W & m copyright Graham Seal 2008
Evokes the life, death and legend of boxer, Les Darcy, 'Australia's Bonny Boy'
His name was Les Darcy
He came from Maitland Town
Fists like two pile-drivers
Knocked all comers down.
The papers said he was a skiter
He'd soon be on the ropes
But he proved he was a tiger
He raised all their hopes...
Every Saturday night
Australia's bonny boy
Would fight for the crowd.
He fought in the fairground sideshows
And the crowds all roared for more
He won his buckles in the big time
On that Sydney Stadium floor
He beat the finest fighters
They sent from across the world
And all the papers said he might be
Champion of the world ...
Every Saturday night
Australia's bonny boy
Would fight for the crowd.
The bugles blew in Nineteen-fourteen
But he was too young to serve
The papers said his country called him
White feathers tried his nerve.
The night before he came of age,
Les Darcy stowed away
On a rusty tramp out of Newcastle
Bound for the USA ...
On that Saturday night
Australia's bonny boy
Cried for the crowd.
All the big-time American promoters
Said they'd put him in the champions' ring
But the papers called him 'coward'
Only Vaudeville fights to win.
So he joined the US Army;
A Yankee fighter he had to be.
Broke his heart while he was training
Way down in Tennessee ...
On that Saturday night
Australia's bonny boy
Died for the crowd.
They shipped his body home with honour
A headline hero young and brave
Thousands walked behind his casket
To one more martyr’s grave.
His name was Les Darcy
He lies in Maitland's ground
Colder than the hearts who floored him
But his legend won't stay down ...
Every Saturday night
Australia's bonny boy
Fights...
Cries...
Dies
For the crowd.
No comments:
Post a Comment