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.
Duncan
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love to have a beer with Dunc.
We drink in moderation
And we never ever ever get rollin' drunk
We drink at the Town and Country
Where the atmosphere is great
I love to have a beer with Duncan
'Cause Duncan's me mate, yeah
I love to have a beer with Colin
I love to have a beer with Col.
We drink in moderation
And it doesn't really matter if he brings his doll
We drink at the Town and Country
Where the atmosphere is great
I love to have a beer with Colin
'Cause Colin's me mate, mm-mm-mm
I love to have a beer with Kevin
Oh I love to have a beer with Kev.
We drink in moderation
And he drives me home in his big old Chev.
We drink at the Town and Country
Where the atmosphere is great
I love to have a beer with Kevin
'Cause Kevin's me mate
I love to have a beer with Patrick
I love to have a beer with Pat
We drink in moderation
And it wouldn't really matter if the beer was flat
We drink at the Town and Country
Where the atmosphere is great
I love to have a beer with Patrick
'Cause Patrick's me mate - Change key
I love to have a beer with Robert
I love to have a beer with Bob
We drink in moderation
Just one more and back on the job
We drink at the Town and Country
Where the atmosphere is great
I love to have a beer with Robert
'Cause Robert's me mate
I love to have a beer with Duncan
Oh I love to have a beer with Dunc.
We drink in moderation
And we never ever ever get rollin' drunk
We drink at the Town and Country
Where the atmosphere is great
I love to have a beer with Duncan
'Cause Duncan's me mate
I love to have a beer with do
"Duncan" is a classic Australian country song written and performed by Slim Dusty. The song is an ode to the joys of drinking with friends, particularly Duncan, Colin, Kevin, Patrick, and Robert, and celebrates the social aspects of drinking in moderation. The lyrics highlight the importance of friendship and camaraderie, as well as the importance of responsible drinking.
The first verse sets the tone of the song, with the singer expressing their love for having a beer with Duncan. The song then goes on to list other friends with whom the singer enjoys drinking, and each verse follows the same pattern of celebrating a specific friend and their drinking habits. The final verse brings the song full circle, ending with a reiteration of the singer's love for drinking with Duncan.
While the song may seem simple on the surface, it speaks to the Australian tradition of mateship, the importance of community, and the value of responsible drinking. It has become an iconic anthem of Australian culture and is often played at Australian pubs and bars.
Line by Line Meaning
I love to have a beer with Duncan
The singer enjoys spending time with his friend Duncan and having a beer together.
I love to have a beer with Dunc.
He affectionately refers to Duncan as "Dunc" and looks forward to their shared beer outings.
We drink in moderation
The two friends are responsible drinkers and do not overindulge.
And we never ever ever get rollin' drunk
They are careful not to drink too much and always maintain control of themselves.
We drink at the Town and Country
They frequent a local establishment called the Town and Country.
Where the atmosphere is great
They appreciate the pleasant ambiance of the bar.
'Cause Duncan's me mate, yeah
The singer considers himself and Duncan to be close friends and enjoys their time together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN PATRICK ALEXANDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gaius_enceladus
I love to have a beer with Aussie
I love to have a beer with Oz
We drink in moderation
And we never need a reason, it's "just because"
We drink at the Town and Country
Where the atmosphere is great
I love to have a beer with Aussie
'Cos Aussie's me mate!
Cheers from New Zealand!
@1973Washu
Slim is an icon from a better time when life was simpler.
@fergspan5727
Bloody oath mate
@AussieAircraft98
you know you're Australian when you sing this in year 3 for christmas carols.....
@espwahgr
don't know what school out the back arse of Alice you went to but here we never did.
@johnson6226
Sung this all through primary school (2007-2013) north qld
@chloesmith5485
@@espwahgr we did about an hour out of Melbourne
@chloesmith5485
Course it was love to have a drink... not beer
@herbs7482
@@espwahgr hahahah
@slattman1509abn
I heard this song when I was stationed in South Korea in 1996. There was a television in the NCO club that sometimes showed Australian country music videos. I still sing it almost every time I drink a beer even though I haven't heard it in 21 years. Thank you Mr. Dusty for a song I'll carry around until the day I die. God rest his soul.
@skyelee4310
Ya right mate g'day g'day how ya goin