SECTION 14: City Life - SongsA song about the wickedness of the big city and Sydney in particular. Such songs are usually from the country girls' perspective but not this one.
This ditty comes from around the Great Depression. James Hogue was the local member. Compare this with the 'Vote Vote for Billy Mahoney' as collected from George Fahey.
The introduction of kerosene lighting caused quite a stir right across Australia. This song, an Adelaide one, discusses the fight at Council level. It is obviously quite parochial in context however it does offer light (no pun intended) on this argument on illumination. My sense of humour was tickled by the suggested tune.
This next song is a song in praise of the new Queen Victoria.-Typical 'brown nosing' of the era.
There was a time when the fashionable would promenade regularly around 'The Block' in Melbourne's CBD.
There's probably nothing as frightening as biting into a bad meat pie which reminds me of the urban folk joke; "what's worse that finding a mouse in your pie?" "Finding half a mouse."
The Captain Cook Hotel is situated near Sydney's old Paddy's Markets in the Darling Harbour area.
HERE IS A COMIC SONG in music hall style that seems to be more like a recitation. It deals with the seemingly age-old comparison between Sydney and Melbourne. Politics also rears its ugly head with a hearty serve to premiers Bent and Wade.
The last verse of the next song must have later raised a laugh since the Governor, Lord Beauchamp, was a notorious homosexual.
I suspect this is a song about the street larrikins of Sydney. It also refers to the Haymarket, a popular hang-out for the early larrikins. 'Act on the square' was a popular term for being honest and true.
Here's a gold digger's lament that expresses the frustration of seeking the elusive yellow metal. It was a common story and one that miners related to in song. Who was Barry O'Neil?
Obviously this was the origin of the bush skite song that entered the Australia bush tradition. A fascinating song journey from London city swell to boastful Lachlan River shearer. Interesting to see how the words got twisted around and around and back again. Of course, the most important aspect is that this song travelled the bush. I collected a bush version in 1973 from Joe Watson (refer his AFU file).
This song quite possibly came out of the Great Fire at Anthony Horderns in 1901. It was accompanied with a note that readers could send for the 'beautiful set of 18 coloured slides of this great hit, for sale or hire'.
This one, obviously topical at the time, included the note "music from Fred Salier, Haymarket, Sydney" plus words by Alf Gray.
Here's a piece of Sydney melodrama based around its most popular market. The reference to 'jew' is racist however it was not necessarily seen so at the turn of the nineteenth century and even jewish performers used the word freely. The spoken section at the end is now ridiculous but this too was acceptable at the time.
This song is truly awful. Sentimental crap but included here because it concerns Sydney's electricity which was connected in 1904.
Now this is a peculiar piece of Sydney's social history. In the 1840s the mayor of Sydney decided to host an annual fancy dress ball. It became the subject of many songs, poems and stories and especially who was invited and what they wore. The uninvited list also received as much media attention.
The following item is obviously WW1. A 'chrome' was a tart and 'stony' is broke, as in no money.
My friend Frankie Davidson, the singer, reveals that this canticle on Sydney's Cross was, in fact, recorded in Melbourne in April 1963. For the benefit of those who had not been to see Kings Cross pre-decimalisation, a "con man's swy" is a double-headed penny used for two-up, a "tenner" is ten pounds and a "zack" is sixpence. Another glimpse of the old Cross is given in the words originally intended for verse two — "Or you could try the Chew and Chunder, you get three courses for a quid". The Chew and Chunder was the name given by patrons with affection, if not complete accuracy, to the worst eating spot in town. [- WF]
Fragment from 'City of Sydney Story of its Growth' by J Barry and pub 1902. When he eats oranges he'll hand you out the pips They'll grow if you plant 'em says Governor Gipps In 1891. Convict song. Port Arthur Across the weary length of earth And many a wide, wide sea My soul springs back at one swift bound My native land to thee.
Tivoli Songster 1901 Manly for oysters Balmain for shams Woolloomooloo for big feet Waterloo for dams.
This type of sentimental song was typical of the early music hall and interesting because of its references to Sydney landmarks such as Paddington's Oxford Street and the GPO (General Post Office)
Boarding House Sydney boarding-house rhyme 1877 the aust Jnl. Hold the forks, the knives are coming The plates are on the way Shout the chorus to your neighbour Send the stew this way |
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