Well I've ripped and dug out burrows on a sandy bulloak hill, Eradicating rabbits doesn't take a lot of skill But a boy born in the Mallee doesn't find 'em hard to kill No self-respecting farmer lets a rodent eat his wheat He'll shoot 'em and he'll skin 'em and he'll dress 'em up to eat But since the spread of mixo He's almost got 'em beat And I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee boy Where little town dogs howl at the morning train, Where a cocky makes a living on twelve inches of rain Where his woman provides and is rare to complain And I still love the smell of that sandy soil, Some say it's dusty, some say it's gold Cause it grows the sweetest fat lambs the markets ever sold And I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy, No I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy. Where you can lose an ear on duck opening day, Where slickers bring their shotguns from miles away, And shoot the life out of shags and swans that fly their way. Where a bloke grows as stocky as a Mallee bull, Where they come from miles around to see the tractor pull, When the paddocks are clean and seed silos are full, And I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy. Well I've ripped and dug out burrows on a sandy bulloak hill, Eradicating rabbits doesn't take a lot of skill, And a boy born in the Mallee doesn't find 'em hard to kill. But they'll never be as rare as a Quandong tree My grandma made some jam for my brothers and me They're like the Mallee Fowl you hardly ever see But I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy. No I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy. No I don't mind at all if you call me a Mallee Boy.
Pastel red to burgundy and spinifex to gold We've just come out of the mulga where the plains forever roll And Albert Namatjira has painted all the scenes And a shower has changed the lustre of his land
And it's raining on the rock, in a beautiful country And I'm proud to travel this big land, like an Aborigine And it's raining on the rock, what an almighty sight to see And I'm wishing on a postcard, that you were here with me
Everlasting daisies and the beautiful desert rose Where does their beauty come from, heaven knows I could ask the wedgetail, but he's away too high I wonder if he understands, it's wonderful to fly
And it's raining on the rock, in a beautiful country And I'm proud to travel this big land, like an Aborigine And it's raining on the rock, what an almighty sight to see And I'm wishing on a postcard, that you were here with me
It cannot be described with a picture The mesmerising colours of the Olgas Or the grandeur of the rock Uluru has power
And it's raining on the rock, in a beautiful country And I'm proud to travel this big land, like an Aborigine And it's raining on the rock, what an almighty sight to see And I'm wishing on a postcard, that you were here with me
Teary eyes at the window, Where did Mum and Dad go? I wish someone would hurry up and come and get me, Gee I'm scared The cat shot through, She saw the light and fled. Cracker night was a real big deal, when I was a little kid They started lettin' them off after tea I ran inside and hid And all the dogs from everywhere were underneath me bed.
We all went down in our dressing gowns to see the big bonfire Wide eyes watched the straw man burn on a mile-high pile of tyres Hot as hell, big black smell and red hot rings of wire.
Sky rockets zinging, Catherine wheels spinning, What a flamin' evening, Fire trucks were screaming Smoky haze hangin' round for days And Grandma's ears were ringing.
Everynight after school draggin' bits of wood, Boxes and branches and rotten old fences, And mattresses were good. We even scrounged a vinyl lounge And anything we could
Little Guy Fawkes's and letter boxes Blown all out of shape Light the wick and back off quick, And make the big escape Cackin' ourselves and rippin' my shirt Scrambling through the gate
Sky rockets zinging Catherine wheels spinning What a flamin' evening Fire trucks were screaming Smoky haze hangin' round for days And Grandma's ears were ringing.
A house burnt down on the edge of town We all took off with Pa This thing whizzed across the road And nearly hit our car A bang and spark lit up the park And everyone went Ah! Ah! Ah!
Cracker night was a real big deal, When I was a little kid, It seems like only yesterday Tucked away in bed Dreams of schemes and double bunger Daring things we did
Hey true blue dont say your gone say your knocked off for a smoko and you'll be back later on. Hey true blue, Hey true blue. you can turn 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 standing by ya mate when hes in a fight or just vegemite true blue im 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 up like sponge cake do you really care, Hey true blue, True blue is it me and you, is it mum and dad, is it a cockatoo, is it standing by ya mate when shes in a fight or just vegemite true blue im asking you, True blue is it me and you, is it mum and dad is it a cockatoo, is it standing by ya mate when hes in a fight or just vegemite, True blue, True blue.
Wouldn't you like to ride along a country road I'll give you a gentle push I swell with pride to see the countryside When I wander aimlessly through the bush 'Cause that's where I get my music And that's where I live my life You can call me a jolly swagman if you like
Call it humpin' my bluey,I reckon that's the style So why don't you climb aboard with me, along the road a while
Been workin' in the big smoke, singin' at the pub I talk to people everywhere - they still love the scrub Longing for a piece of land and the Eucalyptus air So why don't you come with me, I'll take you there
Maybe we'll find a shack somewhere Plant an avocado tree With fences only to deep out the cows Share a dream with me
I've spent some time in your town, at every waterhole 'Cause I must drink a big brown land to quench a thirsty soul From W.A along the Nullabor and north to the black soil plains Through cattle, sheep and hills of golden grain The snow on Kosciusko My friends in the Territory Springtime in Tasmania, it all belongs to me
Don't go lookin' through that old camphor box, woman You know those old things only make you cry When you dream upon that little bunny rug Makes you think that life has passed you by
There are days when you wish the world would stop, woman But then you know some wounds would never heal But when I browse the early pages of the children It's then I know exactly how you feel
Hey it's July and the winter sun is shining And Cootamundra wattle is my friend For all at once my childhood never left me 'Cause wattle blossoms bring it back again
It's Sunday and you should stop the worrying, woman Come out here and sit down in the sun Can't you hear the magpies in the distance Dont' you know a new day has begun
Can't you hear the bees makin' honey, woman In the spotted gums where the bellbirds ring You might grow old and bitter 'cause you missed it You know some people never hear such things
Hey it's July and the winter sun is shining And Cootamundra wattle is my friend For all at once my childhood never left me 'Cause wattle blossoms bring it back again
Don't buy the daily papers any more, woman Read all about what's going on in hell They don't care to tell the world of kindness Good news never made a paper sell
There's all the colours of the rainbow in the garden, woman And symphonies of music in the sky Heaven's all around us if you're looking But how can you see it if you cry
Hey it's July and the winter sun is shining And Cootamundra wattle is my friend For all at once my childhood never left me 'Cause wattle blossoms bring it back again
Where ancient mountains are whittled down Millions of years to a little mound Where giant feet are fossil found I see spinifex surfing on a dune, The rock is redder in the afternoon Tourists clicking madly soon
Where spring will come with any rain A chance to flower and seed again Forever garden risin' plain The dangers of the wild remain
And away up there where the wind is blown Never before felt so alone More aware of skin and bone I watch the parade of human folk Strips of rubber, cans of Coke Making dust and blowing smoke
Where the awe-inspiring power of time Leave some fearful, some sublime White man finds his progress prime Black man feels no urge to climb
Now I believe we all are one Features and creatures in the sun Breathing the air we all belong I have a dream I can't explain Wattle soldiers, making claim And paradise returns again
