ Chorus ~ ~
Click go the shears boys, click, click, click,
Wide is his blow and his hands move quick,
The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow,
And curses the old snagger with the bare bellied yoe.
The tar-boy is there, waiting on demand,
With his blackened tar pot in his tarry hand,
Sees an old yoe with a cut upon her back,
This is what he's waiting for, "Tar here Jack",
~ ~ Chorus ~ ~
Click go the shears boys, click, click, click,
Wide is his blow and his hands move quick,
The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow,
And curses the old snagger with the bare bellied yoe.
The Colonial Experience Man, he's there of course,
Shining boots and leggings, boys, just off his horse,
Casting round his eyes like a flaming connoisseur,
Shaving cream and brilliantine and smelling like a whore.
~ ~ Chorus ~ ~
Click go the shears boys, click, click, click,
Wide is his blow and his hands move quick,
The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow,
And curses the old snagger with the bare bellied yoe.
Shearing is all over and we've all got our cheques,
Roll up your swags boys, we're off along the track
The first pub we come to we'll have a spree,
And everyone that comes along it's, "Have a drink with me".
~ ~ Chorus ~ ~
Click go the shears boys, click, click, click,
Wide is his blow and his hands move quick,
The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow,
And curses the old snagger with the bare bellied yoe.
Down in the bar, the old shearer stands,
Grasping his glass in his thin bony hands,
Fixes his gaze on a green painted keg,
Glory, he'll get down on it before he stirs a leg.
~ ~ Chorus ~ ~
Click go the shears boys, click, click, click,
Wide is his blow and his hands move quick,
The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow,
And curses the old snagger with the bare bellied yoe.
There we leave him, shouting for all hands,
While all around him the other shearers stand,
His eyes are on the keg which now is lowering fast,
He works hard, he drinks hard and he goes to hell at last.
~ ~ Chorus ~ ~
Click go the shears boys, click, click, click,
Wide is his blow and his hands move quick,
The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow,
And curses the old snagger with the bare bellied yoe.
This ballad really is sung and not read. The music playing is the traditional tune for this ballad.
This poem / ballad is a traditional Australian tune although my book that has it does not show it's Author. Shearers played (and still do) a major role in opening up Australia's wool exports to the world, and until the mechanical shears were introduced all shearing was done with hand shears. One can only image the strength in the hands of the old shearers as they used the shears all day.
The main image is an old photograph of a shearing shed in the 1890's when shearing was done by hand shears like the ones shown using only hand shears.
An interesting highlight of those days was Jackie Howe (John Robert Howe) 1861-1920, who using only hand shears shore a total of 321 sheep in 7 hours 40 minutes at "Alice Downs" Blackall, Queensland on Monday 10 October 1892. It was a world record which was not beaten until 1950 a long time after mechanical shears were introduced. The blue singlet still favoured by many Australian men especially those that work on the land is known to this day as the "Jackie Howe Singlet."
For Non ~ Australians
"Yoe" = Ewe, or female sheep.
"Ringer" ~ There are two meanings for the word "Ringer" in Australia, In this instance it refers to the person is the best or fastest shearer in the shed.
""Beaten by a blow" ~ only just beaten, but non the less beaten.
"The old snagger with the bare bellied yoe" ~ The lucky shearer who drew a ewe with little or no wool on the belly therefore making it a lot quicker to shear her.
"The boss of the board" ~ The person in charge, or overall boss.
"Tar-boy" ~ A young lad, who simply has a bucket of melted tar and brush to brush onto any accidental cuts made on the sheep to stop bleeding.
"Colonial Experience Man" ~ A colonist, but not a convict or former convict. One of the aristocracy and usually the land owner.
"Flaming" ~ In this context, a very, very mild expletive.
"Brilliantine" ~ A brand of hair oil which was very popular up until the 1960's.
"Swag" ~ Bedroll and all your possessions. Many shearers moved from one property to the next, with breaks in between where they would spend the last pay check at some hotel (pub) and then move on.
"Stirs a leg" ~ Moves on to the next shearing shed.
"Shouting" ~ To shout in a bar in Australia is to pay for someone's drink.
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Main Image, Backgrounds, Borders And Divider By
Dark Blue Knight
Tubes Used Are From Sharing Group
Original Artist Unknown
Music Playing Is
"Click Go The Shears"
Traditional Australian Music Played For Your Listeniong Pleasure Only
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