The Ballad of Queenie and Rover

Queenie was born on the banks of the great old river, 1930 maybe
Her mother was black, her daddy white
Papa was a fine horse breaker
Mama sang the songs of the old law makers
She used to hide young Queenie in the bush
And rub black charcoal over her hair and her face
Every time the police came round
Looking for any blonde-haired brown-skinned children
To round em all up, take em on downtown

Shine on shine on immortal one
Shine on shine on immortal one

Rover was born in the desert
He lived out there till his mother died
Then he moved around a lot from place to place
Bedford Downs, Beau River, Lissendell, Wyndham
Building fences, working as a stockman
Then he had a series of dreams
He started painting what he'd heard and he'd seen
Rainbow serpent, krill, krill, cyclone Tracey
The killing field
Everything that lives and breathes

Write on write on immortal one
Write on write on immortal one
Your story will always run

When Rover and Queenie were young
They met out on New Texas Town station
She worked as a cook there, for a long, long time
She said "hey cowboy"
Later on she said "nice boy" "good workin'" "top rider" "lucky one that one"
One day a mean horse ripped the scalp from his head
She stitched him up with a boiled needle and thread
Good as any doctor
They were friends ever after
She said "I wanna paint"
He said "I'll teach ya"
They died within months of each other

Write on write on immortal ones
Shine on shine on immortal ones
Write on write on immortal ones
Shine on shine on immortal ones
Your story will always run, forever run