The Seekers - I am Australian and...

Subject: The Seekers - I am Australian and...
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 08:31 AM

...an unexpected reaction

I disappeared down the rabbit hole of Google earlier and came across this song that I had not heard before.

I am Australian

Further down the hole I came across the same song on ThatSingerReactions

It just goes to show that you cannot judge a book by the covers and the reviewer now shares my love of Judith Durham's voice :-D

Subject: RE: The Seekers - I am Australian and...
From: Helen
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 01:21 PM

DtG, most Aussies can barely manage to sing the first verse of the official Aussie anthem, but most of us can sing along with I Am Australian. The official anthem melody is difficult to sing, it doesn't suit the range of most people's voices and even professional singers can struggle with it, and some of the lyrics - in my opinion - are cringeworthy. A common joke-topic about the anthem is the line "our land is girt by sea". Who is this girl called Girt? Who uses the word "girt" these days? You just have to say the word "girt" to most Aussies and we crack up laughing.

But sing I Am Australian and it definitely brings a tear to many Aussie eyes. It is unifying and uplifting, in my opinion.

I saw a concert on TV with the New Zealand - but considered an honorary Aussie - band Crowded House at the Sydney Opera House. Almost everyone in the crowd knew all the lyrics to all of their songs and could sing along with the melodies. It was soul stirring.

The same thing happens when a big crowd of people sings along to I Am Australian. It is soul stirring and unifying. Everything a national anthem should be, and everything the current Aussie anthem is not. in my opinion.

Subject: RE: The Seekers - I am Australian and...
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 01:36 PM

Thanks Helen. Same with our anthem. I would much rather have Maggie Holland's a place called England but I don't think the powers that be will take much notice of us!

Subject: RE: The Seekers - I am Australian and...
From: Helen
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 01:57 PM

Well, I think there has been a subversive media campaign on our national broadcasting network, ABC TV. As a filler between programmes they will often show a short clip of a diverse range of people singing I Am Australian. They even have a Zoom style multiple screen of people signing it in the deaf language. When I am fast forwarding to the next programme I usually stop to hear the song and look at the lovely smiling faces.

Subject: RE: The Seekers - I am Australian and...
From: Helen
Date: 24 Aug 23 - 04:13 PM

I saw the headline of an article about this in our local paper but I'm not a subscriber to the online edition so I found this site instead with a video.

The performers are Dobe Newton & Roger Corbett from The Bushwackers. Roger turns up for local music sessions sometimes and BTW, Dobe Newton co-wrote the song I Am Australian with Bruce Woodley from The Seekers.

I just watched the whole segment on The Voice. It was a soul-lifting experience. [I don't usually say that about "reality" TV!]

Subject: RE: The Seekers - I am Australian and...
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 24 Aug 23 - 04:32 PM

‘I Am Australian’ is such a great song, and I love to hear Judith Durham beautiful voice singing it - not so keen on the two blokes on the ‘The Voice’ clip but hey, it’s to each his or her own, eh?

I received an email recently from an old friend, the journalist Dai Woosnam who himself has family links with Oz, in which he suggested that the Aussie national Anthem should be replaced by ‘Waltzing Matilda’, and I have to say I agreed with him. But, on reflection, although ‘Matilda’ is a wonderful and evocative piece, I’m thinking now that ‘I Am Australian’ is probably a better option.

And I agree with DtG, the UK National anthem is a bloody dirge and, where Scotland and Wales already have their own anthems, Maggie Holland’s ‘A Place Called England’ would make a superb English anthem.

Subject: RE: The Seekers - I am Australian and...
From: Helen
Date: 24 Aug 23 - 04:53 PM

Backwoodsman, I keep hoping that I am Australian becomes the national anthem. If we had a vote on it I think the majority of Aussies would vote yes too.

The Bushwackers band has always had a dry sense of humour. Their singing voices reflect that. I also suspect that they went on The Voice as a bit of a laugh, and because one of the judges, Jessica Mauboy, a First Nations lady with a beautiful singing voice, has some past history with them dating back to a music competition she won when she was only 14. I found out that bit of information when I watched the full segment of the TV show this morning.

Subject: RE: The Seekers - I am Australian and...
From: GerryM
Date: 24 Aug 23 - 06:19 PM

The Bushwackers were on the bill at the Sydney Folk Festival last weekend. Dobe Newton's flight from Melbourne was cancelled, so they put a lagerphone in a prominent position on the stage in his honor. Roger Corbett led the band. Two of the members, if you added their ages together, it wouldn't come close to the number of years the band has been playing. Anyway, the band was very entertaining, and they did I Am Australian to much audience participation & applause.

Subject: RE: The Seekers - I am Australian and...
From: JennieG
Date: 25 Aug 23 - 02:39 AM

Way back before "I am Australian" was written the Ozzie national anthem was a three-way race between "Advance Australia Fair", "God Save the (current monarch, insert title of choice)" and "Waltzing Matilda". "Advance Australia Fair was the winner, with "God Save the (insert etc.)" used on occasions where visiting royalty would be present.

"Song of Australia" was also a contender, a fiendishly difficult song to sing.

The official stuff.

That was in 1977, 20 years before "I am Australian" was written. It might be a different story today.

I, for one, am glad that "Waltzing Matilda" was not chosen. Who wants a song about a suicidal sheep thief as their national song?

Subject: RE: The Seekers - I am Australian and...
From: Helen
Date: 25 Aug 23 - 05:34 AM

I agree, JennieG. It makes no sense to have a national anthem celebrating a suicidal sheep thief. I never figured out why it was even on the list, except that the melody is well known to Aussies.