Christmas

Deck the shed with bits of wattle
Falalalala lala la la
Whack some gumleaves in a bottle
Falalalala lala la la

All the shops are open Sundays
Falalalala lala la la
Buy your Dad some socks and undies
Falalalala lala la la

Christmas where the gum trees grow
There is no frost and there is no snow
Christmas in Australia’s hot
Cold and frosty is what its not
When the bloom of the Jackaranda tree is here
Christmas time is near

Christmas, Christmas, When I was big as you
Meant Christmas trees, christmas trees
And lots of things to do
Dear Santa letters sayin we’ve been good, we’ve told no lies
And this year I’d like a pony, like the one old Smoky rides

See the sun in the sky
Always riding high
At Christmas time down under

It will be no surprise
Temperature will rise
At Christmas time down under

There’s gonna be dancing and singing,
At the old homestead tonight,
Gonna be carols ringing,
Through the warm Australian night,
Dance on the homestead verandah
To an old time fiddle tune,
There’s gonna be an old time party
With Christmas coming soon.

At Christmas time the birds all sing
The rabbits jump the lizards crawl
At Christmas time the outback rings
All for the birth of God

Out on the plains the brolga’s are dancing
Lifting their feet like war horses prancing
Up to the sun the woodlarks go winging
Faint in the dawn light echoes their singing

English translation

Grief have taken hold of me
for my father
when the sun sets
o..h, beloved father

Australians let us barbecue
for Christmas time is here
a time to stop and rest a bit
and psyche up for new year
on patterned plastic tablecloth
we’ll eat our pudding up
and drink a christmas cordial
in polystyrene cup

Dashing through the bush,
in a rusty Holden Ute,
Kicking up the dust,
esky in the boot,
Kelpie by my side,
singing Christmas songs,
It’s Summer time and I am in
my singlet, shorts and thongs