Shopping on a Saturday in 1945,
Going in to Tenterfield, a two mile buggy ride,
Grandma, mum and grandfather, he did all the driving,
Me perched up beside him, old dog alongside.
We'll fly along Casino Road.
Hey Ted, remember what you told me,
Easy, whips don't lighten load.
verse 2
Pull up at Hopsing & Co, Store and General Merchants,
Grandad heads inside to buy some seed and bailing wire.
Twelve gauge shotgun cartridges, saltlick for the bayron,
Ice cream for the half grown young man at his side.
Then on to Kinipin Son Leathergoods and Saddles,
Topics for discussion there are weather, beasts and fires.
They've repaired the bridle that busted on a gum tree,
When my pony through me, tried to jump barbed wire.
On we go to Royal Hotel tucker, grog shop talking,
Neighbour farmers say g'day, exchange the harvest news.
Season come and season go, life remains a battle,
Drovers talk of cattle, rocky river ewes.
We'll fly along Casino Road.
Hey Ted, remember what you told me,
Easy, whips don't lighten load.
verse 3
Stretched along the homeward track, tigersnake sunbaking,
Granddad hits the brake to try and kill it with a slide.
Just missed ? look out! Now the thing is tangled in the back spokes,
Blimey this is no joke, everybody fly.
Buggy stands abandoned ship, grandma holds the pony,
We all watch with baited breath as granddad kneels a stride,
The back seat of his Cadillac, aiming for the right spot,
Slowly squeezes one shot, all that is required.
Clamber back on board again, set off at a fast trot,
Granddad takes some flack about the nature of his slide,
Hears it out good-humouredly, hard to raise his hackles,
Winks at me and cackles, don't know till you've tried.
We'll fly along Casino Road.
Hey Ted, remember what you told me,
Easy, whips don't lighten load.
verse 4
There's the farm up on the hill, shining like a beacon,
Soon we're home unloaded and the gear is stashed away.
Supper time by lantern light, then round the piano,
Family in tableau, sing to end the day.
Mountain bush and southern sky still the same as ever,
Graves upon the hillside mark the time that's passed away.
Now I come to think of it memory has no curtain,
Life was lived for certain, old and in the way.
We'll fly along Casino Road.
Hey Ted, remember what you told me,
Easy, whips don't lighten load.
OUTRO