“The Old Bark Hut”

Description

The singer, whose name varies, relates, "I once was well to do, but now I am stumped up, And I'm forced to go on rations in an old bark hut." There follows a list of the ways the singer makes do or tolerates the poor conditions

Notes

This is sort of the Australian version of "The Old Chisholm Trail," with nearly infinite verses. Henry Lawson reports riding on a train from Bourke to Sydney with a band of shearers, who sang the song the whole time without repeating a verse. - RBW

References

  1. Meredith/Anderson, pp. 105-106, "The Old Bark Hut" (1 text, 1 tune)
  2. Fahey-Eureka, pp. 126-127, "The Old Bark Hut" (1 text, 1 tune)
  3. Paterson/Fahey/Seal, pp. 298-302, "The Old Bark Hut" (1 text)
  4. Manifold-PASB, pp. 87-89, "The Old Bark Hut" (1 text, 2 tunes)
  5. Meredith/Covell/Brown, pp. 133-134, 290-291, "The Old Bark Hut" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
  6. BI, MA105

About

Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1905 (Paterson's _Old Bush Songs_)
Keywords: poverty hardtimes
Found in: Australia