Clancy Of The Overflow

G C G I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better C G D Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago, C G He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him, D C G Just ‘on spec’, addressed as follows, ‘Clancy, of The Overflow’. G C G And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected, C G D (And I think the same was written with a thumb-nail dipped in tar) C G ’Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it: D C G ‘Clancy’s gone to Queensland droving, and we don’t know where he are.’ G C G In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy C G D Gone a-droving ‘down the Cooper’ where the Western drovers go; C G As the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing, D C G For the drover’s life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know. G C G And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him C G D In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars, C G And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended, D C G And at night the wond’rous glory of the everlasting stars. G C G I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingy C G D Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall, C G And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city D C G Through the open window floating, spreads its foulness over all G C G And in place of lowing cattle, I can hear the fiendish rattle C G D Of the tramways and the ‘buses making hurry down the street, C G And the language uninviting of the gutter children fighting, D C G Comes fitfully and faintly through the ceaseless tramp of feet. G C G And the hurrying people daunt me, and their pallid faces haunt me C G D As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste, C G With their eager eyes and greedy, and their stunted forms and weedy, D C G For townsfolk have no time to grow, they have no time to waste. G C G And I somehow rather fancy that I’d like to change with Clancy, C G D Like to take a turn at droving where the seasons come and go, C G While he faced the round eternal of the cash-book and the journal... D C G But I doubt he’d suit the office, Clancy, of ‘The Overflow’