Union Songs
Ballad of Ned Kelly
A Song by Ken Stewart©Ken Stewart 2009
- [play]
When Ned was young, there were rich and poor
Squatter's coppers bangin' on selected doors
Trumped up charges.. "Lets put the Kellys away!"
When history is written, the victim gets no sayThree years in Gaol is a long time for a kid
Hearin' stories about what the troopers did
To his mother, his brother and his loved
Didn't make him bitter, just made him toughOh Ned, one of us, yeah one of us
At 12 he saved a boy, drowning in the river
flood waters made a mortal shiver
In the face of danger, Ned would just laugh
Bluey played for Essendon, Ned got a silk scarf
Yeah Ned, lookin' out for your own,
You risked your tender life, grateful celebrations
We loved you 'cause you cared.Blood of Eureka had stained official hands
Revolution was stirring in the land
Ned stood up to- injustice and corruption
His defiance, earned our admirationYou beat the ambush at Stringybark creek
Robbed some banks and burned the title deeds
Told us what had driven you to crime
The letter was hidden the reward just got higher onNed, one of us, Standin' up to authority when it's unjust
The local coppers misused police powers
Walkin' to the gallows, you stopped to smell the flowers
Yeah Ned, it wasn't fair. A drunken copper lied, a coward's accusations,
And you weren't even thereRemembered well for the iron and Glenrowan
You are revered for the truth that you've spoken
For "such is life", "I fear death as a cup tea"
Republic of Australia, for you and for me
Yeah Ned, one of us, Standin' up to authority when it's unjust
They made you hang for fighting back
30,000 signatures say "you got singled out"
Ned, one of us, Standin' up to authority when it's unjust
Ned, one of us, Standin' up to authority when it's unjust
Notes
Many thanks to Ken Stewart for permission to add this song to the Union Songs collection
Visit Ken's website at Urban Guerrillas
Find more of Ken's work in this collection
union songs..........a selection by mark gregory