1. Life was spartan in England years after the war Few jobs, low wages, prospects were poor No better in Scotland or Ireland too Uncle Jim emigrated so we joined the queue It was life on the prairies or in old Sydney town Dunedin was mentioned, with a worrisome frown Nine families, one bathroom, it was not hard to choose Except for the day they told their parents the news.
ch. When the Rangitiki, Rangitane, Rangitata sailed upon the seas They carried troops in the war, then took migrants to the colonies The commonwealth of nations welcomed them with open arms They brought teachers and tradesmen and laborers to work the farms.
2. My dad said “they’ll take us if we’re breathing and warm.” There was ice on the windows, it was a terrible storm He had one small piece of paper to say who we were Paid five english pounds for the seagoing fare We all got vaccinations and smallpox scars Stayed with auntie in London, saw the changing of the guard She drove us to Tilbury on a drizzly day With sad music playing, we sailed away.
Ch. When the Rangitiki, Rangitane, Rangitata sailed upon the seas They carried troops in the war, then took migrants to the colonies The commonwealth of nations welcomed them with open arms They brought teachers and tradesmen and laborers to work the farms.
People in the new land helped put us at our ease They made fun of our accents but no-one called us refugees Yet we sought asylum in our modest anglo-saxon way Now one in four is born somewhere else, or so they say,
3. There are pictures of her children hanging on the wall Wearing academic gowns, standing proud and tall Some have been to England, some have been to France One moved to Manitoba, a refugee romance Sometimes with her family gathered all around She thinks of what we got for those five english pounds We work and we save and we give what we can To those seeking refuge from their troubled lands.
We work and we save and we give what we can To refugees from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan From Burma, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, (spoken)
Ch. When the Rangitiki, Rangitane, Rangitata sailed upon the seas, When the Rangitiki, Rangitane, Rangitata sailed upon the seas, When the Rangitiki, Rangitane, Rangitata sailed upon the seas.
This track is from their latest CD "The Last Waterhole" and their previous recording "Loungeroom Legends", has another great favourite of mine : "Impressions of New Zealand" - a companion migrant song to this one. Watch their YT presentation : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3gCGksoS_8
Bob Wilson [The Goodwills] is a lovely songwriter and The Goodwills (now of Warwick, Qld) have 4 CDs , which contain mostly Bob's originals. He paints great pictures with his words and gentle humour.