Lyr Add: Melborn and Sideny (Idlers Five)

Subject: Melborn and Sydeny
From: allanwill
Date: 22 Sep 02 - 12:33 PM

John in Brisbane asked for the lyrics to this song in the thread about songs with towns and cities in the title. It will make absolutely no sense to the majority of 'catters and even a lot of Aussies, especially those under 40, probably won't understand some of the lyrics.

By way of explanation, there has been a long standing rivalry between the cities of Melbourne and Sydney; maybe not so much now but definately at the time this song was written in the early 1960's. Being an ex-Melbournite, obviously the views expressed in the song reflected my own at the time.

I don't have any information on who wrote the song or exactly when it was written. The tune is very much in the style of "My Old Man's A Dustman".

MELBORN AND SYDENY - IDLERS 5

Now here's a little story
and we won't tell no lie.
About our two great cities
Melborn and Sydeny

We'd rather live in Melbourne
although it may be faulty
Sydney's got its strippers
But we've got Henry Bolte.

We've got Australian booze
and the Melbourne Cup each year
Sydney's girls are way out front
but we've got stronger beer.

Now Sydney's got its harbour bridge
but King Street bridge just tossed it.
'Cos even though it did fall down
it's free to get across it.

Melbourne's got its music bowl
a bit of a botch we know,
but it's better than having an opera house
that's never staged a show.

We'd rather live in Melbourne
though some things are a menace.
Sydney's got its strippers
but we've got Kevin Dennis.

We've got Australian booze
and the Melbourne cup each year.
Sydney's girls are way out front
but we've got stronger beer.

Whenever we compare our buildings
Sydney's got one bigger.
but soon we'll have something down here
at which they cannot snigger.

Our jolly, giant jetport
Tullamarine!
The whole of little Mascot
could fit in its canteen.

We'd rather live in Melbourne
although they censor Mavis.
Sydney's got its strippers
but we've got Granny Davis.

We've got Australian booze
and the Melbourne Cup each year.
Sydney's girls are way out front
but we've got stronger beer.

Sydney's quite a place you know
Things aren't what they seem to be.
In Kings Cross you'd be at (a) loss
to pick a he or a she.

Melbourne is not pure we know
but Sydney's even viler,
and the only dirty books down here
are read by Mr Rylah.

We'd rather live in Melbourne
although it's not as hearty.
Sydney's got its strippers
but we've got Ron BarARSsi.

We've got Australian booze
and the Melbourne Cup each year.
Sydney's girls are way out front
but we've got stronger beer.

Sydney's girls are way out front
but we've got stronger beer.

Some brief notes.
- Henry Bolte was Premier of Victoria at the time (horrible little man).
- the Melbourne Cup is a very famous horse race. The day is declared a public holiday in Victoria.
- the King Street bridge didn't exactly fall down, but it did develop a very nasty crack.
- the Sydney Myer Music Bowl is an outdoor auditorium; a great place.
- Kevin Dennis was the epitome of the shady used car salesman.
- Mascot is another name for Sydney's airport.
- the Mavis Brampston Show was a very risque television show.
- Granny Davis was a revered elderly lady famous for her sliced bread.
- Kings Cross is (in)famous for its "alternate" inhabitants.
- Arthur Rylah was the Minister for Censoring Everything.
- Ron Barassi was a famous Aussie Rules (OK!) footballer.

John - I'd be interested to know if you plan on singing the song with its original lyrics or whether you plan to update them.

Allan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sydeny
From: Hrothgar
Date: 23 Sep 02 - 06:08 AM

Write your own song, John, telling those southerners where to get off!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sydeny
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 23 Sep 02 - 08:59 AM

I was around in the 60's - at high school!! But I hadn't heard of Granny Davis or the Censor, but all the rest hit the fading memory.

ps. Did this song need spellcheck run over it?

signed

Sandra (who was also once in Sydeny, the first time I advertised the folk club on ausworldfolk)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sydeny
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 23 Sep 02 - 10:37 PM

I remember the song as if it was yesterday - but I realized this morning that I don't know the name of my Federal Member.

I was asked a lot of years ago to participate in a recording project of Stephen Foster songs with PC references to 'darkie' etc removed. I refused - and for the same reasons I'll probably keep the original lyrics of this song intact.

The suggestion to write a new version is tempting, but then again I'd prefer to see the two largest coties slug it out. I guess that's some form of mischievous schadenfreude.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sydeny
From: GUEST,Eduardo
Date: 11 May 10 - 01:02 AM

Lovely to be able to find this classic song.

One correction though..

I'm sure the lyric goes
"We've got Australian Rules" (not Australian booze)

cheers, DE.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sydeny
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 May 10 - 12:36 PM

I was at first puzzled by the apparent misspelling in the title of this thread, but no, it turns out that's how the song title was actually spelled.

Here's an article about the band, the Idlers Five, who had a hit in Australia in 1968 with MELBORN AND SIDENY.

The article quotes the lyrics thus:

"We'd rather live in Melbourne
Though some folks say it's faulty.
Sydney's got its strippers
But we've got Henry Bolte.
We've got Australian Rules
And the Melbourne Cup each year.
Sydney's girls are way out front
But we've got stronger beer."

The spelling still puzzles me. Is it meant to represent some nonstandard pronunciation?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sydeny
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 May 10 - 01:30 PM

Jim-

The spelling is a puzzle. The spelling of Melbourne as "Melborn" is not the way the city is pronounced locally; it's more like "Melbe'n."

Maybe some of our friends from Oz will educate us.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sydeny
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 14 May 10 - 09:39 PM

Back in 1993 when Sydney was selected as host city for the 2000 Olympics, much was made of the head of the IOC mis-pronouncing Sydney - he said something like "Sydeeeny" - I tried a google search & was asked if I meant '2000 olympics & Sydney"!! sigh.

maybe 'Melborn' is a similar mispronunciation of Melbourne.

I'll ask Bodgie (Warren Fahey) if he knows

sandra


Bids for the 2000 Summer Olympics

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sydeny
From: GUEST,bodgie
Date: 14 May 10 - 10:02 PM

Firstly I would like to know (if any one knows) where the song was first published?
It looks suspiciously like the work of Philip Adams or the late Bob Brissendon. I will ask Philip but, unfortunately, I can't ask Bob as my telephone to heaven has been disconnected. Also, anyone know of anyone who actually sang the song?

As far as songs about the rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney - this goes back, way back, when Sir Henry Parkes (the father of Federation) described Melbourne as "that despicable little cabbage patch on the Yarra'. In my book 'The Balls of Bob Menzies' (later re-edited as 'Ratbags & Rabblerouser') I quoted a song from the Imperial Songster 1907 'What The Melbourne Man Told The Sydney Man; - another State comparison song. There have been several.

I am near completion of a listing of Australian place name songs. Should be up on my site very soon.

As far as spelling - in the early days it was Rafferty's Rules as most people were 'guess spellers'. The fact both cities were names for British Lords didn't stop the general public from having a bit of fun with the spelling or pronunciation. The head of the Olympics pronounced it Sid - en - knee.

and in 1946 a certain Anonymous rhymed.....

Sing a song of Melbourne
Money by the sack!
Fifteen hundred squatters
squatting in Toorak
Heaven all about them
hear the angles sing
"Strictly no admittance,
God Save the King!

We Sydneysiders refer to the place as Melboring.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sydeny
From: GUEST,bodgie
Date: 14 May 10 - 10:34 PM

I should have also mentioned that in the 1890s and 1910s there were numerous examples of songs with obvious misspellings - many of these were racist and especially the songs sung in faux Dutch, German and Yiddish.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sydeny
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 May 10 - 09:45 AM

Thanks, Warren.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sideny (Idlers Five)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jun 15 - 07:36 AM

Years later its time to fess up.

This is Rowan McClean, one of the Idlers Five and the main song writer. The song was launched by the late Graham Kennedy on "In Melbourne Tonight" on Channel Nine in August 1968.

In 1968 it was on top of the Melbourne hit charts for eight weeks. The original song sold 48,000 copies in Melbourne and about 1500 in Sydney (no doubt to Melbournians, )when 50,000 was a golden record. Shucks.

There was an update during the years Steve Bracks was Premier of Victoria, still very much pointing out Melbourne's advantages over Sydney, but they would undoubtedly be disputed north of the Murray. It was not recorded

An update to Melbourn & Sidney is planned shortly, but don't hold your breath. "All Our Time" an EP recorded with Judy Jacques is currently for sale on eBay for $40 and, wait for it, The Idlers Five Sing Folk and Gospel Songs (our first LP record) can be acquired for $799.99. What a bargain!

The Idlers Five, 45 years after this record, are performing live on 28 June 2015 (in Melbourne of course)!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sideny (Idlers Five)
From: Andrez
Date: 16 Jun 15 - 08:24 AM

Errrrr eggzactly where in Melborn moight yez be playin?

Cheerz

Andrez

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sideny (Idlers Five)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Jun 15 - 08:56 AM

congratulations, Rowan on a great song

history of Idlers Five

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Melborn and Sideny (Idlers Five)
From: GUEST,Rob
Date: 29 Jan 19 - 03:57 PM

I was just a kid but I remember this song. I used to perform it to my parents’ much amused friends. I concur with the comment that the chorus is Australian rules, not booze, but also the later line is it’s “not as classy” instead of “not as hearty”. It rhymes better with Ron Barrassi too.