I have the greatest of respect and admiration for the early pioneering women who forsook their country villages for a life in the Great Australian Outback. On arrival at the port they were hastily married and hauled away by bullock dray up into the Never Never land for a life of isolation and intense hardship.
The words for this song were written by the great Australia poet Henry Lawson, who certainly had knowledge of the conditions that these ladies would be living in. The tune was written by Phyl Lobyl who was great influencer during the Folk Revival in Melbourne during the early 1960’s. This tune and the songs she has written have survived the test of time. I take my hat off to the ladies. Martyn
PAST CARIN’ Words by Henry Lawson melody Phyl Lobl
Well up and down the sidling brown the great black crows are flying
And just below the spur I know another milkers dying
The crops have withered to the ground the red clay tank is glaring
Yet from my heart no tear nor sound for I have grown past carin’.
Through death and trouble turn about through hopeless desolation
Through flood and fever fire and drought through slavery and starvation
Through childbirth sickness hurt and blight through loneliness and scarin’’
From being left alone at night I have grown to be past carin’
Our first child took in days like these a cruel week in dying
All day upon her father’s knee or on my breast a lying
The tears we shed the prayers we said were awful wild despairing
I’ve pulled three through and buried two since then and I’m past carin’
T’was ten years first then came the worst all for a barren clearing
I thought I thought my heart would burst when first my man went shearing
He’s droving in the Great North West I don’t know how he’s faring
And I the one who loved him best have grown to be past carin’
My eyes are dry I cannot cry I have no heart for breaking
Where once it was in days gone by is empty dull and aching
My last boy ran away from me I know my tempers wearing
But now I only wish to be beyond all signs of carin’
Past bothering past caring past feeling and despairing
For now I only wish to be beyond all signs of carin’.