Did you hear that poor old John died? asked the swaggie of his mate
Somewhere up the North they tell me, he was in a sorry state.
It seems he was still searching for that bird he spoke about
And it was on some lonely highway his old ticker just gave out.

Yeah, I heard something about that Bill the other swaggie said
I never thought I'd live to hear the news that John was dead
For a stronger man I've never seen in all my roving days
Determined, grim and resolute, yet kind in all his ways.

Now it's time I hit the road mate, gotta make ten miles today
So I'll see you round the traps some time, good luck.oh by the way
I was passing where they'd buried John, Bill to his mate then said
And I chanced to see his marker, the inscription on it read

"There lies beneath this mound of earth a mate a bird done wrong
The victim of a broken heart was John..from Wollongong".