Cold Water Brrrrrrr that’s a bit chilly Billy The water burned on entry The water it was cold The men were brave and did the task And so here the story’s told The month was June A crescent moon was shining On the campsite They’d pitch their tents All camouflaged And ready for a long night It was winter time and temperature was in around 12 degrees They hunkered down on C rations then rugged up for the freeze The Goolang creek was small but ferocious As it tore through broken banks atrocious That battled to contain the white waters of Nymboida I stood with a group of soldiers training for cold water Before they might be sent to some far away land and potential slaughter The 41st Battalion of the NSW army reserve A collection of farmers, cattlemen and workers (Banjo solo break) I was the one instructor who knew this raging river They’d come to face the deadly cold and thought I saw them growing old I watched the brave men’s bodies shake and their blue lips a-quiver The water temperature was eight degrees, enough to make uncovered knees Shake and wobble as they stood upon the river bank They looked like they were on a pirate ship and about to walk the plank I stood in waist deep water with full wetsuit and life jacket ready to dive in and ferry glide across Earning my pay packet To experience the pain and hurt the men wore shorts and shirts And eyes grew wide as they walked beside And one said ‘this will hurt’ The water burned on entry The water it was cold The men were brave and did the task And so here the story’s told We’d lit a great big fire beside the raging river To have a place to stop the shiver after rapids did deliver And as a guide for when I knew their suffering was through It Was when the skinny Bentley farmer started turning blue (Banjo solo break) The water burned on entry The water it was cold The men were brave and did the task And so here the story’s told (Guitar outtro)
