Stewie

Another cheerful ditty from Redgum's "Caught in the act" live album. The "step forward" stanzas have a different chord progression to all the others. Ward 8 at the QE, somwhere down Woodville Smokey grey Thursday, take out your sword Stewie was born, there was blood on the sheets Doctor was drunk and the sister was bored Home was a weatherboard housing trust unit A low cyclone fence with a sparse gravel drive Dad was a truckie from Adelaide to Melbourne Two trips a week just to keep them alive First sentence for Stewie was going to school In prison grey trousers he walked in the yard His Mum shed a tear at his vaselined pushback Clutching a ruler his name on a card Step forward Stewart Bedson the headmaster said It seemed like Stewie was always in strife Step forward Stewart Bedson the magistrate said This time 10 years, next time life Grades 1-7 passed pretty quickly Detention and caning and one million lines Stewie could write just enough to get by Stewie could read all the shoplifting signs There was a bond for a biro, a fine for some fags Another kids bike leading up to a car Photographs, fingerprints and juvenile courthouse A year in McNallies for going too far Step forward Stewart Bedson the magistrate said Over pine panneled wood leant the face of the law We think you're a threat to property and justice 3 years up the creek while we make sure Robbery and violence and retaliation For beatings and bashings at the hands of the screws Time in and time out time and again Is this what they mean by paying your dues Some people have plenty while others have none For the same working week seen year after year Worked over by coppers for tipping the scales Life wasn't meant to be easy Step forward Stewart Bedson the magistrate said Over pine panneled wood leant the face of the law We think you're a threat to property and justice 3 years up the creek while we make sure Ward 8 at the QE, somwhere down Woodville Smokey grey Thursday, take out your sword Stewie was born, there was blood on the sheets Doctor was drunk and the sister was bored