Between the Lines - Issue Nineteen

This instalment of “Between the Lines” features three more songs from the field recordings of Carrie Milliner (1926 – 2005). These recordings were made by Rob Willis and others for the National Library of Australia (Willis Collection TRC 3042). Regular readers of the column will know of Carrie and some of her songs. In the past I have presented a few of the traditional “old-country” ballads from Carrie’s repertoire – three songs of a different nature this issue. More information on Carrie can be found in Trad & Now issues 1, 2 and 15, or at…

Sleepers - Songs of Carrie Milliner and the Bobbin Family

Where is My Wandering Boy
Composed by American Robert Lowry and published in 1877 as a hymn. This version, polished and simplified, has two beautiful, rearranged-arranged verses left from the original. Carrie summed this one up with a succinct "I like that!".



Where is my wandering boy tonight, the boy of my tender years,
The boy that was once so dear to me, and none was so sweet as he?

Chorus:
Oh where is my boy tonight? Oh where is my boy tonight?,
My heart o'erflows, for I love him, he knows.
Oh where is my boy tonight?

Go for my wandering boy tonight, go search for him where you will,
And bring him to me in all his plight, tell him I love him still.

When the Sheep are in the Fold, Jennie Dear
A lovely old song also collected from Carrie's sister Nance Burton. Composed by Fred Helf and lyricist C. M. Dennison (New York). The same song-writing team gave us the classics – “Neath the old Acorn tree, Sweet Estelle” and “When the Whip-poor-will Sings Margueritte” etc! The song had become simpler and sweeter by the time Carrie learnt it from her mum.



It was twilight in the dear old southern valley,
The sun was slowly sinking in the west.
Down a winding track towards home, a shepherd's going,
His sheep are in the fold and safe at rest.

By the old gate in the lane-way stands a lassie,
And like the sun her sweet smile seems to disappear.
As he says, "Farewell one day I'll be returning,
When the sheep are in the fold, Jennie dear."

Chorus:
When the sheep are in the fold, Jennie dear,
And the harvest moon is shining soft and clear,
Let loves star burn bright and true,
I will ever think of you,
When the sheep are in the fold, Jennie dear.

But once more I roam a-down this same old valley,
My heart is sad because you are not here.
In the old churchyard tonight I'll find you sleeping.
Like the sheep, you're in the fold, Jennie dear.

The Wanderers
(Words: James Hebblethwate - Tasmania 1899 / Tune: C & J Roweth - 2000)
A stirring poem Carrie remembers her brother Fred reciting. We couldn't resist writing a tune!


While I rode in the early dawn while stars were fading white,
I saw upon a grassy slope a campfire burning bright,
With tent behind and blaze before three loggers in a row,
Sang all together joyously pull up the stakes and go,
Pull up the stakes and go.

As I rode on by Eaglehawke the wide blue deep of air,
The wind among the glittering leaves, the flowers so sweet and fair,
The thunder of the rude salt waves, the creeks soft overflow,
All joined in chorus to the words pull up the stakes and go,
Pull up the stakes and go.

Nearby the tent on forest's skirt, by odour of the earth,
By sight and scent of morning smoke, by evening campfire mirth,
By deep sea calls and foaming greens, by new stars gleam and glow,
By summer trails in antique lands, pull up the stakes and go,
Pull up the stakes and go.

The world is wide and we are young and sounding marches beat,
And passion pipes the sweetest call in lanes and fields and streets,
To rouse the chorus brothers all when something has to show,
When death comes round and strikes our tent pull up the stakes and go,
Pull up the stakes and go.