i was only 19 by Redgum

A war song that speaks of the horrors of war and young boys fighting so far from home for our safety

Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing-out parade at Puckapunyal
It was a long march from cadets.
The sixth battalion was the next to tour, and it was me who drew the card.
We did Canungra, Shoalwater before we left.

And Townsville lined the footpaths as we marched down to the quay
This clipping from the paper shows us young and strong and clean.
And there's me in my slouch hat with my SLR and greens.
God help me, I was only nineteen.

From Vung Tau, riding Chinooks, to the dust at Nui Dat
I'd been in and out of choppers now for months.
But we made our tents a home, VB and pinups on the lockers
And an Agent Orange sunset through the scrub.

And can you tell me, doctor, why I stil can't get to sleep?
And night-time's just a jungle dark and a barking M16?
And what's this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means?
God help me, I was only ninteen.

A four week operation when each step could mean your last one on two legs
It was a war within yourself.
But you wouldn't let your mates down til they had you dusted off
So you closed your eyes and thought about something else.

Then someone yelled "Contact!" and the bloke behind me swore
We hooked in there for hours, then a Godalmighty roar
Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon,
God help me, he was going home in June.

I can still see Frankie, drinking tinnies in the Grand Hotel
On a thirty-six hour rec leave in Vung Tau
And I can still hear Frankie, lying screaming in the jungle
Til the morphine came and killed the bloody row.

And the Anzac legends didn't mention mud and blood and tears
And the stories that my father told me never seemed quite real.
I caught some pieces in my back that I didn't even feel
God help me, I was only nineteen.

And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can't get to sleep?
And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my feet?
And what's this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means?
God help me, I was only nineteen.

I've been everywhere man by Geoff Mack

This song was made famous by the telstra Bigpond ad.

I've Been Everywhere

by Geoff Mack©, as sung by Lucky Starr (1962)

I've been everywhere...

Well, I was humpin' my bluey on the dusty Oodnadatta road,
When along came a semi with a high and canvas-covered load.
(Spoken) "If you're goin' to Oodnadatta, mate, um, with me you can ride."
So I climbed in the cabin and I settled down inside.
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand, I said
"Listen, mate, I've travelled ev'ry road in this here land."

Chorus:
Cos "I've been everywhere, man,
I've been everywhere, man.
'Cross the deserts bare, man;
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been ev'rywhere.

Been to:
Tullamore, Seymour, Lismore, Mooloolaba,
Nambour, Maroochydore, Kilmore, Murwillumbah,
Birdsville, Emmaville, Wallaville, Cunnamulla,
Condamine, Strathpine, Proserpine, Ulladulla,
Darwin, Gin Gin, Deniliquin, Muckadilla,
Wallumbilla, Boggabilla, Kumbarilla,
I'm a killer.

Chorus
(Spoken) "Yeah but listen here, mate, have you been to..."

I've been to Moree, Taree, Jerilderie, Bambaroo,
Toowoomba, Gunnedah, Caringbah, Woolloomooloo,
Dalveen, Tamborine, Engadine, Jindabyne,
Lithgow, Casino, Brigalow and Narromine,
Megalong, Wyong, Tuggerawong, Wangarella,
Morella, Augathella, Brindabella, I'm the feller.

Chorus
(Spoken) "Yeah, I know that, but have you been to..."

I've been to Wollongong, Geelong, Kurrajong, Mullumbimby,
Mittagong, Molong, Grong Grong, Goondiwindi,
Yarra Yarra, Boroondara, Wallangarra, Turramurra,
Boggabri, Gundagai, Narrabri, Tibooburra,
Gulgong, Adelong, Billabong, Cabramatta,
Parramatta, Wangaratta*, Coolangatta, what's it matter?

Chorus
(Spoken) "Yeah, look that's fine, but how about..."

I've been to Ettalong, Dandenong, Woodenbong, Ballarat,
Canberra, Milperra, Unanderra, Captain's Flat,
Cloncurry, River Murray, Kurri Kurri, Girraween,
Terrigal, Fingal, Stockinbingal, Collaroy and Narrabeen,
Bendigo, Dorrigo, Bangalow, Indooroopilly,
Kirribilli, Yeerongpilly, Wollondilly, don't be silly.

Chorus
I've been here, there, ev'rywhere, I've been ev'rywhere.

(Spoken) "Okay, mate, you've been ev'ry place except one, and ya don't need my help t'get there."
(Sound of door slamming and truck driving off.)

Bruce Dawe

Brett Hunt finished with this modern Poem by Australian Poet Bruce Dawe

Homo Suburbiensis

One constant in a world of variables 

-- A man alone in the evening in his patch of vegetables,

 and all the things he takes down with him there  

 Where the easement runs along the back fence and the air smells 

of tomato-vines, and the hoarse rasping tendrils

 of pumpkin flourish clumsy whips and their foliage sprawls

   Over the compost-box, poising rampant upon the palings ...      

           He stands there, lost in a green 

confusion, smelling the smoke of somebody's rubbish 

 Burning, hearing vaguely the clatter of a disk

 in a sink that could be his, hearing a dog, a kid, 

a far whisper of traffic, and offering up instead 

 Not much but as much as any man can offer -- 

time, pain, love, hate, age, ware, death, laughter, fever.   

Can you write a few descriptions about you backyard or Australia?

What is happening to Australia?

Another song Brett Hunt sang was from the band Goanna, called Solid Rock

Here are the lyrics:

Goanna singing 'Solid Rock'

Out here nothin' changes, not in a hurry anyway
You feel the endlessness with the comin' of the light o' day
We're talkin' about a chosen place
You wouldn't sell it in a marketplace, well
Well just a minute now

Standing on solid rock
Standing on sacred ground
Living o-on borrowed soil
And the winds of change are blowin' down the line
Right down the line

Round about the dawn o' time, When dreamin' all began
A croud o' people came
Well they were looking for their promised land
Were running from the heart of darkness
Searching for the heart o' light
Well it was their paradise

But they were standin' on - solid rock
Standing o-on sacred grou-ound
Living o-on borrowed soil
And the winds of change were blowing cold that night
Oh

They were standin' on the shore one day, Saw the white sails in the sun
Wasn't long before they felt the sting, white man, white law, white gun
Don't tell me that it's justified, 'cause somewhere, someone lied
Yeah well someone lied, someone lied, genocide
Well someone lied, oh, ahh

And now you're standing on - solid rock
Standing o-on a sacred grou-ound
Living o-on borrowed soil
And the winds of change are blowin' down the li-ine

Solid rock, Standing on sacred ground
Living o-on borrowed soil
And the winds of change are blowing down the line
Solid rock, Standing o-on sacred grou-ound
Living o-on borrowed ti-i-i-ime
And the winds of change are blowing down the line
Oh-oh-oh no, NO-O
Out here nothin? changes
Not in a hurry anyway
You feel the endlessness
With the comin? of the light of day
They?re talkin? bout a chosen place
You wouldn't sell it in a market place
Well
Well just a minute now

You?re standing on solid rock
Standing on sacred ground
Livin? on borrowed time
And the winds of change
Are blowing down the line
Right down the line

Around about the dawn of time
The dreaming all began
The proud people came
Well they were looking for their promised land
Running from the heart of darkness
Searching for the heart of light
I think we?ve found paradise

Well they were standing on solid rock
Standing on sacred ground
Livin? on borrowed time
And the winds of change
Were blowing cold that night
Oh

Well they were standing on the shore one day
Saw the white sails in the sun
It wasn?t long before they felt the sting
White man white law white gun
Don?t tell that its justified
Coz somewhere someone lied
Yeah well someone lied
Someone lied
Someone lied

And now you?re standing on solid rock
Standing on sacred ground
Livin? on borrowed soil
And the winds of change
Are blowing down the line

Solid rock
Standing on sacred ground
Livin? on borrowed soil
And the winds of change
Are blowing down the line

Solid rock
Standing on sacred ground
Livin? on borrowed soil
And the winds of change

Are blowing down the line

Brett sang this song, have a look at the youtube video on this Blog.

While singing he also recited a poem called 'We are going'

We Are Going by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

They came in to the little town
A semi-naked band subdued and silent
All that remained of their tribe.
They came here to the place of their old bora ground
Where now the many white men hurry about like ants.
Notice of the estate agent reads: 'Rubbish May Be Tipped Here'.
Now it half covers the traces of the old bora ring.
'We are as strangers here now, but the white tribe are the strangers.
We belong here, we are of the old ways.
We are the corroboree and the bora ground,
We are the old ceremonies, the laws of the elders.
We are the wonder tales of Dream Time, the tribal legends told.
We are the past, the hunts and the laughing games, the wandering camp fires.
We are the lightening bolt over Gaphembah Hill
Quick and terrible,
And the Thunderer after him, that loud fellow.
We are the quiet daybreak paling the dark lagoon.
We are the shadow-ghosts creeping back as the camp fires burn low.
We are nature and the past, all the old ways
Gone now and scattered.
The scrubs are gone, the hunting and the laughter.
The eagle is gone, the emu and the kangaroo are gone from this place.
The bora ring is gone.
The corroboree is gone.
And we are going.'

Why would Brett combine these two texts?