The True Crime stories behind Wild Colonial Boy & other Australian ballads
May 1, 2019 3:01 PM Subscribe
The True Crime stories behind Wild Colonial Boy & other Australian ballads
I've just posted the first three of my Bushranger Ballads song essays, telling the True Crime stories behind Bold Jack Donohoe, The Wild Colonial Boy and The Death of Peter Clark. These songs belong to a genre of 19th century Australian ballads celebrating the colony's cheekiest and most successful highwaymen. The new essays are a PlanetSlade Murder Ballads Production, and join last September's background essay on bushranger songs which we've discussed previously.
Why these three particular songs? Here's the little blurbs I've used to introduce each one:
Bold Jack Donohoe
Donohoe was the first bushranger to win fame for his exploits. His song remains a template for every bushranger ballad that's followed.
The Wild Colonial Boy
AL Lloyd said this song vies with Waltzing Matilda for the role of Australia's unofficial national anthem. But who's it about - and can Ireland really claim him as its own?
The Death of Peter Clark
Most bushranger ballads celebrate the bandits rather than their victims. This New South Wales song is an exception.
I've just posted the first three of my Bushranger Ballads song essays, telling the True Crime stories behind Bold Jack Donohoe, The Wild Colonial Boy and The Death of Peter Clark. These songs belong to a genre of 19th century Australian ballads celebrating the colony's cheekiest and most successful highwaymen. The new essays are a PlanetSlade Murder Ballads Production, and join last September's background essay on bushranger songs which we've discussed previously.
Why these three particular songs? Here's the little blurbs I've used to introduce each one:
Bold Jack Donohoe
Donohoe was the first bushranger to win fame for his exploits. His song remains a template for every bushranger ballad that's followed.
The Wild Colonial Boy
AL Lloyd said this song vies with Waltzing Matilda for the role of Australia's unofficial national anthem. But who's it about - and can Ireland really claim him as its own?
The Death of Peter Clark
Most bushranger ballads celebrate the bandits rather than their victims. This New South Wales song is an exception.
Role: Researcher/writer/publisher.
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