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Tumba-Bloody-Rumba 
Tumba-Bloody-Rumba 
He asked for work at muster-time, We tried him as a rider, We tried him out as the roustabout, And as the cook's offsider, 
He had sailed the seven seas, He'd been up in Alaska, He'd been in every western state From Texas to Nebraska. 
cho: He said he'd shorn a sheep or two, And cut a bit of lumber, And waged war on the kangaroo, At Tumba-bloody-rumba 
We had him in the shearing shed, We put him on the stacker, We tried him digging rabbits out, He wasn't worth a cracker, 
He had a shop in Singapore, He owned a pearling lugger, He was a champ at baccarat, Australian rules and rugger. 
cho: 
He never showed his aptitude, On work he was allotted, But showed his skill upon the drinks And cigarettes he botted, 
He said he'd climbed the Matterhorn, He'd been a union leader, And years ago in Adelaide He was a pigeon breeder. 
cho: 
We tried him cutting fencing posts, We tried to find his caper, 
Until that happy pay-day when He got his piece of paper. 
I wonder what he's doing now, Perhaps back on the lumber, Or shooting kanga-bloody-roos, At Tumba-bloody-rumba. 
NOTES and COPYRIGHT INFO: The Man from Tumbarumba is a typical bush character in this familiar story of a bragging man who has done everything - a jack of all trades. Regarding the chorus, note that at various times and locations in Australia, kangaroos have been (are) considered vermin and are culled. The words were written by John Wolfe, and the British traditional tune "The Jack of All Trades" was fitted to it by Warren Fahey. Copyright control by Larrikin Music. GLOSSARY: Australian rules: Australian Rules football Bot: to borrow or sponge off Caper: occupation, skills Muster: round-up Offsider: helper, assistant Pearling Lugger: a pearling ship; common on the northwest coast of Australia and, especially in days past, a significant part of that area economy. Rugger: Rugby Stacker: a machine used for compressing shorn wool into large bales for transport. RECORDINGS: Warren Fahey and the Larrikins! A Larrikin History of Australia! Larrikin 202 (Australia, 1988) Warren Fahey and the Larrikins! Waltzing Matilda: Songs of the Australian Bush! Larrikin CDLRF 118 (Australia, 1990) 
TH apr97