Beat Of The Government Stroke(1992 Digital Remaster) - Slim Dusty

作曲：Tom Oliver/Joy McKean

I never was much at singin

And I ain't a musical bloke

But I play a mad pick and the Banjo

To the beat of the government stroke

To the beat of the government stroke

I play my form called the tune

And the rattle of gravel on the banjo blade

Is all I hear till noon

My head's down low my tail bone high

Sweat runnin' down my brow

And a big yellow sign sayin' Men at work

I show all the people how

A council man he can swing a pick

Or a shovel the whole day long

Diggin' up drains ditches for

A pittance an' a song

And what does the local yokel say hey

Look at the council man

He never would work in an iron lung

Or dirty his little hands

Have a go ya sulky bloody mug I say

But he give me the old thumbs up

And then tears off like a greasy mug

To find him another pub

I'm fed to the teeth as there I stand

In a typical council pose

Leaning upon my ole banjo

With the sweat running down my nose

Oh I worked all day for an honest quid

And this is the thanks I get

What'll I do What are my rights

I ask of the union rep

So there we are with a hole in the road

Traffic is piling up

But the Billie boy he was doin' his bit

And calling us for a cup

So the ten of us and the foreman too

And the man on the stop and go

Downed our tools and we were joined

By the bloke on the big back he

And while the little old lady

was a tooting her horn

And the Truckie was a jumpin' 'round

We nibbled our bickies and we sipped our tea

And we never even heard a sound

Oh Sittin' at ease neath the bird that might fly

Watchin' the world go by

My mind went back to an earlier day

When I never would'a thought that I

Could play the mad mick and the banjo

To the beat of the government stroke

But like I said I never could sing

And I ain't a musical bloke

OhI never was much at singin'

And I ain't a musical bloke

But I play the mad mick and the banjo

To the beat of the government

the beat of the government

The beat of the government stroke