They call me a drover but God only knows,
How long it has been since I last hit the road,
Sold all the horses, the blue dog is dead,

And the rats are devouring, the gear in the shed.

My bridle and stockwhip now hang on the wall,

I doubt if I ever will use them at all,
My spurs and my cork pod I'll not use again,
Oh you don't need such trappings when drovin' by train.


Drovin' by train, drovin' by train,
Oh you don't need such trappings when drovin' by train.


Don't need a packhorse to carry my swag,
Don't need to be careful to balance the bags,

This battered old esky will hold all I need,
And a rusty tin opener will get me a feed.


How long has it been since I last sang a tune,
While ridin' around by the light of the moon,
I doubt if I'll ever ride night watch again,

Oh you don't do that singin' when drovin' by train.

Drovin' by train, drovin' by train,

Oh you don't do that singin' when drovin' by train.

This dirty old rattling and lurching KB,

Ain't exactly the latest in sweet luxury,
There ain't any carpets or tiles on the floor,
And the paint work an' curtains don't match the decore.


Well I stand at the door and I gaze at the track,
And I think of those cattle an' there's no turnin' back,

Oh the rattle of breaks is their farewell refrain,
Their goin' to slaughter and travellin' by train.


Drovin' by train, drovin' by train,
They're goin' to slaughter and travellin' by train.


I pulled into a station and screamed at the guard,
Oh just how long do we stand in his yard?
I've ten bullock down and I can't get 'em up,

Oh, for God's sake get movin' or I'll lose the lot.

The battery is finished, the chigger is dead,

All I can think of is home an' the bed,
I run down the track an' I race back again,
Oh, I've had a gut full of drovin' by train.


Drovin' by train, drovin' by train,
Oh, I've had a gut full of drovin' by train.


We're movin' once more and I lie on my swag,
An' I think of those bullocks and dusty old stags,

At least I've got room to lie down and spread out,
But those poor dreary cattle get more knocked about..


When I think of those bullocks, it humbles my pride,
To think of them takin' that last final ride,
Just like this old drover, they're goin' by train,

An' I doubt if we'll ever see Gidgee again.

Drovin' by train, drovin' by train,

I doubt if we'll see Gidgee again.