The Roar of the Crowd

Denis Kevans © 1962

I heard the roar of the wind, boys, in the mighty, green-shirt pines.
As if the trees were blazing, like a gas-fire in the mines,
The wind's voice kept on mounting against the midnight's face,
I felt that roar well up in me, that roar has left its trace.

I heard the roar at the school-gates, when the holidays began,
When the kids raced out like brumbies, grown men turned and ran,
They raced down through the playground, and they roared out -
"We are free!" Ah, the hungry roar of those school kids, still lives inside of me.

I heard the roar at a foothball match, as it rose in the crowded stands,
When a winger leapt and took a pass, with magic, outstretched hand,
And the double roar, as he came inside, and flashed across the line,
Ah, that was a roar that stirred my soul, a roar that was a sign.

I heard the roar on the race-course, when the favourite lunged ahead,
And he grabbed the lead, at the leger, and the rest of the field seemed dead,
And the roar for horse and jockey, with the numbers in the frame,
And that was a roar that spurred my blood, and victory was its name.

And I heard the roar of soldiers when they first went to the front,
When war was only a sporting match, and they begged to go on a "stunt",
And they roared: "Come on Australia!" "Wagga!" and "Henty! and "Hay!"
Ah, that was the roar of the slaughterhouse, and there's nothen' more to say.

And I heard the roar at the Town Hall, when the delegate rose to speak,
A roar to shake the merciless, a roar to raise the weak,
To raise the weak and wandering, to give eyes to the blind,
That was the roar off a tidal wave that was making up its mind.


http://unionsong.com/u132.html (lyrics - thanks to Mark Gregory's great website)

Denis Kevans (1939-2005), fondly known as "Australia's Poet Lorikeet", thought Bob Campbell’s Home Rule band had the best version, but I haven’t found it online …..

Gary Shearston   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzcKVHRUzGU


R-J