Author: Banjo Paterson (Andrew Barton)

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         (Air: The Bonnie Irish Boy.)


    Come now, ye sighing washers all,
        Join in my doleful lay,
    Mourn for the times none can recall,
        With hearts to grief a prey.
    Well mourn the washers sad downfall
        In our regretful strain,
    Lamenting on the days gone by
        Neer to return again.

    When first I went a-washing sheep
        The year was sixty-one,
    The master was a worker then,
        The servant was a man;
    But now the squatters, puffed with pride,
        They treat us with disdain;
    Lament the days that are gone by
        Neer to return again.

    From sixty-one to sixty-six,
        The bushman, stout and strong,
    Would smoke his pipe and whistle his tune,
        And sing his cheerful song,
    As wanton as the kangaroo
        That bounds across the plain.
    Lament the days that are gone by
        Neer to return again.

    Supplies of food unstinted, good,
        No squatter did withhold.
    With plenty grog to cheer our hearts,
        We feared nor heat nor cold.
    With six-and-six per man per day
        We sought not to complain.
    Lament the days that are gone by
        Neer to return again.

    With perfect health, a mine of wealth,
        Our days seemed short and sweet,
    On pleasure bent our evenings spent,
        Enjoyment was complete.
    But now we toil from morn till night,
        Though much against the grain,
    Lamenting on the days gone by,
        Neer to return again.

    I once could boast two noble steeds,
        To bear me on my way,
    My good revolver in my belt,
        I never knew dismay.
    But lonely now I hump my drum
        In sunshine and in rain,
    Lamenting on the days gone by
        Neer to return again.

    A worthy cheque I always earned,
        And spent it like a lord.
    My dress a princes form would grace.
        And spells I could afford.
    But now in tattered rags arrayed,
        My limbs they ache with pain,
    Lamenting on the days gone by,
        Neer to return again.

    May bushmen all in unity
        Combine with heart and hand,
    May cursed cringing poverty
        Be banished from the land.
    In Queensland may prosperity
        In regal glory reign,
    And washers in the time to come
        Their vanished rights regain.

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Type of Poem: Ballad

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: The poem is a narrative lamentation that centers around the themes of nostalgia, change, and loss. The speaker, presumably a washer or a worker of some kind, reminisces about the past and mourns the passing of what they perceive as better times. The poem is steeped in a tone of melancholy and regret, with the repeated refrain, "Lament the days that are gone by / Ne'er to return again," amplifying this sense of sorrow and longing for a bygone era.

The structure of the poem, with its regular rhyme scheme, repetitive refrains, and traditional stanza form, gives the piece a rhythmic, song-like quality. This is fitting, as the subtitle indicates that it should be read to the tune of "The Bonnie Irish Boy." It employs the use of vivid imagery, such as the "wanton kangaroo" and the "noble steeds," which paint a picture of a vibrant past full of life and freedom. The contrast between this past and the current state of hardship and drudgery is stark, making the poem's lamentation all the more poignant. The poem culminates in a call to action, urging unity among workers in the face of adversity, and a hope for a return to prosperity. This adds a layer of resilience and determination to the overall melancholic tone.