John Howard blues - Clarence Valley sings along

"John Howard blues

 Oh man I got dem John Howard blues

 Right down to the very soles of my shoes

 Oh Lordy I got dem John Howard blues

 Drivin' me down to hammer the booze

 Says he wants to dam the Big River

 Sendin' water to people over the range

 'Nuf to make a grown man shiver

 Leavin' us all to shoulder the pain

 Think I'm feelin' a pain in my liver

 The Clarence will end up a filthy stinkin' drain

 Oh man I got dem John Howard blues

 I really don't agree with his views

 Oh Lordy I got dem John Howard blues

 And I'm tellin' y'all that's the news

 Been workin' in the mill stackin' the wood

 Boss man says he's cutting my pay

 Man from the guv'ment said that he could

 Makin' it real hard to pay my own way

 Li'l Johnny says 'it all do you good'

 But nuthin' for me 'cept learnin' how to pray

 Oh man I got dem John Howard blues

 Spendin' time sitting on the pews

 Oh Lordy I got dem John Howard blues

 Right down to the holes in my shoes

 Down in the shed I got a V8 Edsel

 Picked it up for no money down

 Trouble is I just can't afford the petrol

 When ma sweet li'l Suzie wants to cruise town

 Ain't doin' a thing for the lead in my pencil

 Looks like I'm back to drivin' the Crown

 Oh man I got dem John Howard blues

 Just wish he'd go to take a cruise

 Oh Lordy I got dem John Howard blues

 Election soon I just hope that he'll lose

 Johnny's now talkin' 'bout things atomic

 But he ain't sayin' where he'll put all the plants

 I think he's now gone completely catatonic

 And Chris yells out 'it'll cost me my pants'

 But I'm tellin' ya'll all if those things go drastic

 We'll be gettin' 'round' like little mu-tants

 Oh man I got dem John Howard blues

 How come we've all turned chartruse

 Oh Lordy I got dem ol' John Howard blues

 I think that he's now finally blown his fuse.

Simon Harmon

Ramornie"

[The Daily Examiner,Grafton,letters to the editor,
6 September 2007,p.p. 8  & 11]