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about

Published in 1922, this is Henry Lawson’s last poem. Although he loved the Australian bush, Lawson spent his final years around the suburbs of Sydney. Lawson was born on the goldfields at Grenfell (NSW) in 1867, and was buried in a state funeral at Waverley Cemetery in Sydney in 1922.

Melody by jazz musician Ade Monsbourgh (1917 – 2006) as sung by Shirley Jacobs (1927 – 2015) on “A voice from the city : a tribute to Henry Lawson.” (1972)

Viola by Mikhail Bugaev.

lyrics

On The Night Train (1922)
by Henry Lawson (1867 – 1922)
-----------------------------------------------------------
[ V.1 ]
Have you seen the bush by moonlight, from the train, go running by ?
Blackened log and stump and sapling, ghostly trees all dead and dry ;
Here a patch of glassy water; there a glimpse of mystic sky ?
Have you heard the still voice calling — yet so warm, and yet so cold :
" I'm the Mother-Bush that bore you ! Come to me when you are old " ?
------------------------------------------------------------
[ V.2 ]
Did you see the Bush below you sweeping darkly to the Range,
All unchanged and all unchanging, yet so very old and strange !
While you thought in softened anger of the things that did estrange ?
( Did you hear the Bush a-calling, when your heart was young and bold :
" I'm the Mother-bush that nursed you ; Come to me when you are old " ? )
-------------------------------------------------------------
[ V.3 ]
In the cutting or the tunnel, out of sight of stock or shed,
Did you hear the grey Bush calling from the pine-ridge overhead :
" You have seen the seas and cities — all is cold to you, or dead —
All seems done and all seems told, but the grey-light turns to gold !
I'm the Mother-Bush that loves you — come to me now you are old " ?

=============================================

credits

from Henry Lawson (the poet in song) Vol​.​3, track released April 10, 2021
Melody by jazz musician Ade Monsbourgh. Viola by Mikhail Bugaev.

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The Queensland Tiger

The Queensland Tiger covers traditional Australian ballads mainly from 19C.: e.g. Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson, Breaker Morant, Charles Thatcher, etc…. true to the original works.
website : www.thequeenslandtiger.com or Youtube channel : The Queensland Tiger ... more

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