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Clear The Old Bush Down

by Sammy Leary

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about

A song inspired by the paintings and photographs of the early settler forest clearances of Aotearoa, the extent of which is still plainly visible to the present day.

Forestry continues to be one of this country's main industries even today although clear felling of native forests was eventually stopped in 1993 with an amendment to the Forest Act of 1949.....

“New Zealand has become the adopted home of thousands of our countrymen, whose efforts are primarily directed to the overthrow of the native forests with a view to their replacement by ... a successful agriculture”. - John Richardson, Scottish Zoologist - 1842

Cover photo by Tim Dee

lyrics

- Clear The Old Bush Down -


I went up to the top of the hill
With the rain all falling round
I went up to the top of the hill
To clear the old bush down!

And we'll clear the old bush down me boys
Clear the old bush down
It's grab your axe and your cross-cut saw
We'll clear the old bush down!

So i put my money on this land
Four shilling and a pound
I put my money on this land
I'll clear the old bush down!

And we'll....

Sure the cold and damp of Māoriland
Could sink your sprits low
To look above and see no light
So clear the old bush down!

And we'll....

So come unto this foreign land
Far from the English crown
Come unto this foreign land
And clear the old bush down!

And we'll....

We'll take these dark and ancient trees
To build our ships and towns
To make something of this new land
We'll clear the old bush down!

And we'll clear the old bush down me boys
Clear the old bush down
It's grab your axe and your cross-cut saw
We'll clear the old bush down!

And we'll clear the old bush down.

credits

released June 25, 2023

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all rights reserved

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about

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Sammy Leary New Zealand

Sammy Leary is a folk musician from Aotearoa (NZ) who performs traditional & original music often with strong New Zealand themes.
He has performed in several Auckland based groups over the last two decades such as The Royal Fortune, Swampy Tonk and Gráinneog as well as in various Céilí Bushbands playing music for traditional Irish, Scottish & Antipodean dances. ... more

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