Ryebuck Shearer, The

DESCRIPTION: The singer describes how anyone can gain respect if he is a ryebuck shearer. He is told that he will never be that good, but stoutly maintains that he'll get there someday
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1953 (collected by John Meredith from Jac Luscombe)
KEYWORDS: sheep work
FOUND IN: Australia
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Meredith/Anderson-FolkSongsOfAustralia, p. 23, "The Ryebuck Shearer" (1 text, 1 tune)
Meredith/Scott-AuthenticAustralianBushBallads, pp. 22-23, "The Ryebuck Shearer" (1 text, 1 tune, "slightly censored")
Fahey-Eureka-SongsThatMadeAustralia, pp. 144-145, "The Ryebuck Shearer" (1 text, 1 tune)
Manifold-PenguinAustralianSongbook, pp. 118-119, "The Ryebuck Shearer" (1 text, 1 tune)
Paterson/Fahey/Seal-OldBushSongs-CentenaryEdition, pp. 196-197, "The Ryebuck Shearer" (1 text)
Roud #24820
NOTES [98 words]: A "ryebuck shearer" is an expert shearer (also called a "gun"), usually expected to shear a "century" -- a hundred sheep in a day. The name often referred specifically to the "ringer," or best shearer in the shed.
Gwenda Beed Davey and Graham Seal, A Guide to Australian Folklore, Kangaroo Press, 2003, p. 226, claims this as a nineteenth century song. There is no reason why it could not be so, but I know of no evidence of its existence at that time.
According to Meredith/Scott-AuthenticAustralianBushBallads, it was "meant to be sung in the men's hut." I.e. not in mixed company. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.4
File: MA023

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography