"The Year of the Drum" is a very moving song about the losses an Australian family and town suffered in the 1914-1918 War. I heard that during both World Wars, this one small town lost more men (percentage-wise) than any other area in the world! No matter how many times I hear it, I'm sobbing by the fourth verse in which the soldier leaving to fight in WWII says good-bye to his wife, who lost both of her parents in the previous war. I forget who wrote the song but Martin Wyndham-Reed recorded it.

Martin also sings another moving song called "Past Caring" about a farm family's hardships. Every verse ends with the singer's strident assertion that he is past caring -- except for the last, when he prays that he will someday become past caring. That last verse always does me in. Again, I don't know who wrote it or if Martin recorded it. If anyone does know of a recording, I'd appreciate you pointing me in its direction.

Thanks, Terry