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.
Every Little Bit Of Australia
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
We got the kindies and beginners at the primary school,
Where the kiddies learn to read and write,
We got the colleges and Universities for the ones that seem so bright,
We got the technical trade school,
Apprentices, for those who like to use their hands,
Then all the rest left over get to sing in a rock 'n' roll bands.
Every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
We got the footie on a Saturday afternoon,
Where everybody rants and raves,
Weve got the big American super marts,
Where the house husbands shop and save
We got clubs and Tatisalls, TAB where we try to win a quid,
But the telly and the all night radio, one of the best thing we ever did.
Every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
Every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
We got the Swan and the Torrens and the Brisbane too
All the rivers run through the town,
Weve Sydney Harbour, the Murray and the Yarra,
Where the water is thick and brown,
We got the Snowy and the Ord and Pine Gap,
That was put there for our sake,
But to bundle politicians in Canberra,
Was the smartest move to make.
Now the Aboriginal people have been here since dreaming time,
With the birds and animals all their own
Its a land as old as time,
Weve got cities and towns, and migrant friends,
A great Australian dream,
So take all ya papers and tins and things
And keep Australia clean.
Every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
Every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
Yeah, yeah, every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
Every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
Every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
Every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me.
Contributed: Marten Busstra 2010]
Slim Dusty's song Every Little Bit of Australia celebrates the diverse and unique elements that make up Australia as a nation. The lyrics portray the various aspects of Australian society, including education, sports, shopping, and entertainment, as well as celebrating Australia's natural beauty and Aboriginal culture. The song aims to promote a sense of unity and pride in the people of Australia by highlighting the fact that everyone has their unique contribution to the nation.
The song begins by suggesting that every little part of Australia is a little bit of both the singer and the listener. Slim Dusty mentions various educational institutions, such as kindergartens, primary schools, colleges, and universities, emphasizing the importance of education in Australian society. The lyrics also mention the technical trade school, which is meant for individuals who enjoy using their hands. The song then turns to sports, mentioning football matches that take place on Saturday afternoons. Slim Dusty also highlights the popularity of big American super marts, where house husbands go to shop and save.
The lyrics continue by mentioning various bodies of water in Australia, such as the Swan, the Torrens, and the Brisbane rivers, as well as the Yarra, Murray, Sydney Harbor, and Pine Gap. Slim Dusty also emphasizes the importance of Aboriginal culture, stating that the Aboriginal people have been in Australia since 'dreaming time'. The song concludes by urging listeners to keep Australia clean by throwing away their waste into the appropriate bins.
Line by Line Meaning
Every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
Australia belongs to each and every one of us in small ways.
We got the kindies and beginners at the primary school,
We have young children starting their education at primary level.
Where the kiddies learn to read and write,
Children learn how to read and write at this stage.
We got the colleges and Universities for the ones that seem so bright,
For the brighter and talented ones, there are several colleges and universities.
We got the technical trade school,
We have technical trade schools for individuals who enjoy using their hands.
Apprentices, for those who like to use their hands,
For individuals who enjoy using their hands, there are apprenticeships.
Then all the rest left over get to sing in a rock 'n' roll bands.
The remaining ones get to join rock 'n' roll bands.
We got the footie on a Saturday afternoon,
We have football matches on Saturday afternoons.
Where everybody rants and raves,
Where everyone gets excited and passionate about their favorite team.
Weve got the big American super marts,
Australia has American superstores.
Where the house husbands shop and save
These stores are where stay-at-home husbands can buy goods at a discount.
We got clubs and Tatisalls, TAB where we try to win a quid,
There are clubs, Tatisalls, and TAB where individuals try to gamble and win money.
But the telly and the all night radio, one of the best thing we ever did.
The television and all night radio are one of the best things that we ever created.
We got the Swan and the Torrens and the Brisbane too
Australia has rivers like the Swan, Torrens, and Brisbane.
All the rivers run through the town,
All the rivers flow through the town.
Weve Sydney Harbour, the Murray and the Yarra,
Australia has waterways like Sydney Harbor, the Murray, and the Yarra.
Where the water is thick and brown,
The water in these waterways is thick and brown.
We got the Snowy and the Ord and Pine Gap,
There are dams like the Snowy, Ord, and Pine Gap.
That was put there for our sake,
These dams were built for our benefit.
But to bundle politicians in Canberra,
Canberra is where politicians are grouped.
Was the smartest move to make.
It was a smart move to make Canberra the center for politicians.
Now the Aboriginal people have been here since dreaming time,
The Aboriginal people have lived in Australia since ancient times and have a rich history.
With the birds and animals all their own
They have their own unique animals and birds.
Its a land as old as time,
Australia is an ancient land with a rich history.
We've got cities and towns, and migrant friends,
There are cities, towns, and migrant friends in Australia.
A great Australian dream,
The Australian Dream is something that everyone aspires to achieve.
So take all ya papers and tins and things
Always tidy up after yourself, be responsible for your waste.
And keep Australia clean.
Take pride in your country by keeping it clean and tidy.
Yeah, yeah, every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
Every part of Australia belongs to all Australians.
Every little bit of Australia is a little bit of you and me,
Australia belongs to each and every one of us in small ways.
Contributed by Max G. 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