ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

DAN’S NIGHT OUT

Old Dang’rous Dan the sawmill hand
had heard the whistle blow
and that was music to his ears;
its tune sung , “Time to go!”

And being Friday ave as well
brought tears to his old eyes,
for pay day was his one night out;
you should have heard his cries.

The Vic. was old Dan’s wat’ring hole
and mate did that grog flow.
Dan’s swore the yarns he told were true
he sure was one to blow.

Come closing time Dan staggered out
as he had drunk his fill.
His darling wife would not wait up;
she knew by know the drill.

Dan struggled home to his warm bed
and slept just like a log,
but when he woke to face the wife
in bed was his old dog.

As Dan recalled the night before
he thought he’d heard a shout
around the time he’d stumbled in
and thrown the old dog out.

With electronic banking having taken over, the old traditional pay days are not the same. The above verse was inspired by a joke I had read somewhere, which I guess typifies the old Australian tradition of justifying the Aussie males one night in coming home late. Pay day. Considered rather politically incorrect these days.

© Merv Webster

From the book Laughter and Tears from the Bush