An Independent Bloke - Slim Dusty

Yeah, he was a real dried up old gravel voiced bushie this feller

Wonder where he is now?

I was standin' in line all the mornin'

To answer an ad that I saw

Regarding the job on the council

There was me and quite a few more

A dried up ole bushie before me

Pulled a battered old tin from his coat

And from fine cut and Tally Ho papers

Proceeded to roll up a smoke

A hairy young man in the office

Rapped on the desk and said next

The old feller stepped up before him

And gave him his name and address

And the hairy one asked of the old bloke

If he had any reference to show

If he’d ever done manual labour

Or had experience out on the road

The old feller reared up and snorted

And the cigarette hung from his lip

His hat was pushed back on his forehead

His hands they were firm on his hips

He looked the young feller all over

Took in the mode of his dress

The peaches and creamy complexion

And I felt that he wasn’t impressed

Then he pushed a big hairy paw under

The young feller’s lily white nose

Slowly he spread out his fingers, hey

Said take a gander at those

These are my reference for working

I was at it before you were born

And I’ll bet you a quid even money

I’ll be at it long after you’re gone, you mug

I’ve played the mad pick and the banjo

Done many a season in cane

I’ve worn out a dozen good kellys

While fencing out there on the plain

I’ve worked for my board and my lodgings

In conditions you’d not understand

And by hell I’ve brought in some good money

With these very same battered old hands

Experience out on the roadway

Is something I learned all about

When the banker foreclosed on the mortgage

Just after the '65 drought

I rolled up my swag and departed

A sorry but much wiser man

With only my memories to show for

The years that I’d spent on the land

So I tramped and I travelled the highways

And in bitterness cursed every mile

But in time I got over my troubles

And learned once again how to smile

It’s the likes of you pen pushing gentry

To bring out the laughter in me

You little tin gods of the office ha ha

You’re too pumped with power to see

Then with a good old Australian expression

We were left in no doubt what he meant

He turned on his heel and he left us

And God only knows where he went