by Daniel Kelly - 2025 G A D Where have you gone Christmas Beetle, G A You don’t come around here anymore, G D When at night I have a gander, out on my veranda, A D It’s just lawn beetles on the window and the door. D A When I was a youngster only seven, A D I’d go outside at this time of the year, G A And soon clutched to my hand, D G In rainbow armour grand, A D Would be the beetle saying Christmas time is here. Did we have a war with Argentina, Was it Christmas Beetles that we had to pay, Have they got our Scarab’s round, And we have theirs tiny and brown, I’d rather it was in the ground they’d stay. It’s not that don’t like tiny beetles, Or that browny orange isn’t very nice, It’s just that to me, Your not Christmas you see, Bring the others back would be my advice.
Project Type: Chords and Lyrics
The Oath of the Engineer
by Daniel Kelly – 2025
Inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s words for the Canadian Engineering ‘Iron Ring’ ceremony.
In the presences of my betters and my equals I am called, To bind myself by iron cold, with the power that I hold, To suffer not a fault at work, or fault in steel or stone, But deal upright before mankind, that my soul remain my own. My time I sure will not refuse, I’ll grudge not thoughts to share, And likewise I will lend my care, each time my hand is there, To every work that I am called, on land or sea or air, With honour and the perfect goal, of every engineer. I’ll draw a wage that’s fair and just, and equal unto my part, My reputation I will guard, with courage in my heart, The praises of another I’ll not seek or entertain, But deal with each in honest faith without favour or gain, And further, I will early strive against the sin of pride, No envy of my peers’ success, in my heart will I hide, I seek pardon now, for times I’ll fail, but once acknowledge then, I’ll draw strength from this solemn oath, to rise better again.
Fairy Bower Falls
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
Am G Am Look at the water all turning and rushing, Am B7 Over the stone just a million years young, C G Am Em Joyfully falling, the silence still learning, Am C G Am To hold in the heart, all the things we have done, Listen to laughter, rising through the valley, Listen to father and mother concerned, Listen to echoing call of the Lyre, Lost to our eyes is the history unlearned, Why is the gurgle of stream mixed with screaming, Why do the shots echo over the gorge, Why does the water run red as the sunset, Why is the laughter of children no more,
Aslan’s on the Move
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
D C D She has kept me out for a long time, C D But I’ve got in at last, D’ G The long winter is ending, Em D Now the Witch’s power is past. For Peter I’ve a sword to give, With blade that’s sharp and true, A shield to guard from danger, With rampant lion red and new. C G/Em D Aslan’s on the move. Aslan’s on the move A bow for eldest Susan, The brave daughter of eve, With magic horn of ivory, That calls help to those in need. And lastly Lucy’s dagger, Sharpest in defence, And healing flask of diamond, Of the fire-flower blessed But where is Adam’s other son, When Aslan’s on the move, Lost to evil treachery, Edmund’s guilt we must remove.
Agatha’s Circle
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
Em Some come to the circle for power, D G Some come to the circle for fame, B7 Some come with a wish that the lost may be found, Dsus Em Or the found may be lost once again. Em G I take them all, I take them all, C The proud and the scared, B7 And the short and the tall, D Em Driven by greed they will easily fall, C D Em Into my wide-open arms. Some come to the circle for money, Some come to the circle for love, Some come with a lust for revenge in their heart, Or lust for a love that grown apart, Some come to circle in sadness, Some come to the circle in glee, Some come with desire to dance in the fire, But they’ll only be dancing with me.
5th November
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
D If Donald Trump wins G A on the 5th of November, Here is something I hope, that you all will remember. G D That you still can be brave, A D And you still can be kind, You don’t have to give him a space in your mind, Em And just like fascists Bm That rose once before, A In time the good people, Bm Will show him the door. X 2 I know that it’s scary, When hatred is shouting, And the voices of reason, Seem to be doubting, But I hold on to hope, And I hold on to joy, I look past the fear, And shared strength I employ, And just like the rainbow, That follows the storm, The wild and angry, Will soon be outworn, It doesn’t make sense, That some folk will follow, A many who spreads lies, And is greedy and hollow, But we can be true, And we can be free, We can reach out a hand, To the lost that we see. And after the suffering, The loss and the pain, We will rebuild our freedom, And forget his name,
Puppet Man
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
G Now Elon’s got a puppet, C D He won’t be afraid to use it, G C You cast a vote for Donald, D G But he’s powerless to use it. C G Welcome to American Kleptocracy, D G Goodbye to the dream of Democracy, C Bm Cause power follows money, Am D And the greedy follow power, C D G And freedom dies in the final hour. Trump was in a quandary, The debts so high were piling, Several convictions, But Elon he was smiling. Musk he bought the blue bird, Tied it to the altar, Plucked it’s shiny feathers, Minds of millions he can alter, The Maga folks are cheering, Smug in their illusion, But soon they will be living The Donald Elon Fusion.
Samhain Fire
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
G D G The wheel of the year it is turning, C D G And the darkness has risen once more, Em C G As it touches the light we are yearning, C D G For the souls that have gone through the door C D G In the flames of the Samhain fire, C G D In the flames of the Samhain fire, Em D G Shine the faces of those who have left us, G C D They smile upon us once more. C D G In the flames of the Samhain fire, All things must follow the circle, That which dies will be once again born, For we know that the wheel it is turning, And hope is with us when we mourn, The cake is prepared on the table, The candle shines within the root, The wine it is full in the glasses, The spirits welcome to the moot,
In the Cards
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
Am G Am Draw whatever is your will, G From the deck that life has delt, C G Whether Fool, Empress or Lovers, Am G Am The meaning can be felt, C G It will hold an ancient mirror, Am G To a future yet unknown, Am G Will you walk the road together, Am G Am Or naked and alone. C G Your future’s in the cards, Am G However they may fall, Em Am Do they tell of wealth and power, G Am Or will sorrow come to call, Will fortune be your mistress, Or your friend upon the road, Am G Will you have the strength to carry, Am G Am What fate has decreed your load, The wand, the cup the sword, Each a journey to be told, With it’s hills and darkened valleys, For the traveler so bold, Warnings and betrayals, And Tragedy do doubt, Will the cards upon the table, Be your destiny played out. The Pentacle it shines, Like a dollar on the ground, Or a dollar in your pocket, What goes will come around, Is it superstitious nonsense, Or a thousand-year-old con, Do you dare to ask the question, Is it right or is it wrong,
One Blossom on the Tree
by Daniel Kelly - 2024 D Just one blossom on the tree, G A Says the winters ending, D Bm Though other cold days still we’ll see, A D The light is now ascending, D G Hear the Spring, D Hear the Spring, G D From soil and branch, A D She’s beginning to sing. With trees still bare against grey sky, The days still hold some sorrow, But Daffodil has raised her head, And warmth will come tomorrow. The memory of winters chill, Still lingers by the river, But joyful chirp of finch and wren, Welcomes the life giver,
Six8 Coffee
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
G Em A Coffee’s just a coffee, C G You make it from a bean, C D But a coffee made with kindness, D G Is a thing more seldom seen, G Em And a coffee that helps others, C D Is a rarer thing than gold, C G A prayer to build a better world, G D G In every cup that’s sold. D G With justice in your actions, D G And mercy in your love, C G Walk humble upon the earth, D G As required from above. If you think about a single bean, And where it has come from, And every hand that touched it, Upon it’s journey long, The soil and the water, That fed each growing tree, Must all share in the bounty, That comes from you and me, When you sell a bag of beans, And profit comes to you, There is a choice to hoard the wealth If that’s what you want to do, But also you could pass some on, To those in greater need, And all the world will flourish, With the planting of that seed,
Change is Coming
by Daniel Kelly 2024
There’s a change coming, x 2 There’s a change coming in the wind (x 2) There’s a change coming, I can hear the roots a thrumin’ There’s a change coming in the wind. For the folks in wealth and power, It’s the ending of your hour, Theres a… For the hopeless and down trodden, The machine’s rusted and rotten, Theres a… Those spread’n lies and terror, It’s too late to see your error, There’s a… If you’re selling false salvation, The train has left the station, There’s a… For the truth it is returning, And the world will soon be burning, There’s a…
Facebook Feed Blues
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
C G7 G My Facebook Feed’s Full of Misogynist Crap G C And although I block them, they keep coming back, C G7 G I just want to see the news from my friends, G C Or cat memes and squirrels, not young ladies’ rear ends. It’s not that I’m prudish, or seeking to shame, It’s just that I know the exploitation game, This content is made just for getting the clicks, Enticing the lusty who think with their, eyes. F G C I’m blocking another page, G G7 C Trying to contain my rage, F C Am I did not ask to see it, Make it go away, G C Can I survive Facebook for another day? My Facebook feed’s full of Republican lies, About folk eating dogs, or Ukrainian Spies, I know Taylor isn’t in the CIA, AR-15s for children, surely isn’t the way, It’s not that you shouldn’t defend where you stand, but kids are being shot all over the land, They keep on pretending Trump’s in with a chance, He’s got less than the sofa assaulted by Vance My Facebook feed’s full bots selling shirts, In colours and themes so ugly it hurts, I’ll help you recover your profile that’s hacked, Just click on this link and you’ll soon have it back, I love daily posts by the filker Tom Smith, And music from friends always gives me a lift, But the broke algorithm that ruins my feed, Can go back to Twitter, that’s what I need.
Wherever
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
G D C G I brought my love a ring of gold, C G Am D Her heart to win by stories told, G C D G But her fine finger it would not hold, C D G The wildness grew but stronger, C G D G Fa la la la, Fa la la di, C G D G I’ll follow her path, wherever she be, I brought my love a flowering tree, Hoping our hearts entwined to be, Blossom and thorn filled with honey bee, They grew our garden over, So I wrote my love the sweetest of songs, With melody fine and verses strong, A chorus to sing, but not overly long, And sang it to win her favour, I gave my love my hand to hold, Through year on year until we grow old, Warmth in a fire, that’ll never be cold, And love beyond all measure.
William Fly
by Daniel Kelly – 2024, based on the last words of the Pirate William Fly
God reward ‘em accorin’ to their Deserts. Said William Fly, William Fly I must be where I am. 'Tis vain to say more. Said William Fly from the gallows, I shan't own myself a Murderer’s Guilt, Our Captain and Mate used us Barbarously. We poor Men can't have Justice done. To our Commanders words there were none, Let them never so much us abuse, Poor Sailors just like dogs they use I shan't own m’self Guilty, no killer I be, False Oathes have others made against me!
Wee Jasper School
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
For the 125th anniversary of the public school at Wee Jasper.
D G Two hours out of Canberra, D A On a long and windy road, G D Once you cross the Taemus Bridge D A’ Where the murrumbidggee flows, D You’ll find some magic country, G D Shaped a million years ago, A’ D Rocky hills and crystal rivers, A D Where the eucalyptus grows, D A’ And there’s a tiny school, D G With a giant heart, A D For the big big world, G A’ There’s no better start, D A’ With community, D G In a world apart, G A’ D Here at Wee Jasper School We rode to school on horseback, Left our ponies to the grass, Unless your name was Harold Carey And rode straight into the class, Though often small in number, We are always taught with care, For a century and a quarter, Young lives were started here. The school house is still standing, Despite bureaucracy and years, A 1000 students through the doors, All off on their careers, When the Education Minister, Arrives by chopper once again, He’ll see the school is thriving, An may it never end,
Giants – for Bob Brown
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
G C G I stood at the foot of a giant tree, D Looked up to its crown, G C As it looked down at me. C Two thousand years old, G D And a hundred feet tall, C G D G And I felt so small in its shadow. I floated the Franklin in a tiny boat, Tossed by the current, And barely afloat, Ancient stone rose, Around every bend, And I drank in the cool of its shadow, C G D G Stone and water, moss and tree, C G C D I’m part of them as they are of me, C G I’ll fight for their right, D G To live and let be, C G D G Though all the world seek to destroy them I sat in the halls of democracy, And I spoke up to power, As it looked down on me, In State and in Capital, I spoke truth to them all, And I refused to hide in their shadow, I’ve stood at the front of the protest line, For tree and for river, And peace in our time, And many a day, I’ve been led to a cell, But I always emerge from the shadow. I sit at the foot of a giant tree, Looked up to its crown, As it looks down at me. And though I am old, I can still hear the call, and the millions who march in my shadow.
Unicorse
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
Em G I got fleas, I’m gonna eat em, D Em Chicken buckets, you can’t beat em, C G Broccoli showers, well you can keep em’ D If there’s a better looking horse, Em I’d like to meet ‘em. Em D G D C Cause I’m a Uni, Uni, unicorse, G D C A uni, uni, unicorse. Em D G Yes I’m a unicorse x 2 You tell a story, I’m gonna spoil it, If you hit me, I’m gonna lawyer it, Don’t brush my teeth, or take showers, If you ask me to be quiet, I’ll talk for hours. Little children, my favourite snack, I’ve got a horn, it will attack, Tell me your problem, you’re gonna hear, Aaaaaand why should I care?
Another Weasley
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
G Well I’m another Weaseley, Em Like my father was before, C G They say I won’t amount to much, C D But that’s not what life is for. C D We may not have the finest house, G C But it’s always filled with love, C G And that is the most precious thing, C D G A wizard can dream of. Em D G But I wanna know what Rubber ducks are for, Em G D Do they use them to hold open a door? C D Those Muggles keep so many things, G C I just cannot keep score, C D G But what exactly, are rubber ducks for. Molly is my only love, We met in Gryffindor, We got married in the middle, Of the first wizarding war, If you mess with her family, You’ll regret it for sure, And find out like Bellatrix did, What Molly’s wand has in store, In the Order of the Phoenix, We fought for wizard kind, But Fred my son and the price he paid, Is always on my mind, Often it is the little folk, That stand up to the strong, When a true heart beats within you, You never can go wrong, (chorus lines) Do they protect you from sharp things on the floor? Are they a vessel from which alcohol can pour?
Gertrude McAlister
by Daniel Kelly – 2024
About the 22 year old woman murdered in Wee Jasper in 1914.
Am G C Am Young Gertrude McAlister, a girl of 22, Am G Am G Am With years of life before her, so much left to do, Am G Am G Started working as a servant, out on the old Wee Jasper run, Am C G Am But Alexander McBean, he had a wayward son. C G Though you escaped the hangman’s rope, Am G By choosing your own gun, G Am There isn’t blood in all the land, C G Am To pay for what you’ve done. Norman he was 35, 13 years older than her, He forced himself upon the girl, violence, lust and fear, I doubt he even listened to her lonely broken cries, The arrogance of privilege, she was chattel in his eyes. When Gertrude told him of the consequences of his deed, In frightened shameful panic, Norman hatched a vile seed, The girl would have to disappear, or risk the family name, So he shot her in the kitchen, faked a note to hide the blame, Then Norman asked the copers, how the hanging it would go, If they should catch the murderer, what would the inquest show, When his fate became apparent, he took the cowards path, And shot himself between the eyes, a week after Gert had breathed her last.