Posted by IsoM on March 24, 2002, at 14:06:42
In reply to Re: An Example of a Search » IsoM, posted by Mark H. on March 24, 2002, at 12:28:21
You wonderful person!! I'm also such a bull-dog at searching out info but this one has eluded me as I have so little info to start on.
Okay here it is:
It's a British folk-style song written about the time (I think) that people were emigrating from Britain because of poverty, etc to Australia. It was no longer just a penal colony.The song is sung from the point of view of a man who's going to be coming back for his sweetheart/wife when he's settled. The refrain includes the words "way off in Australia". There's also another part where he sings about his wife coming down the garden gate to meet him when he returns.
Unfortunately I can't remember any accurate words about that part. I only heard the song twice about 15 years ago on CBC-FM radio that played classical & folk. I also "think" it was on the program Disk Drive hosted by Jurgen Gothe. I hope all these tid-bits help, but it sounds pretty hopeless to me. It was a very poignant song, at least to me.
I have sent out e-mails to various folk groups & archives for info but never had a return answer.
poster:IsoM
thread:19439
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020320/msgs/20782.html