Where the serpents are in millions all of the most deadly stamp

Where the station cook in terror nearly every time he bakes

Mixes up among the dough boys half a dozen poison snakes

Where the wily free selector walks in armor plated pants

And defies the stings of scorpions and the bites of bulldog ants

Where the adder and the viper tear each other by the throat

There it was that william johnson sought his snakebite antidote

Johnson was a free selector and his brain went rather queer

For the constant sight of serpents filled him with a deadly fear

So he tramped his free selection morning afternoon and night

Seeking for some great specific that would cure the serpent's bite

Till king billy of the mooki chief of the flower bag head told him

Spazin' snakebite pella pella mostly drop down dead

Spazin' snakebite all goanna then you watch a while you see

All goanna cure himself with eating little pella tree

That's the cure said william johnson point me out this plant sublime

But king billy feeling lazy said he'd go another time

Thus it came to pass that johnson having got the tail by route

Followed every stray goanna seeking for the antidote

Loofing once beside the river while he thought his heart would break

There he saw a big goanna fighting with a tiger snake

In and out they rolled and wriggled bit each other heart and soul

Till the valiant old goanna swallowed his opponent whole

Breathless johnson sat and watched saw him struggle up the bank

Saw him nibbling at the branches of some bushes green and rank

Saw him happy and contented lick his lips and off he crept

While the bulging in his stomach showed where his opponent slept

Then a cheer of exultation burst aloud from johnson's throat

Look at lassity I've struck it tis the famous antidote

Here it is the grand elixir greatest blessing ever known

Twenty thousand men in india die each year of snakes alone

Think of all the foreign nations negro chao and blackamore

Saved from sudden expiration by my wondrous snakebite cure

It will bring me fame and fortune in the happy days to be

Men of every climb and nation will be around to gaze on me

Scientific men in thousands men of mark and men of note

Rushing down the mookie river after johnson's antidote

The heat will cure delirium tremens when the patient's eyeballs stare

At imaginary spiders snakes which really are not there

When he thinks he sees them wriggle when he thinks he sees them bloat

He will cure him just to think of johnson's snakebite antidote

Then he rushed to the museum found a scientific man

Trot me out a deadly serpent just the deadliest you can

I intend to let him bite me all the risk I will endure

Just to prove the sterling value of my wondrous snakebite cure

Even though an adder bit me back to life again I'd float

Snakes are out of date I tell ya since I found the antidote

Said the scientific person if you really want to die go ahead

But if you're doubtful let your sheepdog have a try

Get a pair of dogs and try it let the snake give both a nip

Give your dog the snakebite mixture let the other fellow rip

If he dies and yours survives him then it proves the thing is good

Will you fetch your dog and try it

Johnson rather thought he would

So he went and fetched his canine haul him forward by the throat

Stomp old man says he we'll show them where the genuine antidote

Both the dogs were duly loaded with the poison glands contents

Johnson gave his dog the mixture then set down to wait events

Mark he said in twenty minutes stump will be rushing round

While the other wretched creature lies a corpse upon the ground

But alas for william johnson here they'd watched a half hour spell

Stumpy was as dead as mutton t'other dog was live and well

And the scientific person hurried off with utmost speed

Tested johnson's drug and found it was a deadly poison weed

Half a tumbler killed an emu half a spoonful killed a goat

All the snakes on earth were harmless to that awful antidote

Down along the mookie river on the overlander's camp

Where the serpents are in millions all of the most deadly stamp

Wanders daily william johnson down among those poisonous hordes

Shooting every stray goanna calls them black and yellow frauds

And king billy of the mookie cadging for the cast off coat

Somehow seems to dodge the subject of the snakebite antidote