Songs about Australia

[Electric Warrior]

I could only think of two - the Manic Street Preachers' "Australia", and of course, Men At Work's "Land Down Under". But surely there must be more!

[blondebear]

"Australia" -- The Kinks

[Le Ministre de l'au-delà]

'Beds are Burning' - Midnight Oil
'Diesel and Dust' - Midnight Oil

I'm sure there are lots more...

[Captain Amazing]

Well, there's the original Waltzing Matilda and the song in honor of the Gallipoli soldiers, "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda".

[GuanoLad]

I Am Australian (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSoGJQkKDYk) - The Seekers

Great Southern Land (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mkidP2OUCk) - Icehouse

[Askance]

Australia (http://www.lyricstime.com/steve-howe-australia-lyrics.html) - Steve Howe (YES, that Steve Howe).

[GreedySmurf]

A couple off the top of my head.

Sounds of then (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML9h3I5Uktw) by Gangajang [A personal favourite by the by]

Great Southern Land (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mkidP2OUCk&feature=related) by IceHouse

Also, almost anything by John Williamson,

[Spoke]

South Australia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM5x3TJpP24) - The Pogues

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZqN1glz4JY) - The Pogues

[mhendo]

Depends what you mean by "about Australia," i guess.

There are plenty of Australian artists who have written many songs dealing with aspects of Australia and its history, society, and culture.

Half of Cold Chisel's output is about Australia (or specific bits of it) in one way or another. You could say the same about much of Midnight Oil's stuff, and a whole host of other Aussie bands.

[MrDibble]

There's 'Living Next Door To Abos" by Kevin Bloody Wilson, I guess.

[Hallucinex]

"I Still Call Australia Home" - Peter Allen

[Equipoise]

The song "The Dreaming" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vssi9yvcw6U) by Kate Bush. It's not very kind (http://gaffa.org/sensual/l_td.html) to Australia though. She's said she loves Australia, even used to live there as a child, but the treatment of Aborigines bothered her.


'Bang!' goes another kanga on the bonnet of the van
"See the light ram through the gaps in the land"
Many an Aborigine's mistaken for a tree
'til you near him on the motorway and the tree begin to breathe
"See the light ram through the gaps in the land"

...

The civilised keep alive the territorial war
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
Erase the race that claim the place and say we dig for ore,
or dangle devils in a bottle and push them from the Pull of the Bush
(See the light ram through the gaps in the land)
You find them in the road
(See the light bounce off the rocks to the sand)
In the road...

Coming in with the golden light in the morning
Coming in with the golden light with no warning
Coming in with the golden light we bring in the rigging
Dig, dig, dig, dig away.

Edit to add, that's Rolf Harris on Didgeridoo.

Warning: it's not for the faint of heart. It's definitely one of her most bizarre songs, and it took me, a die-hard Kate fan, about 10 listens to wrap my head and ears around it. Now it's one of my favorite songs by her. I love the fact that she thumbed her nose at her record company by insisting that this be the single off the album. People in England were appalled and confused, but strangely enough it got her noticed, finally, in America.

[bengangmo]

There's 'Living Next Door To Abos" by Kevin Bloody Wilson, I guess.

Huh? I thought the title was living next door to Alan?

[Thudlow Boink]

"Australia" -- The Kinks"Everyone walks around with a perpetual smile across their face."

[MrDibble]

Huh? I thought the title was living next door to Alan?

You're right, it's just a line in (one) chorus, but that's how it was labelled on my mix tape (along with such classics as Kevin's Courting Song(Do You Fuck on First Dates?).

[Telemark]

Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lofgud4wLLo&feature=related)

[Jonathan Chance]

Sing Australia by John Denver.

[Cicero]

Song of Australia
Advance Australia Fair

[Telemark]

I Hate Wogs (http://www.lyrics007.com/Bogle%20Eric%20Lyrics/I%20Hate%20Wogs%20Lyrics.html) - by Eric Bogle (it's sarcasm)

[Giles]

"Treaty", by Yothu Yindi, is probably my favourite.

[mhendo]

I Hate Wogs (http://www.lyrics007.com/Bogle%20Eric%20Lyrics/I%20Hate%20Wogs%20Lyrics.html) - by Eric Bogle (it's sarcasm)

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZqN1glz4JY) - The PoguesWhile i love The Pogues' version of that song, it was actually written by the same guy that Telemark mentions here, Eric Bogle.

[cjepson]

Then there's the old kids' song "Kookaburra". We used to sing that in grade school (in New England!).

[Telemark]

Here's Eric Bogle singing - And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG48Ftsr3OI). It's been covered many, many times.

[An Gadaí]

The Australian band Redgum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redgum) have various songs that deal with aspects of Australian culture and history.
"I was only 19" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7TXBuVUQJw) deals with the Australian experience of the Vietnam War.
I've been To Bali Too (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9toD_R6t1pI) is a comment on tourism and consumerism.
The Diamantina Drover (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM2eNHuWh7Q) about droving on the Diamantina river.

And here's The Irish Rover's doing The Overlanders (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPQlNwJxPuo).

[Polycarp]

Australia (http://www.lyricstime.com/steve-howe-australia-lyrics.html) - Steve Howe (YES, that Steve Howe).

That was so subtle, I missed it at first. Well done!

[Icerigger]

Does I Come from the Land Down Under count?

[mhendo]

Does I Come from the Land Down Under count?
Yes, which is probably why the OP mentioned it.

[Annie-Xmas]

Four from musical theatre:

Australia (Nield) The Ragged Child
Australia (Markham) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
I Still Call Australia Home (Allen, P.) The Boy from Oz
Seven little Australians waltz (Reeves) Seven Little Australians

[Das Glasperlenspiel]

"Shelter" - Eric Bogle

No direct reference to Australia, but generally understood to be about coming home to Australia.

[Richard Pearse]

Then there's the old kids' song "Kookaburra". We used to sing that in grade school (in New England!).
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Very merry king of the bush is he,
Laugh kookaburra, laugh kookaburra,
gay your life must be.

[GreedySmurf]

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Very merry king of the bush is he,
Laugh kookaburra, laugh kookaburra,
gay your life must be.


Or the far more popular version (amongst kids anyway) of

Kookaburra sits on the electric wire
jumping up and down with his pants on fire. :D

And it also brings to mind a song I haven't heard in ages, and cannot for the life of me find a version of it playable online - 'I made a 100 in the backyard at Mum's'

[BurnMeUp]

The Battle of Brisbane - The Pogues

[Tim R. Mortiss]

Nobody has mentioned Monty Python's "Philosopher's Drinking Song"?

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/guide/hum/philosophy/philos_song.html

[Hallucinex]

Also, almost anything by John Williamson,

Ooh yeah, almost forgot to mention Home Among the Gum Trees (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2qihozUSMM)

"Give me a home among the gum trees,
with lots of plum trees, a sheep or two, a ka-kangaroo.
A clothes line out the back, verandah out the front,
and an old rocking chair. "

[jjimm]

Convict songs:

Botany Bay (http://www.imagesaustralia.com/botanybay.htm)

Back Home in Derry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_Home_in_Derry)

[Robot Arm]

My Boomerang Won't Come Back (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_prtbj4MtDU)

[Tangent]

The Outback Steakhouse song



:ducks & runs:

[cjepson]

Convict songs:

Botany Bay (http://www.imagesaustralia.com/botanybay.htm)

Back Home in Derry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_Home_in_Derry)

This reminded me of the song "Van Diemen's Land" by Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band. Turns out there's a whole passel of references to Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) in song, as listed here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Diemen%27s_Land

[An Gadaí]

Convict songs:

Botany Bay (http://www.imagesaustralia.com/botanybay.htm)

Back Home in Derry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_Home_in_Derry)

Add Moreton Bay to this. It is traditionally sung to the tune of Boulavogue but Andy Irvine does a fantastic version with a different melody.

[flano1]

And it also brings to mind a song I haven't heard in ages, and cannot for the life of me find a version of it playable online - 'I made a 100 in the backyard at Mum's'

try the coodabeens website, greedy.

[Apollyon]

Australian Crawl - Reckless (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIrUqsB-0vw).

Love this song. :)