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Bulls of the Speewah 
Bulls of the Speewah 
All this talk of the Dawson scrub it fairly leaves me cold I tell you them bulls were dinkum cows in the Speewah days of old More fiercer than the fiercest cat more cunning than the Blacks They 'd tie branches to their tails to cover up their tracks 
On leaving camp you must put out the fire you had last night For them bulls would carry firesticks on their teeth to set your yards alight They had the bower-birds squared to bellow to put you off your course They even had the dingoes trained to heel your bloody horse 
One day there was six of us to muster to Jackass yard No better stockmen in the land and used to riding hard The boss was on a raking bay called Casanover's Desire And I fancied myself that I looked the part on a horse called Black Maria 
Well soon we see a score of bulls they're contented as you please Some was sharpening their horns on the sandstone rocks while some was
 skewering trees We make them flaming cattle run as fast as they could lick But every time I look behind they seem to be gaining quick 
There's a big roan bull about a yard behind bowled over my mare and me So just to to see if my mates are alright I climb the nearest tree Well I'm up here and he's down there as if he'd like to stay But since I've no more use for him I let him slink away 
And down I come and grabs my mare (her foot's caught in the rein) And I'm as keen as mustard now to help my mates again They was heading straight for the Jackass yard it was clear the way they
 went They'd torn big trees up by the roots and even the hills looked bent 
When I gets came in sight of the Jackass yard I sat there goggle-eyed For those bulls was camped outside the gate and the men was all inside So now when I hear talk of the Dawson days my mind goes back to when Those wild bulls of the Speewah scrub would muster up the men 
From the poem Bulls of Speewah by R.C.Pierce (Bob Bloodwood) This version as sung by A.L.Lloyd in a concert at the Singers Club in 
London 1973. Chris Kempster transcribed the tune for this collection from a tape recording made of the concert by Mark Gregory. 
MG apr97