Leaving Australia
Jim Moray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Together we shared the hard toil.
It was hard times at home which caused us to roam,
No work for the sons of the soil.
So I bade my old mother and father goodbye,
And I said I'll not be long away;
Though it's ten years have passed, fortune's favoured at last
And I'm leaving Australia today.
I sailed to the west with a dear friend of mine,
Each having a share in one claim
And taking bad luck as it came with the rest,
And working on each of the same
Til a cowardly blow struck my poor pal low,
Who struck it I never could tell;
Though I'll carry him home with his share of the gold
For his mother and dear sister, Nell.
So I'll take it back to my own country
That's far away across the sea
Right back to the scenes of my childhood
Where there'll be a welcome for me
Well it's many's the year it has passed and gone
Since I left old England's shore,
And may God speed the vessel which carries me back
To my dear old homeland once more.
The song "Leaving Australia" by Jim Moray tells the story of a man who left his home country of England to go to Australia in search of better opportunities. He traveled with a schoolmate who also faced hard times back home. They worked together in tough conditions on a claim, taking bad luck as it came, until tragedy struck when the man's friend was struck with a "cowardly blow" which ultimately led to his death. In honour of his friend, the man decides to take the gold he earned back to England to give to his friend's family, especially his sister Nell. Though he has been away for a decade, he will finally be leaving Australia and returning to his homeland.
The song portrays the harsh realities of life faced by many people in search of a better life. The themes of hardship, perseverance, loss, and homecoming are all beautifully woven into the lyrics. The story also highlights the bond of friendship and loyalty that can transcend time and distance. The strong emotions evoked by this story are enhanced by the haunting melody and the use of traditional instruments like the accordion and the violin.
Line by Line Meaning
I sailed to the west with a schoolmate of mine
I traveled westward with a classmate of mine
Together we shared the hard toil.
We worked together with difficulty
It was hard times at home which caused us to roam,
Poor economic conditions in our hometown forced us to leave
No work for the sons of the soil.
There were no employment opportunities for those who worked on the land
So I bade my old mother and father goodbye,
I said a tearful farewell to my parents
And I said I'll not be long away;
I promised that I wouldn't be gone for too long
Though it's ten years have passed, fortune's favoured at last
Despite a decade passing by, I've finally come into some good luck
And I'm leaving Australia today.
I'm departing from Australia soon
I sailed to the west with a dear friend of mine,
I traveled west with a close friend
Each having a share in one claim
We both had ownership in a claim
And taking bad luck as it came with the rest,
We endured misfortune along with the other miners
And working on each of the same
We worked together equally
Til a cowardly blow struck my poor pal low,
Sadly, my friend was hurt by a treacherous act
Who struck it I never could tell;
I could never determine who was responsible
Though I'll carry him home with his share of the gold
I'll bring him back to his family with his portion of the gold
For his mother and dear sister, Nell.
To be given to his mother and sister Nell
So I'll take it back to my own country
I'll transport the gold to my home country
That's far away across the sea
Which is located a great distance across the ocean
Right back to the scenes of my childhood
To the places where I grew up
Where there'll be a welcome for me
Where I'll be warmly welcomed
Well it's many's the year it has passed and gone
Numerous years have gone by
Since I left old England's shore,
Since I left the shores of England
And may God speed the vessel which carries me back
May God bless the ship that will take me back
To my dear old homeland once more.
To my precious homeland once again.
Contributed by Jacob I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@whitelightning82
I've been streaming this indie radio station in Melbourne, Australia called Triple R, and that's where I heard this song, it's pretty chill.
@adamonstro5798
New favourite song!
@sparebone
1:45 secs timeout time was excellent in its indian spiritual sound. I think this definitely excellent sounding music with plenty of moments to reflect on the lyrics to combines ones thoughts with it and to grow to appreciate it even further
@peterholsters5640
The strings are definitely from Indian origin. The song starts of with a xylophone-like instrument (maybe a balaphone) and ends with a kora, both of which are African instruments.
@peterholsters5640
DangerYourselfCopies
Thx
@chachapasta6060
Peter Holsters mmm very nice, sounds very good all of it