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.
Gonna Take My Dog for a Run
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna take my dog for a run,
Gonna take my dog for a run,
She runs on 22 wheels and weighs 42 ton,
Foot's goes down, she's a whole lot of fun,
500 horses make this Bulldog run.
I'm gonna take my dog for a run,
Road Ranger travellin' by my side,
‘Cross the Western Plains, through canola and wheat,,
For airbag suspension and a bostrum seat
On the Barrier Highway out to Broken Hill,
'Cross the old Mundy Mundy where time stands still,
Mister hitch-hiking you’ve got nothing to fear, Hey!
'Til we're flyin' downhill in angel gear,
Here we go again!
Gonna take my dog for a run,
I'm Gonna take my dog for a run,
She runs on 22 wheels and weighs 42 ton,
Foot's goes down, she's a whole lot of fun,
500 horses make this Bulldog run.
Hey!
I'm gonna take my dog for a run,
Port Augusta is a town full of trucks and trains,
Iron ore, coal, mixed goods and grains
Now the Nullabor Plain she’s long and wide,
Salt Bush spread, dirt, western skies.
Knows when it’s 500 miles to go,
When we reach Coolgardie I’m starting to explode,
But when we’re into Perth and another load,
Hey! A quick turn around and we're headin' back home,
Headin' home,
Gonna take my dog for a run,
I'm Gonna take my dog for a run,
She runs on 22 wheels and weighs 42 ton,
Foot's goes down, she's a whole lot of fun,
500 horses make this Bulldog run.
Hey!
I'm gonna take my dog for a run,
I'm gonna take my dog for a run.
Instrumental
The song "Gonna Take My Dog for a Run" by Slim Dusty is a joyful and upbeat tribute to the life of truckers on the open road. The lyrics describe the excitement and pride of driving a big rig, as well as the sense of freedom that comes with it. The metaphor of the singer's truck being their dog is a clever way of expressing their love and loyalty to the vehicle that carries them across the country, while also emphasizing the power and strength of the machine.
The first verse establishes the playful tone of the song, as the singer describes their truck as a "whole lot of fun" that runs on "500 horses." The second verse continues this theme, as the singer and their truck travel through different landscapes and encounter different people along the way. From the "Western Plains" to "Port Augusta," the song conveys the expansiveness and diversity of the Australian countryside, as well as the camaraderie and adventurous spirit of truckers.
Overall, "Gonna Take My Dog for a Run" celebrates the joy of the journey and the sense of pride and community that comes with being a truck driver. The repeated refrain of "I'm gonna take my dog for a run" is both catchy and catchy, and the instrumentation has a lively and energetic feel that matches the upbeat lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Truck sounds &
The song starts with the sound of truck, indicating the trip that the singer and his dog are about to embark on.
Gonna take my dog for a run,
The singer is excited to take his dog for a ride in his truck.
Gonna take my dog for a run,
Repeating the phrase emphasizes the singer's eagerness to go on this trip with his dog.
She runs on 22 wheels and weighs 42 ton,
The truck is massive and uses 22 wheels to support its weight of 42 tons.
Foot's goes down, she's a whole lot of fun,
When the singer steps on the accelerator, the truck gives him and his dog a thrilling experience.
500 horses make this Bulldog run.
The engine of the truck is very powerful with 500 horsepower, which allows it to move on long journeys.
Heading west to Sydney 'cross the great divide,
The singer and his dog are travelling towards Sydney, across the Great Divide to the west of Australia.
Road Ranger travellin' by my side,
The singer has a companion in the form of a Road Ranger travelling next to him and his dog.
‘Cross the Western Plains, through canola and wheat,,
The trio is travelling through the Western Plains of Australia, passing by fields of canola and wheat.
For airbag suspension and a bostrum seat
The truck has airbag suspension and a comfortable seat for the singer to make the journey more comfortable.
On the Barrier Highway out to Broken Hill,
They are now travelling on Barrier Highway towards Broken Hill.
'Cross the old Mundy Mundy where time stands still,
They pass by Mundy Mundy, where time seems to have stopped for them.
Mister hitch-hiking you’ve got nothing to fear, Hey!
The singer reassures a hitchhiker that he has nothing to fear and that he can hitch a ride with him and his dog on their journey.
'Til we're flyin' downhill in angel gear,
The trio is travelling fast downhill, enjoying the rush of adrenaline in a smooth, safe ride.
Here we go again!
Repeating this line indicates that the singer is enjoying this journey with his dog and the Road Ranger.
Port Augusta is a town full of trucks and trains,
They have now reached Port Augusta, a town with many trucks and trains moving goods around.
Iron ore, coal, mixed goods and grains
Various types of goods, such as iron ore, coal, mixed goods and grains, are being transported through this town.
Now the Nullabor Plain she’s long and wide,
The trio is now travelling across the Nullabor Plain, which is a long and wide stretch of land.
Salt Bush spread, dirt, western skies.
The scenery is dominated by salt bush, dirt, and the vast expanse of the western skies.
Knows when it’s 500 miles to go,
The singer knows the distance left to travel, and at this point, there are 500 miles left in the journey.
When we reach Coolgardie I’m starting to explode,
As they approach Coolgardie, the singer becomes more excited and enthusiastic about completing the journey.
But when we’re into Perth and another load,
After reaching Perth and completing another load, they will be turning back home.
Hey! A quick turn around and we're headin' back home,
They make a quick turn around in Perth and begin their journey back home.
Gonna take my dog for a run,
Repeating the opening line of the song emphasizes the joy the singer feels when taking his dog on a ride.
I'm Gonna take my dog for a run,
Repeating the line again shows the singer's eagerness to take his dog on a trip in his truck.
Instrumental
The song ends on an instrumental note, leaving the listener with a cheerful, upbeat melody to remember the journey by.
Contributed by Ethan N. 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