"Click Go the Shears" is a traditional Australian folk song which sings about the work of an old time sheep shearer before the days of machine shears. The various terms used in the tune are:-
'bare bellied yeo' = female sheep a ewe.
'snagger' = rough shearer
'ringer' = fastest shearer in the group
'blow' = stroke from a shear
'tar boy' = applies tar to sheeps injury
'swags' = bed roll.
It is a very old tune the melody of which is similar to the American Civil War song titled 'Ring the Bell Watchman' but the lyrics are Australian. Popularly sung by many artists including Slim Dusty however the US folk singer/actor Burl Ives released a hit version in 1958.
