Song #26 The Ugly Australian

 

I wrote this song after a deck class passage on a Greek ferry between Greece and Haifa. Deck class was cheap and basic – you slept outside on deck but a meal was included. I complained about the dreadful meal (don’t remember what it was) but to placate me they put in the first class lounge. I sat there alone for quite some time before I was served a meal that wasn’t that much better.

Decades later I added a verse to highlight the plight of refugees languishing in Australian off-shore detention centres.

 

THE UGLY AUSTRALIAN

(listen HERE)

 

You put shit food down in front of me and expect me to eat it

You put me up in the first class lounge with my anger and expect that to placate it

I’m on a foreign boat in a foreign sea In times foreign to us all

At times like this I'm wonderin' why I’m so far from my native shore

So I’m going home

 

I’m tired of the ever moving round

I’m tired of the ever changing ground

 

Australia will you wait for me with your long and golden shore?

You’re a land of sun and dreams they tell me

But I wanna know for sure so I’m coming home

 

Are you keeping up with fashion? Or are you keeping down the poor?

Are you looking down the barrel? Or has nothing changed at all?  I’m going home.

 

You put shit food down in front of me and expect me to eat it

You stick me out on an offshore island with my pain and expect that to placate it

I’m in a foreign place in a foreign sea in times foreign to us all

Australia was what I was looking for - why I left my native shore

Now I can’t go home

 

I’m tired of the never moving round

I’m tired of the never changing ground

 

Australia I will wait for you with your long and golden shores

You’re a land of sun and dreams they tell me

Will I ever know for sure? I have no home

 

Are we closing up the country? Have we locked up all the doors?

Are those in need no longer welcome? When did we get so mean?

And they can’t go home

They have no home

(1982 and 2020)

 

 

 

 

 

Song #25 One Fine Day

 

ONE FINE DAY

 

One fine day I’m gonna be a rich man

One fine day I’m gonna be a rich man

And win the lottery;

I’ll split tween you and me the money

And give it all away

 

CHORUS

Give it all away to those with nothin’ to buy a new car

Give it all away to those with nothin’ to buy a new star of hope

 

You got an alibi; all got an alibi

You like your comforts

And your shower in the morning yeh yeh with your radio

With your radio; listen to what?

You don’t know – you’re not listening no no

You’re not listening no no

 

To that voice in your head that tells you

You don’t always need to get more

You know the prisons are full of those who suffered from your greed

 

Give it all away, give it all away

You got too much, you don’t need it no no

You don’t need it no no, all that money no no

So give it all away, give it all away

 

CHORUS

 

Give it all away, give it all away

You got too much, you don’t need it no no

You don’t need it no no, all that money no no

So give it all away, give it all away (repeat and fade)

(1982)

Commentary

A little reggae riff with a few throwaway lyrics that contain a little reggae attitude :) Enjoyable to play. Would make a good band song.