Banjo Paterson: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Last Week

Banjo Paterson

“Last Week” as printed in The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses (1895).

Banjo Paterson: Collected Lyrics Text 6 1895 · historical text
Public domainBush balladAustralian song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Oh, the new-chum went to the back block run,

But he should have gone there last week.

He tramped ten miles with a loaded gun,

But of turkey or duck he saw never a one,

For he should have been there last week,

They said,

There were flocks of 'em there last week.

Verse 2

He wended his way to a waterfall,

And he should have gone there last week.

He carried a camera, legs and all,

But the day was hot, and the stream was small,

For he should have gone there last week,

They said.

They drowned a man there last week.

Verse 3

He went for a drive, and he made a start,

Which should have been made last week,

For the old horse died of a broken heart;

So he footed it home and he dragged the cart—

But the horse was all right last week,

They said,

He trotted a match last week.

Verse 4

So he asked the bushies who came from far

To visit the town last week,

If they'd dine with him, and they said 'Hurrah!

But there wasn't a drop in the whisky jar—

You should have been here last week,

He said,

I drank it all up last week!

Credits

Written by Banjo Paterson

Words by Banjo Paterson. Historical text published in The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses (1895); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses (1895), “Last Week”

A. B. "Banjo" Paterson (1864-1941) died more than 84 years ago; his works entered the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions in 2012, and the 1895 first edition is in the public domain in the United States. Entries credited to other hands are held unless their author died more than 70 years ago.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-27. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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