When You're Short of a Quid - Slim Dusty

Well, I’ve listened with patience to your sad tales

When you’re short of a smoke or the pub has no ale

but tell me fair dinkum, I don’t want you to kid

Have you ever been drifting and short of a quid

If you’ve been to a strange town in search of a job

Where a stranger’s not welcome with the local born mob

and you’ve probably done the same thing as I did

Stood around in a bar and was short of a quid

As I gaze at the drinkers all quenching their thirst

My lips were so dry, I thought they would burst

I reckoned someone would notice but nobody did

They’d apparently never been short of a quid

The publican’s looks were as black as the night

and I heard someone wisper, 'this bloke’s on the bite'

So I held up my wrist watch and called for a bid

No-one would buy it or lend me a quid.

Now, you blokes who have money, to travel in style

may laugh at my story but I too can smile

and to the battler and the driver, I’ll raise my old lid

Because they know what it’s like to be short of a quid

So if the pub has no beer, you could always drink rum

while you can wait with your mates for the quota to come

but your forehead gets wrinkled like the hat on your head

when you stand in a bar and your short of a quid

Yes, I’ve listened with patience to your sad tales

When you’re short of a smoke or the pub has no ale

but tell me fair dinkum, I don’t want you to kid

Have you ever been drifting and short of a quid