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He was born in the light of red oaks and nursed by the drought and the flood
And swaddled in sweat lined saddlecloths and christened in spur drawn blood
Oh he never was burdened with learninâ and many would think him a fool
But heâs mastered a method of turninâ that never was taught in a school
His manners are rugged and vulgar but heâs nuggets of gold in our need
And a lightning flash in the mulga is the man who steadies the lead
Now when the stockwhips are ringing behind him and the brumbies are racing abreast
Oh itâs 50 to 1 you will find him a furlong to two from the rest
With the coils of his whip hanging idle his eyes on the mob at his side
And the daintiest touch on the bridle for this is the man who can ride
And the stallions that break from the mallee will find he has courage and speed
For he rides the best horse in the valley this stockman who steadies the lead
When theyâre fetching in stores to the station through tangles of broken belah
And the road is a rough calculation thatâs based on the blaze of a star
When theyâre quickening through sand ridge and hollow and rowels are splattered with red
And sometimes youâve only to follow the sound of the hoofbeats ahead
Then we know that heâs holding them northward oh we trust in the man and his steed
And we hear the old brown crashing fall of and his riderâs wild yell to the lead
But when from a bend in the river the cattle break camp in the night
Oh then is the season if ever we value his services right
For we know that if some should be tardy and some should be should be left in the race
Yet the spurs will be red on Coolgardie as someone swings out to his place
And the mulga boughs hark to them breaking in front of the maddened stampede
And a horse and rider are taking their time honoured place in the lead
Now as an honest and impartial recorder Iâd think have you all recollect
There are other brave men on the border entitled to every respect
Thereâs the man who thinks buckinâs a tame thing and he rides them with lighted cigars
And the man who will drive any damn thing thatâs ever been hooked to the bars
Oh their pluck and their powers are granted but all said and done weâve agreed
That the king of âem all when heâs wanted is the man who steadies the lead
He was born in the light of red oaks and nursed by the drought and the flood
And swaddled in sweat lined saddlecloths and christened in spur drawn blood
Oh he never was burdened with learninâ and many would think him a fool
fades out
- Album:
- Columbia Lane - The Last Sessions
- Where Country Is
- Tall Stories And Sad Songs
- Looking Forward Looking Back
- Lights On The Hill
- Rodeo Riders
- Trucks On The Track
- Ringer From The Top End
- The Man Who Steadies The Lead
- Cattle Camp Crooner
- The Slim Dusty Family Live Across Australia
- The Slim Dusty Family Album
- Slim Dusty Live
- The Son of Noisy Dan
- Dinki-Di Aussies
- To Whom It May Concern
- Slim Dusty Sings Joy McKean
- Slim Dusty Sings Stan Coster
- Songs From Down Under
- Way Out There