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Clancy of the Overflow Lyrics by John Schumann

True Believers

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I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago;
He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him
Just "on spec", addressed as follows: "Clancy of The Overflow"
And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected
(And I think the same was written with a thumbnail dipped in tar);
'Twas his shearing mate who wrote, and verbatim I will quote it:
"Clancy's gone to Queensland droving, and we don't know where he are."
In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy
Gone a-droving down the Cooper where the Western drovers go;
As the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing
For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know
And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended
And at night, the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars
I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingy
Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall
And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city
Through the open window floating, spreads its foulness over all
And in place of lowing cattle, I can hear the fiendish rattle
Of the tramways and the buses making hurry down the street
And the language uninviting of the gutter children fighting
Comes fitfully and faintly through the ceaseless tramp of feet
And the hurrying people daunt me, and their pallid faces haunt me
As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste
With their eager eyes and greedy, and their stunted forms and weedy
For the townsfolk have no time to grow, they have no time to waste
And I'd somehow rather fancy that I'd like to change with Clancy
Like to take a turn at droving where the seasons come and go
While he faced the round eternal of the cashbook and the journal -
But I'd doubt he'd suit the office, Clancy of The Overflow
Credits
John Schumann

John Schumann

About “Clancy of the Overflow” by John Schumann

Read the complete lyrics to "Clancy of the Overflow" by John Schumann from the album "True Believers". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock.

"Clancy of the Overflow" is performed by John Schumann. from the album "True Believers" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Clancy of the Overflow", explore more songs by John Schumann using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Clancy of the Overflow" is credited to John Schumann. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Clancy of the Overflow" appears on "True Believers".

Visit the John Schumann artist page at /artist/john-schumann for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.