Old Teddy Poem by Francis Duggan

He left his Hometown of Blackburn when he had turned nineteen
And in his fifty years in Australia a lot of life he has seen
But a little part of England with him remain today
That accent he brought with him from him won't go away.

He is ten times a grandfather the seeds of life he has sown
And at the local pub old Teddy by everyone is known
And when he gets drunk on a saturday night the old homeland shore looks more green
And he sings aloud his favourite song 'God save our gracious queen'.

Nostalgia and patriotism is brought to life by the beer
And old songs from his Mother Country we are obliged to hear
But meet him on sunday morning and you meet a different Ted
He feels a bit hung over and fuzzy in the head.

Ten years ago his wife Dorothy left him for to live with another man
They had been together for close to thirty years in time a lengthy span
But her leaving did not seem to worry him he merely said that's life
Suppose he did me a big favour when he took from me my wife.

On saturday night at the local pub he sings God save the queen
And when he's drunk the Homeland shore is looking far more green
But meet him when he's sober and you won't hear him say
That he would like to go back home to Blackburn far away.

Old Teddy is a character and he would not harm a fly
And that accent he brought with him is with him till he die
Ten times a grand father he would help you if he could
And he is known and loved by many and in him there's so much good.