Innaminka Muster chords by Slim Dusty

Intro:
C       G    C

Verse:
C                                              G
Oh, they'd mustered all the cattle on the Innamincka run,
             F                                     G
And also on Cordilla Downs the same thing had been done,
      C                                                     F
They shifted all the cows an' calves, the bullocks and the steers,
                      C
The biggest bang town muster job in many, many years.

G                                                   C
Oh the Diamantina channels and the lignum now are bare
          F                                                    G
Some wide eyed long horned pikers were all they'd left out there,
                  C                                       F
Next day the helicopters came and cleared them from the run,
                    C                    G              C
The mickeys didn't stand a chance, they shot 'em one by one.

                                                             G
Desease and blight had struck the herd, the beast all had to go,
             F                                      G
To save the export market and increase the money flow,
                         C                              F
Though it wasn't a very pretty scene to see the pikers fall,
                  C
And pilot of the chopper didn't like the job at all.

G                                                        C
And the stockmen riding shotgun did his best to keep it clean,
          F                                                 G
He tried his best for one shot kills to ease the grizzly scene,
C                                              F
But soon the job was over and the land allowed to spell,
                                    G             C
Once again the stony desert had a tragic tale to tell.

Instrumental:
C       G   F
G      C   F
G C D

A
They wait now for the seasons to rejuvenate the land,
G                                               D
Restock again with breeders and keep them well in hand,
                              D                                G
Oh the flood plains then will prosper and flights will be no more,
D                                        A          D
Once more the stockmen riding, like they used to do before.

A                            D
And the cattle camps be busy with a new and stronger breed,
                        G                               A
As they muster through the lignum where the cattle love to feed,
D                                                       G
Through the sand hills of Cordilla or the Innamincka Plains,
                     D                         A             D
Once more we'll see the stock men's hands rest lightly on the reins.

                                      A
At the Innamincka muster, there were choppers in the sky,
G                                             D
Cattle country gun ships with the rifleman on high,
                      D                                  G
Oh the pikers didn't stand a chance, the cattle war was won,
                  D               A                D
Beside the stony desert were they shot 'em one by one.

A                                        D
Old timers had another way, they very seldom failed,
                  G                                   D
To block the way with mickey , and throw him by the tail,
                                                  G
But now the ringer's airborne, helicopters on the go,
                    D                A              D
In the Diamantina country where the channels waters flow.
A                          G           G A D
Where the channels waters flow.