John Thompson 2010
The true story of a Glaswegian emigrant to Australia, William Sinclair, who became famous in the Maleny District of South-East Queensland for defeating a bear in a wrestling match when a circus visited Landsborough in the early 20th Century.
Cloudstreet (John Thompson’s band): Bill and the Bear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saSDJOO5LNU
Come listen now, good people here To a story of renown Of the day a hundred years ago when the circus came to town Mr. Wirth and all his gallant crew They raised the big top high And all the folk for miles around Gathered under a canvas sky Chorus And were you there in the clear night air when William Sinclair he fought the bear? Were you there to see William Sinclair When he wrestled the bear to the ground? There were dancing ponies and tumbling clowns The best you ever did see A lion tamer and a high wire act A girl on the flying trapeze There was a fat ring-master in a big top hat And he slashed his whip through the air With a roar and a growl, a cage went clang It was Samson the mighty bear He was ten feet high, he was nine feet wide A mountain of muscle and fur A mighty beast just as black as the coal The ground shook with his roar Then the man with the whip, he called for quiet Not a sound from those who were there “I’ve a crisp ten pounds for any man here Who’s brave enough to wrestle a bear!” Bill and his family had come to see the show His youngest newly born The strongest man to ever walk the range He’d carry his weight in corn He sized up the beast, with a glance at his wife He slowly raised his hand “I’ll have a go”, he heard himself say Then up struck the band Stripped to the waist, Bill entered the ring Circling and bouncing round First left, then right, ’til he lunged right in The crowd didn’t make a sound They twisted and they turned as they wrestled and they grappled At the skin and the muscle and the hair With a mighty roar, Bill threw Samson down He raised his fist in the air You’ve never heard a roar quite like it The shouts split the midnight air Bill was raised above all the heads of the crowd To the cheers of everyone there And to this day, when you see the name Of the famous Bill Sinclair Raise your glass and drink to the health Of the only man to ever beat the bear.