Again at Irish Fest 2008, the Makem and Spain brothers remembered Paul. They honored him (and us all) by singing his favorite song of theirs, a song that they said they rarely perform. LISTEN HERE to The Road to Gundagai.

THE ROAD TO GUNDAGAI

Oh we started out from Roto, when the sheds had all cut out
We'd whips and whips of money as we meant to push about;
So we humped our blueys serenely and made for Sydney town,
With a three-spot check between us as wanted knocking down.

Chorus:
And we camped at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai,
The road to Gundagai, five miles from Boonabri;
And we camped at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai.

Chorus:

Well, we struck the Murumbidgee near the Yanco in a week,
And passed through old Narrandera, and crossed the Burnett Creek;
And we never stopped at Wagga, for we'd Sydney in our eye,
And we camped at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai.

Chorus:

Well, I've seen a lot of girls, my lads, and drunk a lot of beer,
And I've met with some of both of them as has left me pretty queer.
But for beer to knock you sideways and for girls to make you sigh,
You should camp at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai.

Chorus:

Well, we chucked our flamin' wags off and we walked into the bar
And we called for rum and raspberry and a shilling each cigar;
But the girl that served the poison, well, she winked at Bill and I,
So we camped at Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai.

Chorus:

In a week our spree was over, and the check was all knocked down,
So we shouldered our Matildas and we turned our backs on town.
And the girls stood us a nobbler as we sadly said goodbye,
And we tramped from Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai.

Last Chorus (2X):

And we tramped from Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai,
The road to Gundagai, five miles from Boonabri;
And we tramped from Lazy Harry's on the road to Gundagai.

Glossary

bluey: Blanket roll or swag, traditionally a greyish-blue army blanket. Also, the heavy wool or felt jacket worn by mining and construction workers.

matilda: Canvas pack; also, the belongings of a swagman (tramp, vagabond), wrapped in a blanket or bedroll. Hence "waltzing matilda" means rambling or tramping the countryside.

nobbler: Glass or drink of liquor