© Phil Garland
The Twentieth Century
For the first 40 odd years of the 20th century it appears that very few New Zealanders felt the need to express themselves musically through ballad or song, perhaps due in some way to the onset of two World wars and their aftermath.Certainly New Zealanders sang during the Great Depression, but mostly songs originating from the American experience. Records were now becoming more readily available and the country had lost some of the isolation that was so desperately needed to continue building an oral music tradition.
Notwithstanding, a couple of fine balladists managed to surface during this time. George Meek who was largely influenced by McKee Wright, began writing ballads because he was dissatisfied with the non-productive efforts of his fellow countrymen. One of his best is “Wool Commandeer” written in 1940 about the Government's massive stockpiling of wool for eventual use in the war effort.
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“The commandeer is under way and blimey what a fuss, The blinking din and clatter sure would make a parson cuss, There's covies tearing up the floors and blokes in overalls. Slapdapping cans of whitewash on the rafters and the walls.” “For it's come from Haka valley and it's come from Sunny Peak, It's come from up the river and down Waitaki Creek. It's come form the back of nowhere up the wild MacKenzie way, And a clip from Tipperary will get here any day.” |
The other, Cecil H Winter, who wrote under the nom de plume of “Riverina” was an expatriate Australian, who took up residence in Southland, regularly contributing work to the Bulletin in Australia. He not only continued to write about his beloved Australian Outback, but also captured the real essence of his adopted country as well. “The Star Hotel” published in 1929 is powerful in it's portrayal of those rural workers who were forced to camp out under the stars.
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“The city streets are aglow tonight and the noise is harsh and loud, As hurrying on in the glaring light go the pleasure-seeking crowd, But there's one whose thoughts will drift again, where bushland breezes swell, As the pine trees whisper the old refrain – Come back to the Star Hotel.” “By the deep lagoon they are camped tonight, far beyond the city's song, On the quiet banks of the river and the big green pines among. Hearing again the morepork's call, 'til the weird notes weave a spell, As the hush grows deeper and stray stars fall, and the lure of the bush is over all - Who stay at the Star Hotel.” |
Although a definite Kiwi character is starting to show, there is still a strong Australian influence evident in some of the lines. However the Kiwi vernacular of the day bore a close resemblance to some Australian expressions, due no doubt to the shearer's influence and the close geographical proximity of the two countries.
The 1950s and 60s began with a real flourish of activity, when a large number of vernacular songs and ballads started to appear, from the pens of Peter Cape, Joe Charles and Ross McMillan. At last a true Kiwi character begins to shine forth, overriding most of the previous outside influences. Songs like 'Taumarunui' 'Down The Hall on Saturday Night' and 'She'll be Right' capture the real essence of a kiwi way of life and these still stand up to a close scrutiny today.
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“I'm an ordinary joker getting old before me time, For me heart's in Taumarunui on the main trunk line….” |
| “Taumarunui, Taumarunui, Taumarunui on the main trunk line.” |
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“You can get to Taumarunui going north or going south, And you end up there at midnight with cinders in your mouth. You've got cinders in your whiskers and a cinder in your eye, So you hop off to refreshments for a cupper tea and pie…..” |
Joe Charles was a poet with a firm sense of mission – a desire to record new Zealand's colourful folk-past in verse, while there were still old-timers with stories to tell. He wrote tall stories blended with genuine historical events, which find their strength in his love of the land and through his commitment to the history of ordinary people. One could hear his songs every Sunday on the ZB request session during the 1960s – gems like “Black Billy Tea” “The Coleridge Run” “The Phosphate Flyers” and “Mackenzie and his Dog.”
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“Kick out your fire boy, roll up your pack, Don't forget your billy boy, billy burnt and black.” |
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“Black billy tea boy, black as it can be, Black billy tea boy, that's the stuff for me.” |
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“'Up on the snowline chasing after deer, I'd sooner have a cup o'tea than all your blinking beer.” |
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“Up in the bush, getting out a log, Upset me outfit in a ruddy bog, Took out my billy, made a cup o'tea, Got the outfit out again as easy as can be” |
Although outside influences are still noticeable in Ross McMillan's poetry, mainly from Henry Lawson who, Ross has great deal of time and respect for, his work captures the mood and feel of the New Zealand countryside, painting wonderful word pictures and to my mind no one does it better.
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“The city roar is in my ears, the glare is in my eyes, Yet in my heart I long to see those sunny Central skies. That stretch away and disappear behind the peaks of snow, As I hear the magpies singing down a country road I know.” “There are shearing sheds I shore in that are scattered by the way, “When the hard day's work was over and the sun was in the west, |
Regrettably, Ross is the only one of the trio still living and writing, but I feel he does for New Zealand what Henry Lawson did so well for Australia. The future looks good for New Zealand's folk music heritage, which is alive and well and continuing to grow with a new generation of writers hopefully adding their voice to all that has gone before.
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