Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 09:03:52 +1000
From: Kevin Woodgate 
Subject: m/misc_traditional/the_overlanders.tab



    The Overlanders       Australian Folk Song

Transcribed by K Woodgate

Easy melody Version

The song can be found on records by the Bushwackers, Cobbers, William Clauson
and many other Australian Folk records.


   Am                 C                   Dm               Em
e|------------------|-------------------|-----------------|------------------|
B|------------------|-------------------|-----------------|------------------|
G|------------------|-------------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-2-----2----------|-------------------|-0-----0---0-----|-0--2--2----2-----|
A|----------0-----2-|-3---3----3-----3--|---------------3-|------------------|
E|------------------|-------------------|-----------------|------------------|
  There's a trade you all know well, It's bring-ing the cat-tle o-ver. Now

   Am               C               Dm          Em         C
e|----------------|---------------|------------|--------------|--------------
B|----------------|---------------|------------|--------------|--------------
G|----------------|---------------|------------|--------------|--------------
D|-2--2-----------|-------------2-|-0-0------0-|-2---2---2-2--|-0--2-----3---
A|--------0-----2-|-3---3--3------|------3-----|--------------|--------------
E|----------------|---------------|------------|--------------|--------------
  lis-ten while I  tell to you How I be-came a  drov-er. I want-ed stock for

   G              C              G       Am                 C
e|--------------------|-------------|-----------------|-------------------|
B|--------------------|-------------|-----------------|-------------------|
G|-0-----0------------|----------0--|-0--2------2--2--|-0-----------------|
D|-------------3--2---|-0--2--3-----|-----------------|-----2---2---2-----|
A|--------------------|-------------|-----------------|-------------------|
E|--------------------|-------------|-----------------|-------------------|
  Queens-land, To Kemp-sey I did wan-der Bought a thous-and cat-tle there

       Em                   Am
e|-------------------|-----------------|
B|-------------------|-----------------|
G|-------------------|-----------------|
D|--0----------------|-----------------|
A|-----3----3------2-|-------0------0--|
E|-------------------|-3---------------|
   And then turned o-  ver - land - er.

   CHORUS
   C               G               C                 G             Am
e|---------------|----------------------|------------------|----------------
B|---------------|----------------------|------------------|----------------
G|---------------|-0----0------0--------|-------------0----|-0-----2---2--2-
D|-2---0---2---3-|-----------------2----|-0--2-----3-------|----------------
A|---------------|----------------------|------------------|----------------
E|---------------|----------------------|------------------|----------------
  Pass the bot-tle round boys, and don't you leave it stand there, For
to-night

        C                   Em             Am
e|----------------------|------------|---------------||
B|----------------------|------------|---------------||
G|-0--------------------|------------|---------------||
D|------2-----2---2-----|-0----------|---------------||
A|----------------------|---3--3--2--|-----0----0----||
E|----------------------|------------|-3-------------||
  we'll drink the health of ev-ry o -  ver-land-er

When the cattle were counted
And the outfit ready to start,
I saw the boys all mounted
With their swags thrown in the cart,
All kinds of men I had too
>From France and Spain and Flanders
Lawyers, doctors, good and bad,
In the mob of overlanders.

>From the track I then spread out
Where the grass was green and young,
When a squatter with a curse and shout,
Told me to move along.
I said, 'Come draw it mild man,
And don't you raise my dander
For I'm a regular knowin' card,
A Queensland overlander.'

We move the cattle fifty miles
And make camp for the day,
We talk about the rich folk's life
And true loves far away.
Our tucker isn't fancy
Beef and tea and damper
But wash it down with Queensland rum
It suits the overlander,

Our clothes are getting dirtier
And throats they choke with dust,
We set our tired horses free
And in the dogs we trust.
We gaze into the shimmering haze,
And dream of places grander,
But, come what may, we know we'll stay
The Queensland overlander

I would scorn to prig a shirt,
That all my mates can say
But if we pass a township
Upon a washing day,
The dirty brats of kids would shout,
And quickly raise my dander
Crying, 'Mother dear, take in your clothes,
Here comes the overlander.'

In town we dress ourselves up
And we go and see a play.
We never think of being hard up,
Or how to spend a day,
We steer up to them pretty girls
That dress themselves in grandeur
And while they sweat our cheques, they swear
They love the overlander.