This song is the story of a woman who has been a sheep farmer her whole life. It speaks about her role in relation to her partner, and her father, and ends with her perspective on life as an older person and as a farmer. Written by Judy Small, the song is calm, clear and confident, offering an uncompromisingly individual personality and her story.
lyrics
From the Lambing to the Wool - Judy Small
my father was a cocky, as his father was before him
and I married me a cocky, over fifty years ago
and i've lived here on this station, and i watched the seasons changing
from drought to flood, from the lambing to the wool
there's been times when I've wondered if it all was worth the doin
there's been times when I've thought this was the finest place there is
though the work here's never easy, and the hours long and heavy
i'm quite contended nowadays, I joined my life to his.
together through the thirties, while other's lives were broken
we worked from dawn to twilight to hold on to what was ours
and at night we'd sit exhausted, and i'd stroke his dusty forhead
with him too tired to talk to me and me too tired to care
children came unbidden bringing laughter to the homestead
and i thanked the lord my sons were young- too young for battle then
I counted myself lucky to lose no one close to family
the neighbours lost their only son, sold up and moved to town
there's been times when I've wondered if it all was worth the doin
there's been times when I've thought this was the finest place there is
though the work here's never easy, and the hours long and heavy
i'm quite contended nowadays, I joined my life to his.
the children grew and left me, for career in town and city
and i'm proud of them but sadly, for none chose station life
and i smile to hear them talking, of the hard slog in the city
when I think of working hard i see a cocky and his wife.
credits
from Wishing Well (Maggie Darlings),
track released August 11, 2017
Written by Judy Small , Arranged by Mandy Connell (main vocals, acoustic Guitar)
Recorded, produced, mixed and mastered at Thirty Mill Studios (Melbourne).
Banjo by Layla Fibbins
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