I just returned from a weekend cruise on the PS Marion, the only passenger steam-driven paddleboat still operating, anywhere in the world.
The heritage vessel provided an immersive experience of what it must have been like, plying trade along the River Murray in the late 1800s and early 1900s. No air conditioning, small cabins, hearty meals, a busy crew, and a slow, slow crawl along the might river that is very wide in places and executes some very impressive bends, complete with sheer, red cliff faces, testament to the forces of erosion and momentum.
With a little imagination while on deck, I thought about the PS Canally, which Mid Murray Council will have operating early in 2026 with a team of dedicated volunteers. It was not a passenger vessel, it was a muscle boat. It hauled lots of freight at the highest speed possible for such paddlesteamers.
While winding very slowly around a broad arc of the River Murray, I heard “away, away, away around the bend” in my mind, and then that just flowed into the rest of this song that teeters on the edge of being a river shanty.
It is deliberately simple. I imagine most shanty-like songs would have been improvised over time, so I applied that discipline. It possibly is cheeky calling it the PS Canally Crew Song, but I will claim full poetic licence, given that I have spent more time dawdling along the river, powered by steam, than 99.9% of the population.
You might notice I reference larboard in the last verse. That was one of the early ways mariners referred to what is now known as port side. The reason it changed is because in the noise and tumble of commands on the waters, differentiating between larboard and starboard was not easy. In fact, it was a recipe for disaster.
Away Away Raw Scratcthings
Here are the scribbled notes I wrote on the top deck of the PS Marion.
Photos From The PS Marion
Here are a few snaps taken from on board the vessel, as we plodded our way along the River Murray.
Away Away Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Away, away, away around the bend
Away, away, with any thing you send
We have your wool down in the hold
It’s full of oily, fleecy gold
Away, away, away then back again
[Verse 2]
Away, away, away around the bend
Away, away, with any thing you send
We have your wheat down in the hold
It’s bristling full of grainy gold
Away, away, away then back again
[Alternate Verse 1]
Away, away,
we’ve been too long away
Away, away,
we’ve been too long away
Stop now, stop now, engineer
We see the dock is drawing near
Away, away,
we’ve been too long away
[Verse 3]
Away, away, away around the bend
Away, away, with any thing you send
We have some flour in the hold
With pots and pans we’ll trade for gold
Away, away, away then back again
[Alternate Verse 2]
Away, away,
dawn brings another day
Away, away,
dawn brings another day
Stop now, stop now, engineer
All hands larboard, all stand clear
Away, away,
dawn brings another day