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.
As The Bush Becomes The Town
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the change that's comin′ down
You were felled to the ground by a mean chainsaw
Where you kept watch for a hundred years or more
In your silent stance while the river danced
Where the big floods used to rise
In your broken limbs the wounds are scarred
Cyclones tore this coast apart
But old tree they are lying defeated by the change
And years passed more quickly
As we reach a greater age
As your sap is slowly bleeding
Your life is winding down
And we're strangers scorned where we were born
As the bush becomes the town
Where farms that grew this countries food
And a drover walked his mob
Where lanterns glowed in old bush homes
And a welcome handshake always shows
Your rings of age will slowly fade
As the fire burns your brain
Your coals will glow in the hot north breeze
And the embers dance their last reprieve
Yes old tree they are lying defeated by the change
And years passed more quickly
As we reach a greater age
As your sap is slowly bleeding
Your life is winding down
And we're strangers scorned where we were born
As the bush becomes the town
"As The Bush Becomes The Town" is a melancholic ballad by Slim Dusty about the changes that occurred in the Australian outback. The song paints a vivid picture of an old bloodwood tree that saw the area transform from a wild, untamed bush to a civilized town. The opening verse refers to the felling of the tree by a chainsaw, which was once a foreign object in the area. The tree, which had stood as a silent witness to the changes in the landscape, now falls victim to the forces of change it had observed for years. The river, which used to flow freely, is now tamed, and the big floods are a thing of the past.
As the song progresses, Slim Dusty reflects on how the area has changed. Farms have replaced what was once a wild habitat, and even the old bush homes have been replaced by modern housing. The old ways of life are fading away, and the people who once thrived in this environment are now looked at as outsiders. Slim Dusty uses the motif of the old tree to illustrate how things that were once permanent have become transient. The tree, once a mighty presence in the area, is now merely a victim of progress.
Line by Line Meaning
Old bloodwood tree at last you’re free
The bloodwood tree is no longer standing as it was felled by a chainsaw.
From the change that's comin’ down
This felling represents a change in the area.
You were felled to the ground by a mean chainsaw
The tree was cut down rather cruelly by a chainsaw.
Where you kept watch for a hundred years or more
The tree had stood tall for a long time, being a grand presence in the area.
In your silent stance while the river danced
The tree stood there with a stoic presence while the river flowed through the area.
Where the big floods used to rise
The area was prone to flooding, which the tree had witnessed for many years.
In your broken limbs the wounds are scarred
The tree had experienced some damage over the years.
Cyclones tore this coast apart
The area had experienced some natural disasters, such as cyclones.
But old tree they are lying defeated by the change
The old way of life in the area has faded away with time and modernization.
And years passed more quickly
Time seems to fly by as one gets older.
As we reach a greater age
As society and people progress, time seems to pass more quickly.
As your sap is slowly bleeding
The tree has been cut down and is slowly losing its life essence.
Your life is winding down
The tree is slowly dying.
And we're strangers scorned where we were born
As cities and towns develop, people may feel disconnected from the place where they were born and raised.
As the bush becomes the town
As areas of nature become urbanized, they lose their natural beauty and life.
Where farms that grew this countries food
The area used to be known for its agricultural presence and its ability to grow crops.
And a drover walked his mob
Livestock used to roam freely in the area and drovers would lead them to different locations.
Where lanterns glowed in old bush homes
Small homes and communities would use lanterns for light in the absence of electricity.
And a welcome handshake always shows
People in the area were hospitable and welcoming.
Your rings of age will slowly fade
The signs of age and history in the area will slowly disappear.
As the fire burns your brain
The tree may be burned or cut down in the near future.
Your coals will glow in the hot north breeze
A reference to an impending fate for the bloodwood tree.
And the embers dance their last reprieve
The remnants of the fire will scatter and leave the area forever changed.
Writer(s): Ian Robert Quinn
Contributed by Lucy S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sandra
on One Truckie's Epitaph
My brother Terry Radke was the man Slim wrote the song for after he received a letter from Terry's youngest son, Lync. Thank you
Charley Boyter
on Axe Mark On a Gidgee
With horsebells to keep me company
Jake
on Your Country's Been Sold
You say you belong to Australia my friend
And rightly you’d die for this land to defend
But let us be honest, it’s sad but it’s true
Australia my friend doesn’t belong to you
Our country’s been sold by the powers that be
To big wealthy nations way over the sea
We couldn’t be taken by bayonets or lead
And so they decided to buy us instead
And talking of wars and the blood that was spilled
The widows, the crippled, the ones that were killed
And I often wonder if their ghosts can see
What’s happening now to their native country
I wonder if ghosts of the fallen can see
The crime and corruption and vast poverty
With a lost generation of youth on the dole
Who drift on life’s ocean without any goal
I once had a dream of our country so grand
The rivers outback irrigated the land
With towns and canals in that wasteland out there
And big inland cities with work everywhere
With profit from farming and factory and mine
Was used to develop a nation so fine
Then I woke from my dream into reality
That the wealth of our nation goes over the sea
Yeah you say you belong to Australia my friend
And rightly you’d die for this land to defend
But let us be honest, it’s sad but it’s true
Australia my friend doesn’t belong to you