Beyond Competitions or, Is that all there is?

[manfredvijars]

Goodonya Vic ... A list of references to Australiana no less than "I've Been Everywhere" is a list to Australian towns, only a bit more haphazard.

If you want a list that fires your passion for our Country, look no further than the Woodley/Newton epic, "I Am Australian / We Are Australian", thoughtfully structured, brilliantly executed, has rythme and even rhyme (mainly) Memorable, repeatable and stirs the passions ... Now THAT'S a list ...

As for, "They'll Tell You About Me"? Well, it's hardly memorable, repeatable and drops well short of stirring the passions, but how quaint, it doesn't rhyme ...

[Vic Jefferies]

No Manfred this poem is more than just a list of Australian events and places. The final verses:
"Me, yesterday I was a rumour,
today I am a legend,
tomorrow history.
If you 'd like to know more of me
inquire at the pub at Tennant Creek
or at any drover's camp
or shearing shed,
or shout any bloke in any bar a drink,
or yarn to any bloke asleep on any beach;
they'll tel you about me,
they'll tell you more than I know myself.
After all they are the ones who created me,
even though I am bigger than any of them now
-in fact, I'm all of them rolled into one.

For anyone to kill me he'd have to kill
every single Australian,
every single one of them,
every single one."

Now I don't know about you mate, but I reckon that is pure Australian poetry and a bit more than just a list.

[manfredvijars]

By your own admission, it's a list ... "No Manfred this poem is 'more than just a list' of Australian events and places."

Lets have a bit of a look at them both ...

I Am Australian / We Are Australian Song Lyrics
1. I came from the dream-time, from the dusty red soil plains
2. 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’ve been
3. the first Australian.

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

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

12. I’m a teller of stories,
13. I’m a singer of songs
14. I am Albert Namatjira, I paint the ghostly gums
15. I am Clancy on his horse,
16. I’m Ned Kelly on the run
17. I’m the one who waltzed Matilda, I am Australian

18. I’m the hot wind from the desert,
19. I’m the black soil of the plains
20. I’m the mountains and the
21. valleys, I’m the
22. drought and
23. flooding rains
24. I am the rock,
25. I am the sky,
26. the rivers when they run
27. 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
I am, you are, we are Australian.

===============================

'They'll Tell You About Me'
1. Me, I'm the man who dug the Murray for Sturt to sail down,
2. I am the one who rode beside the Man from Snowy River,
3. And I'm Ned Kelly's surviving brother (or did I marry his sister? I forget which) and
4. it was my thumbnail that wrote that Clancy Had gone a droving, and
5. when wood was scarce I set the grass on fire
And ran with it three miles to boil my billy only to find
I'd left the tea and sugar back with my tucker bag,
6. And it was me, and only me, that shot through with the Padre's daughter,
Shot through with her on the
7. original Bondi tram

... to 59(ish)

WOW, that was a little "Paul Bunyanish" no rhythm or rhyme, but still a list.

The first one is also a list but it has has discernible rythme AND rhyme

Your list is bigger, so you win, but I think I prefer the poetic first 'list' to the prosaic second one ...

[Vic Jefferies]

Manfred if you haven't noticed...your song don't rhyme!

[manfredvijars]

In the original format it does - loosely ...

[Vic Jefferies]

Manfred...Nope not even close!

[Stephen Whiteside]

To my mind, Mudie's list is much more interesting than Newton's and Woodley's.

[manfredvijars]

Nahhhh, my list is better than your list ...

[manfredvijars]

Manfred...Nope not even close!

I did say rhyming - loosely ...
Here's the complete song including two extra verses ... Enjoy ...



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've 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, bowed 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.

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 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, 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

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

There are no words of comfort that can hope to ease the pain
Of losing homes and loved ones the memories will remain
Within the silent tears you’ll find the strength to carry on
You’re not alone, we are with you. We are 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

There are so many heroes whose stories must be told
They fought the raging fires of hell and saved so many souls
From the ashes of despair our towns will rise again!
We mourn your loss, we will rebuild. We are 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 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
I am, you are, we are Australian!

We are one ….. We are many ….. We are Australian!

[Neville Briggs]

Sentimental populist plodding verse, not real poetry It doesn't say anything that a hack journo or ad man couldn't think of.

Where they have fallen down is that the song tells us a lot of things, but shows nothing much at all.

"We are Australian" We know that.