Over the course of his career, he collected more gold and platinum albums than any other Australian artist.
Dusty not only recorded songs written by himself and other fellow Australian performers, but also recorded classic Australian poems by Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson with new tunes, to call attention to the old 'Bush Ballads.' An example is The Man from Snowy River by Paterson.
In 1970, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to music. In 1971 he won Best Single at the Australian Country Music Awards at the Tamworth Country Music Festival (Slim's wife Joy McKean won Song of the Year as writer of the song for which he won best single). In all, he won a record 35 "Golden Guitars" over the years.
He died at home in St Ives, New South Wales on 19 September 2003 after a protracted battle with cancer, at age 76.
The Slim Dusty Story started back in the 1940s on a remote dairy farm in the hills behind Kempsey, NSW, when a 10-year-old boy dreamed of being a country music singer. His name was David Gordon Kirkpatrick... he called himself "Slim Dusty" and began to live that dream.
But even the most optimistic farm boy would never have imagined the life that was to unfold... a life that would establish Slim as the voice of the nation, the chronicler of Australian history in song.
Slim managed to hold on to those early visions of writing and singing about the bush because during his lengthy career, he always stayed in touch with his audience. And he did this in a very real and meaningful way, so much so that his fans would feel that Slim was one of their mates and his songs "just a good yarn you might hear from a mate at the pub, around a campfire in the bush or at a back yard barbie".
He described his music as "songs about real Australians... "I have to be fair dinkum with my audience. I can't see any other way of doing it," he said. "You have to believe in what you are singing about."
Slim Dusty was the first Australian to have a number one hit record and the only Australian to ever receive a 78rpm Gold Record (for A Pub With No Beer in 1958)...
He was the first Australian to have an international record hit and the first singer in the world to have his voice beamed to earth from space (astronauts Bob Crippen and John Young played Slim's recording of Waltzing Matilda from the space shuttle "Columbia" as it passed over Australia back in 1983).
During an amazingly successful career spanning over six decades, Slims' continued popularity saw him rewarded with more Gold and Platinum Awards for sales of his singles, eight-tracks, cassettes, CD's, videos and DVDs... more than any other Australian artist!
He received an unequaled 37 Golden Guitar Awards, two ARIA's (Australian Recording Industry Association awards), inductions into the ARIA Hall of Fame and the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown.
Slim was recognized for his long time services to Australian entertainment with an MBE and an Order of Australia. In 1999, Prime Minister John Howard named Slim Dusty Australia's Father of the Year and Senior Australian of the Year. There were many other awards and honors... too many to name here!
Dusty died at his home in St Ives, New South Wales on 19 September 2003 at the age of 76, after a protracted battle with cancer.
All My Mates Are Gone
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They wouldn't hold a horse anymore,
But girl, these hands were there when history formed its pages,
Back when this country was still ragged, rough and raw.
Yes I've sat tight on the best my girl,
Back when the fire of youth be proudly in my breast,
Back when this body, now broken, down and useless
Could ride all day and ring it with the best.
When instinct was a man's only guide,
Where if you lost your bearings, the sand hills claimed your carcas.
When the sun had played the life of your hide.
I thank you girl, for list'nin' to this broken ringer's ravings,
Another sunrise girl, I'll never know,
My mind is projecting a film of years long gone,
And I'm watching now my last picture show.
Once again I see the blackened core pots boiling,
I can taste again the strong black billy tea,
Taste the damper from the ashes, smell the rib bones on the coal,
See the saddle 'neath the tough old mulga tree.
I can hear the cattle bellow and the cracking of the whips,
Again the harness jangles in these ears,
I smell the smell of well oiled leather, feel the comfort of my swag,
As my memory races back across the years.
And there across the desert, a lonely team of camels,
Stretches slowly across the brightness of the sand,
And there's old Gool Mohammad, Charlie and Gerard,
Nose leads hanging loosely in their hand.
I can see the brumbies buckin', as Bob the breaker tries,
Once again to gain another working hack,
And there's old "One-eyed Willie" the best tailor in the north,
These were the men that made the great outback.
So I thank you girl for list'nin' to this broken ringer's ravings,
There's no regrets, in fact I'm glad to go,
Old ringers are a breed that your world doesn't need,
And I'll be glad to do some skitin' with those mates from long ago.
There's no one left who knew me girl when I had you to smile upon,
I've lost all my identity, 'cause all my mates are gone.
The lyrics of Slim Dusty's song, "All My Mates Are Gone," describe the singer's sense of loneliness and longing for the past. He describes his body as weak and aging, no longer able to hold a horse or ride all day. However, he fondly remembers his youth, when he would "ride all day and ring it with the best." He recalls droving on the Birdsville Track, where instinct was a man's only guide and losing one's bearings meant one's demise in the unforgiving wilderness. He thanks the girl listening to his musings for indulging him, but also acknowledges that he will never see another sunrise.
The singer's nostalgia takes him back to the days when the Australian outback was "ragged, rough and raw." He describes the simplest of pleasures, such as boiling core pots, smelling well-oiled leather, and tasting damper from the ashes. He remembers the men he used to work with, including Bob the breaker, One-eyed Willie the tailor, and old Gool Mohammad, Charlie, and Gerard, who led their camels slowly across the desert.
The overall theme of "All My Mates Are Gone" is the passage of time and the inevitability of change. The singer mourns the loss of his youth and the close friendships he had back in the day. Despite his fading physical strength and deteriorating memory, he still holds onto these memories and shares them with those around him.
Line by Line Meaning
The muscles in these arms have gone weak now,
My physical strength has faded with age.
They wouldn't hold a horse anymore,
I am no longer physically capable of riding a horse.
But girl, these hands were there when history formed its pages,
Although my body is weak, my hands have played a significant role in the making of this country's history.
Back when this country was still ragged, rough and raw.
I was there during the country's early years when it was still developing and settling.
Yes I've sat tight on the best my girl,
I have ridden the best horses this country has ever seen.
Back when the fire of youth be proudly in my breast,
During my younger years, I had an unmatched fervor and passion for life.
Back when this body, now broken, down and useless,
Now, my body has deteriorated and is no longer fit for the tasks it once performed with ease.
Could ride all day and ring it with the best.
In my prime, I was a skilled horseman who could ride and work for hours without complaint.
Girl, I was droving on the Birdsville Track,
I have traveled through the most desolate and unforgiving parts of this country.
When instinct was a man's only guide,
During my travels, I have relied solely on my instincts to survive.
Where if you lost your bearings, the sand hills claimed your carcas.
The harsh and unforgiving terrain of this country would claim anyone who was not prepared or experienced enough to traverse it.
When the sun had played the life of your hide.
The scorching heat of the sun could easily lead to dehydration and heatstroke, which could be fatal.
I thank you girl, for list'nin' to this broken ringer's ravings,
Thank you for listening to the ramblings of an old and broken man.
Another sunrise girl, I'll never know,
I have accepted that I will not live to see another day.
My mind is projecting a film of years long gone,
I am reminiscing about my past and reliving the memories of my youth.
And I'm watching now my last picture show.
I am living out my last moments and reflecting on my life.
Once again I see the blackened core pots boiling,
I am recalling the times when we cooked over campfires and how the blackened pots were a symbol of our shared experiences.
I can taste again the strong black billy tea,
I am remembering the taste of the strong tea we drank during our travels.
Taste the damper from the ashes, smell the rib bones on the coal,
I can still remember the delicious smell and taste of the food we cooked over the fire.
See the saddle 'neath the tough old mulga tree.
I am picturing the beautiful countryside and the iconic sights of the outback, like the mulga trees and the saddles resting against them.
I can hear the cattle bellow and the cracking of the whips,
I am remembering the sounds of the cattle and the whips cracking as we herded them.
Again the harness jangles in these ears,
I can hear the sound of the harnesses and it's as if I am back there in the moment.
I smell the smell of well oiled leather, feel the comfort of my swag,
I am experiencing the comfort and familiarity of my gear and equipment.
As my memory races back across the years.
I am revisiting the memories of my younger years and everything we experienced.
And there across the desert, a lonely team of camels,
I can see the camels traveling across the vast desert landscape.
Stretches slowly across the brightness of the sand,
The camels' path is a slow and steady processional across the hot and bright desert sands.
And there's old Gool Mohammad, Charlie and Gerard, Nose leads hanging loosely in their hand.
I remember the faces and names of the people I met during my travels, like Gool Mohammad, Charlie, and Gerard.
I can see the brumbies buckin', as Bob the breaker tries,
I am recalling the wild brumbies and the man named Bob who would break them to be ridden.
Once again to gain another working hack,
The purpose of breaking these horses was to have them as working horses.
And there's old "One-eyed Willie" the best tailor in the north,
I am remembering the people who were skilled and the best at what they did, like the tailor named One-eyed Willie.
These were the men that made the great outback.
These men and others like them played a significant role in the development and character of the outback.
So I thank you girl for list'nin' to this broken ringer's ravings,
Once again, I thank you for being there to hear me pour out my heart.
There's no regrets, in fact I'm glad to go,
There's no sadness or regrets for me in leaving this world, and in fact, I'm happy to go.
Old ringers are a breed that your world doesn't need,
I understand that my era and my way of life are no longer relevant or necessary in today's world.
And I'll be glad to do some skitin' with those mates from long ago.
But I can't wait to finally be reunited with my friends and comrades from the past when we can share jokes and laughter once again.
There's no one left who knew me girl when I had you to smile upon,
I am the only one left who remembers who I was during my prime when you were still in my life.
I've lost all my identity, 'cause all my mates are gone.
With the passing of my friends and comrades, my sense of self and my identity have been lost with them.
Contributed by Gabriel T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@daviddalgleish4344
There're will never be another Slim Dusty GOD BLESS You your music will always be rembered lights on a hill was the music at my DADS passing always brings tears to my eyes REST EASY SLIM RIP
@williamkiernan3767
All bloody great music, a true legend
@trevorbailey1486
"...An old ringer is a breed / That your world doesn't need..."
Every day life in Sydney in 2017 bears out the truth of this lament.
God bless what's left of Australia.
@JordanWalmsley04
Love you slim we will never have a great slim again rip mate I’m thinking of you love you
@robertmeers2620
I love this song I have never heard this song before
@namethdkhan
another great song from Bazza Moyes
@Moose369
LOVE YOU SLIM - MOOSE MAGGS POETRY
@vincentmillwood
We all get old mate
@mhm6273
3 dislikes obviously from town never worked a day in there lives
@douglasnewman9062
In response to Trevor Bailey thats truu