YARRA SONG
Billy Bragg Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a chill tonight on the Yarra
Winter is creeping in
While far away my loved ones
Wake up in England's spring

And although delights await me
All the way to Flinders Street
It's that little piece of heaven
With which they must compete

When The Saints take on The Magpies
Someday too far away
I barrack for St. Kilda
In that funny game they play
But my heart's not really in it
My mind wanders to a town
Where The Hammers sing "I'm forever blowing bubbles"
And the rain comes pouring down

Yes, it's still raining in England
Guess that's why I like it here
There's a brolly in my hotel room
For when the skies aren't clear

'Cos it never rains in Sydney
And it never rains in Perth
Adelaide's a desert
And Brisbane's just scorched earth

So excuse me please such days as there
And send me to the town
Where the children sing when St. Kilda win
And the rain comes falling down

So wake me up tomorrow
And send me home again




To where The Hammers sing "I'm forever blowing bubbles"
In the pouring London rain

Overall Meaning

The opening verse of Billy Bragg's song "Yarra Song" sets a melancholy mood as he navigates between the distances separating him from his loved ones. The cold shiver down his spine from the creeping winter calls to mind the chilly climate of England, where his family and friends reside. The comparison between the English spring and the Australian winter leaves Bragg feeling nostalgic and longing for the familiar atmosphere of home, but he is also excited for the new experiences waiting for him in Melbourne, as he heads to Flinders Street.


However, Bragg's mind wanders off to a town where the West Ham United FC resides, and the sound of the medley "I'm forever blowing bubbles" rings out amidst the pouring rain. It's interesting how Bragg inserts himself into the local Australian culture, professing his support for St. Kilda during a football match, but concedes that his heart is not in it as his thoughts drift towards another place. The comparison between the rainy weather in England and Australia is also fascinating, with Bragg finding beauty in the rainfall of both places.


Overall, "Yarra Song" has a dual effect on the listener - on one hand, it is nostalgic and reflective, but it is also optimistic in its embrace of new experiences.


Line by Line Meaning

There's a chill tonight on the Yarra
It's really cold tonight by Yarra River


Winter is creeping in
Winter season is slowly approaching


While far away my loved ones
My loved ones are distant from me


Wake up in England's spring
They wake up to spring season in England


And although delights await me
There are many good things waiting for me


All the way to Flinders Street
Everything is great even up to Flinders Street


It's that little piece of heaven
But there's something special missing


With which they must compete
And my loved ones must compete with it


When The Saints take on The Magpies
When St. Kilda Saints play against Collingwood Magpies


Someday too far away
Someday far in the future


I barrack for St. Kilda
I support St. Kilda


In that funny game they play
In the sport called Australian Rules Football


But my heart's not really in it
But my heart is not fully into it


My mind wanders to a town
My thoughts drift to a place


Where The Hammers sing "I'm forever blowing bubbles"
Where West Ham United fans sing their song


And the rain comes pouring down
And it rains heavily there


Yes, it's still raining in England
It's still rainy in England


Guess that's why I like it here
Maybe that's why I prefer being here


There's a brolly in my hotel room
There is an umbrella in my hotel room


For when the skies aren't clear
In case the weather is bad


'Cos it never rains in Sydney
Because it almost never rains in Sydney


And it never rains in Perth
And it almost never rains in Perth


Adelaide's a desert
Adelaide is like a desert


And Brisbane's just scorched earth
And Brisbane gets really hot


So excuse me please such days as there
Please forgive me for having those kinds of days


And send me to the town
And take me to the place


Where the children sing when St. Kilda win
Where the kids celebrate when St. Kilda wins


And the rain comes falling down
And it heavily rains there


So wake me up tomorrow
Wake me up tomorrow


And send me home again
And send me back home again


To where The Hammers sing "I'm forever blowing bubbles"
Where West Ham United fans sing their song again


In the pouring London rain
In the heavy rain in London




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN WILLIAM BRAGG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Mick Standing

Brilliant. I saw Billy at the Enmore Theatre Newtown Sydney in 2000 he was really good thank you for posting this It's great.

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