The fellow who wrote that song is pictured on our $10 note. The version that Rolf is singing is the 'advertisement' version, the real lyrics say "Drowned in the Billabong" - but is changed to make it sound nicer.
It's very well accepted that the song was written with heavy influence of the political situation at the time (around 1900 I think) - there was a shearer's strike, and this song found instant success as it played on the concept of the battler (poor Aussie) not respecting rich landowners. It kinda stuck, as Australia has a solid socialist streak, with our liking of government looking after things, and personal wealth having a negative connotation.
It's fair to say that most Aussies know the words to WM, but few know our national anthem.
As for the translation, you only needed to ask! ;)
I feel inspired. I should record some of Banjo's monologues and post them! They rock.
Oh! I am so glad you chimed in on this! You gave even more detail about the origin and background of this ^V^ Personally I love the music, and um, well, when I was a little kid I thought a lot of those strange words were magical references to imaginary beasts (like in the Lewis Carroll stuff), so I built my own imaginary mystique of a world around it. My Dad also bought me a billy-boil tin when I was a tyke, which additionally fueled my enjoyment of the lore :>
Cool. Did you make billy tea? You can tell the 'tourist' version to the real billy tea tins... As you need to swing it around your head (to settle the tea leaves), any 'proper' tin has the wire handle twisted around through holes in the metalwork... lest the handle and tin depart company due to centrifugal force!
heh! Pretty sure I did... ^V^ It was just a tourist model though, most likely... I was just a kid, and a real tin woulda probably knocked me over :D It had lotsa stuff with it, little quotes and drawings n stuff... I still have it I think, somewhere...
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-12-28 10:13 am (UTC)It's very well accepted that the song was written with heavy influence of the political situation at the time (around 1900 I think) - there was a shearer's strike, and this song found instant success as it played on the concept of the battler (poor Aussie) not respecting rich landowners. It kinda stuck, as Australia has a solid socialist streak, with our liking of government looking after things, and personal wealth having a negative connotation.
It's fair to say that most Aussies know the words to WM, but few know our national anthem.
As for the translation, you only needed to ask! ;)
I feel inspired. I should record some of Banjo's monologues and post them! They rock.
*wags*
Date: 2008-12-28 12:21 pm (UTC)You gave even more detail about the origin and background of this ^V^
Personally I love the music, and um, well, when I was a little kid I thought a lot of those strange words were magical references to imaginary beasts (like in the Lewis Carroll stuff), so I built my own imaginary mystique of a world around it. My Dad also bought me a billy-boil tin when I was a tyke, which additionally fueled my enjoyment of the lore :>
Re: *wags*
Date: 2008-12-28 01:07 pm (UTC)Re: jumbuck
Date: 2008-12-29 08:07 am (UTC)It was just a tourist model though, most likely... I was just a kid, and a real tin woulda probably knocked me over :D
It had lotsa stuff with it, little quotes and drawings n stuff... I still have it I think, somewhere...