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When wending north of Melbourne town along the great M31 Avail your eyes horizonwise to see some free-range freeway fun At almost of four k’s short of Broadford, kind of Kilmore latitude A growing crowing slowly showing swells your heart with gratitude, when Heading up the Hume, at signs for Clonbinane My eyes behold a sight that quite delights me once again High on yonder hill, it cheers me up no end To see the Rooster Tree, my friend around the bend For yonks I thought this fine faux fowl affair was mine and mine alone But then a flock of fans in Wang informed me how this love has grown My private roadside scene, ‘Road Island Red in Green’, has flown the coop Hume Highway Hilltop He Hen Tree Huggers now have a Facebook group ... Initially I called it Chicken Tree but gender reassigned And utter nutters see a Squirrel Tree, but we don’t like their kind When from afar it’s singular but closer view shows more than two It’s like a grand arboreal syzygy that lines up right on cue ... It seems that even heathens like myself can’t stop the dropping jaw Indeed the least religious still prodigiously have sacred awe for it But plant poultry idolatry may sway you from your path Distracting leghorn-leafed belief can leave a tragic aftermath, when hurtling ... Though threat of bushfire and imprudent pruning fuel my brooding fears This plucky hilltop topiary’s stayed clucky, luckily for years May its herbaceous gallinaceous grace embrace these times of doubt So future generations get the chance to say, “Hey, check that out” … Hooning ... İMal Webb 2009 Chords: Verse: l B7 l E7 l A7 l D l B7 l E7 l F7 l C l Chorus: l B7 l E7 l A7 l D l B7 l E7 l A7 - - l D l For more than a decade I'd noticed the tree on the hill just before Broadford as you drive up the Hume Highway from Melbourne. Then one day mentioned it to a group for locals up in Wangaratta and they all said, "Aw yeah, the Rooster Tree!" and then turned to eachother and said, "oh, you've noticed it too!" After much discussion (and abhorrent mention of squirrels), a woman at a neighbouring table leaned over and said, "Hey, you know that Rooster Tree has a Facebook page with more that 5000 members!" Thus, I decided it needed an anthem. You need to know that "gallinaceous" means chicken-like. In recent years of good rainfall, the ol' Rooster has got a bit shaggy and when I drop my CD to the owner's house (I'm pretty sure I've worked out on whose property the tree reside) I might see if they're up for some judicious pruning... is that wrong? Hmmm. I thought I'd better make the song a "driving rhythm" and anyone trying to work out the banjo uke part, remember I'm left handed and don't restring my uke! Check out the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5437732257 |