MY ISLAND HOME
(Neil Murray)

Six years I've been in the desert
And every night I dream of the sea
They say home is where you find it
But will this place ever satisfy me
For I come from the saltwater people
We always lived by the sea
Now I'm out here west of Alice Springs
With a wife and a family

And my island home
My island home
My island home is a waiting for me

In the evenin' the dry wind blows from the hills and across the plain
I close my eyes and I'm standin' in a boat on the sea again
And I'm holding that long turtle spear
And I feel I'm close now to where it must be
And my island home is a waitin' for me

For I come from the saltwater people
We always lived by the sea
Now I'm out here west of Alice Springs
With a wife and a family
And my island home
My island home
My island home is a waiting for meh

In the evenin' the dry wind blows from the hills and across the plain
I close my eyes and I'm standin', in a boat on the sea again
And I'm holdin' that long turtle spear
And I feel I'm close now, to where it must be
And my island home is a waitin' for me

My Island Home came to me on a bus one night in June 1985. I had been living in the deserts of Central Australia for some six years. I had spent a week with our singer, George, at his home at Galiwinku in Arnhem Land. We camped on a remote part of the island with his family and had been living like kings on bush tucker and seafood caught by ourselves. I had to leave and make trips to Melbourne and Sydney in mid-winter to promote the band. I suffered an exceptional longing to be back in a boat on a tropical sea. The words came to me. I had no notebook with me. I held on to the tune till I got to Sydney and pulled my guitar out of the luggage to find the chords. Neil Murray.

Youtube clip

George Burarrwanga

Galiwinku

--Stewie.