Thursday, January 26, 2006

I come from a land down under..

Happy Australia Day! Happy Indian Republic Day!

26th of January.. one day, two countries. What a great coincidence that my two favourite countries share the same national holiday!

Australia Day always makes me appreciate what a great country I live in!



Standing at the limit of an endless ocean
stranded like a runaway, lost at sea
city on a rainy day down in the harbour
watching as the grey clouds shadow the bay
looking everywhere 'cause I had to find you
this is not the way that i remember it here
anyone will tell you its a prisoner island
hidden in the summer for a million years

Great Southern Land, burned you black

so you look into the land and it will tell you a story
story 'bout a journey ended long ago
if you listen to the motion of the wind in the mountains
maybe you can hear them talking like I do".
. they're gonna betray, they're gonna forget you
are you gonna let them take you over this way . ."


Great Southern Land by Icehouse

Traveling in a fried-out combie
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast
And she said,


"Do you come from a land down under?
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."


Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscles
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich
And he said,


"I come from a land down under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."


Lying in a den in Bombay
With a slack jaw, and not much to say
I said to the man, "Are you trying to tempt me
Because I come from the land of plenty?"
And he said,


"Oh! Do you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah)
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."

Land Down Under by Men At Work

I came from the dream time, from the dusty red soil plains,
I am the ancient heart - the keeper of the flame,
I stood upon the rocky shore, I watched the tall ships come,
For forty thousand years I'd been the first Australian.


We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,And sing with one voice,
I am, you are, we are Australian.

I came upon the prison ship bound down by iron chains
I cleared the land, endured the lash and waited for the rains.
I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run
A convict then a free man, I became Australian.


I'm the daughter of a digger who sought the mother lode
The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road
I'm a child of the depression, I saw the good times come
I'm a bushy, I'm a battler, I am Australian.

We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,And sing with one voice,
I am, you are, we are Australian.

I'm a teller of stories, I'm a singer of songs
I am Albert Namatjira, and I paint the ghostly gums
I am Clancy on his horse, I'm Ned Kelly on the run
I'm the one who waltzed Matilda, I am Australian.


I'm the hot wind from the desert,
I'm the black soil of the plains
I'm the mountains and the valleys,
I'm the drought and flooding rains
I am the rock, I am the sky, the rivers when they run
The spirit of this great land, I am Australian.

We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,And sing with one voice,
I am, you are, we are Australian.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love Down Under by Men at Work. And I love Sydney! Wish I can make a trip there again...

Anonymous said...

Teriffic song truly describing the Australian spirit.
Happy Australia Day to you and your family Mary.

Mary said...

@ American Pi - Yes I love the song 'land down under' as well.. it's the most 'Aussie' song I've ever heard.. you've been to Sydney? I would like to see Syndey, especially the SCG one day!

@ Minal - Thanks! Yes, just like your blog post on patriotic songs, these songs remind me of why I love being Australian :D

Anonymous said...

A very happy Australia day and Happy republic day!