Click Go the Shears

by Anonymous

A fresh edition of the world's most famous shearing song. Click Go the Shears was probably the most wide pread and enduring of the old-time shearers' songs. It was still frequently to be heard in the sheds of the Western Line of NSW in the last half of the twentieth century. the tune came from an American Civil War song, Ring the Bell, Watchman, and was later used for the revival hymn Pull for the Shore, and for a number of temperance anthems, including one from the Salvation Army. the opening verse of Click Go the Shears is a parody of Ring the Bell, written by Henry Lawson, who wrote about the song in his essay 'the Songs they Used to Sing'. Versions don't seem to differ much - the song was first published in written format in 1946 in an article by Percy Jones. the version in this book is as sung by A L Lloyd in the 1950s.

Hardcover

First published May 1, 1984

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Cruth]

As sung by A L Lloyd, 1950s
Illustrator: Robert Ingpen
First Published: 1984

The classic, iconic Australian song, evocatively illustrated by Robert Ingpen. Includes a short introduction to the life of the shearer, a verse and the chorus against the music, and a brief discussion of the song's heritage.

A page that takes this version (as sung by Lloyd) and explains some of the terms.

As sung by Rolf Harris.

Age
Read aloud: 3+ (because you just have to sing it)
Read yourself: 7+

(ISBN 978020180941)