At the 2021 Golden Guitar Awards, Luke O'Shea won the 'Traditional Country Album of the Year' award for his 'There in the Ochre'. He also was awarded a golden guitar award for 'Heritage Song of the Year' for his collaboration with Kevin Bennett on 'Happy Australia Day' - and deservedly so, a brilliant song for our times. The youtube video is also exceptional.


HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY
(Luke O’Shea & Kevin Bennett)

Cowboys vs Indians, white man vs savages
Is what I was shown on TV
I knew more about the world wars, the Zulu and the Navaho
Than I did of my own history
But as you begin to uncover the sin
You can feel your heart drowning in shame
It all starts with a lie we no longer deny
And it’s time we all knew your name

So Pemulwuy are you still fighting?
Windradyne your song we shall sing
And for all your senseless suffering
Truganini, did it mean anything?
For every chain that has bound you
For every child stolen away
Well the river still runs from the same poisoned well
Happy Australia Day - Australia Day

Well, the wheel still turns, the memory still burns
And there’s still so much more left to write
But if I am a man who is born on this land
Then my history is both black and white

So Yagan, are you still fighting?
Jandamarra your song we shall sing
And for all you absorbed as you travelled the world
Bennelong did it mean anything?
For every shot that was fired intending to drive you away
The river still runs from the same poisoned well
Happy Australia Day - Australia Day

Let the truth fill the space in between us
Replacing the blame and the fear
And we must learn first we are better than our worst
And respect for each other starts here
So why celebrate this great nation
On a day that insults and divides
For regardless of clan, we all love this land
Find a way where we stand unified

Charlie Perkins I’ll stand beside you
Uncle Jimmy your song I shall sing
And for all you selfless suffering
Mumma Shirl well I feel everything
For every right that’s denied us
For our children stolen away
Well everyone drinks from the same poisoned well
And it’s time that we all shared the pain
Yes, everyone drinks from the same poisoned well
Happy Australia Day - Australia Day

Youtube clip

Luke O'Shea and Kevin Bennett

Pemulwuy

Windradyne

Yagan

Jandamarra

Bennelong

Charlie Perkins

Jimmy Little

Mum Shirl

--Stewie.