So there you have it folks, my ramblings about a couple of Australian tunes that rattled around my head whilst on the road in the great country.
G’day, you wonderful people.
During our travels around the wonderful land of Oz, we encountered some very interesting people. We also spent a long time in the car doing hundreds of kilometres and during this time I had time to think and ponder on life and sometimes my brain took me to ridiculous places.
Here are some of my thoughts from one of those such days.
In the UK our national anthem sounds truly miserable. Yes, I guess it’s ok to ask God to save our gracious Queen etc, but why oh why, does it have such a dreary tune? When you watch sporting events and other countries sing theirs, you can actually tap your foot along to the tune. Take America for instance. The Star Spangled Banner.
Cool name, cool tune!
Well, Australia has an official anthem, but it has also adopted a couple of others. Let me tell you about them. One is True Blue by John Williamson. True Blue means ‘authentically Australian’. It was adopted mainly by their National cricket and Rugby Union teams as their theme song – but go to any event – sporting or even in the pub, and you’ll get a bunch of Aussies belting it out proudly. It was also performed at Steve Irwin’s public memorial service (it was his favourite song).
True Blue has a ranking in the “Ozzest 100” That is the ‘most Australian songs of all time’. The 1982 version, in my opinion, is the best one. It has a reference to Vegemite that has since been removed, but what foodstuff is any more Australian than Vegemite?
Put it back into the song, I say!
The lyrics, for those who have spiked an interest are:
Hey True Blue, don't say you've gone. Say you've knocked off for a smoko, And you'll be back later on Hey True Blue, Hey True Blue. Give it to me straight, face to face Are you really disappearing, Just another dying race Hey True Blue True Blue, is it me and you, Is it Mum and Dad, is it a cockatoo Is it standin' by your mate when he's in a fight Or just Vegemite True Blue, I'm asking you, Hey True Blue, can you bear the load Will you tie it up with wire, Just to keep the show on the road Hey True Blue Hey True Blue, now be Fair Dinkum, Is your heart still there If they sell us out like sponge cake Do you really care? Hey True Blue
Bring it up on YouTube, have a couple of listens to it, and I guarantee by the third time, you will be singing along to it in your best Australian accent with a huge smile on your face.
The other unofficial song that is always sung is Waltzing Matilda. Now, I’d put money on this one that you have definitely heard it. Have you ever given thought to the lyrics though? I hadn’t until I listened properly to it during the long drives. It was written in 1895 by Australian poet Banjo Paterson. He was Australia’s greatest poet of the 19th century, and the only one named after a string instrument…
It goes (and for the record, these are his words, not the words used today as someone re-wrote them slightly)
Oh! There once was a swagman camped in the billabong, Under the shade of a coolabah tree, and he sang as he looked at his old billy boiling, who’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
The main distinguishing feature you will notice, is that it makes no sense. Obviously, it makes no sense to anyone not familiar with bush-lingo – that was intentional – but even to someone who understands the words, it still makes no sense…
A billabong is a watering hole. So my first question is – why is the swagman camped IN it? He’s not at the side…he’s in it? Personally, I would be at the side. All I can think of is that Banjo maybe had a few before putting pen to paper. A swagman, for those not in ‘the know’ is an Australian traveller. The term comes about from the rolled blanket or swag that he carried. Another name for a swag was Matilda. A billy is a can that you use to boil water and a coolabah tree is…well, a coolabah tree. Why the swagman is in the water waltzing with his rolled-up bed is beyond me, and if you look at the 2nd verse – why on earth he desires to be joined by someone or something else in this possibly depraved and bizarre activity has me dumbfounded. These questions, obviously, can not be answered as the author is long departed. However, it adopted a lovely tune (I believe it has Scottish roots) and it is sung by many.
So there you have it folks, my ramblings about a couple of Australian tunes that rattled around my head whilst on the road in the great country.
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