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.
Good Hard Dog
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's the dog that will not heel
But he'll worked the whole day through and half the
night,
As quick as a flash he's to the lead
What more could any stockman need
Then a good hard dog that'll turn the mob an' bite.
When you're musterin' on a water course,
He's as useless as a crow in a pen of lambs,
'Course a good hard dog will beat him flat
He'll hit the lead and turn them back,
In the time it takes to gather up your reins.
Doesn't need no fancy groomin' thinners
A whip but still he's blooming
But only just a bit of a feed at night,
Well a bit of a pat from the master's hand,
An' night watch all night he'll stand,
Yes give me a good hard dog that will turn and bite.
A muster' or in the pen,
He'd always on his toes and ready to fight,
He's a faithful mate and loyal too
He'll do anything he can for you
Yes give me a good hard dog that will turn and bite.
I remember when he was a pup,
If I could only have the luck,
To break a good dog in to make the lead,
Well now when I feed him every night
I know this pup has turned out right
An' he's well and truly worth his daily feed.
Pretty good dog.
Yes thin as a whip and strong as steel
He's the dog that will not heel,
But he'll worked the whole day through and half the
night,
Ahh, quick as a flash he's to the lead
What more could any stockman need
Then a good hard dog that'll turn the mob an' bite,
Yes give me a good hard dog that'll turn and bite.
Oh give me a good hard dog that'll turn and bite.
The lyrics of Slim Dusty's song "Good Hard Dog" embody the loyalty and strength of a dog that is worth its weight in gold to a stockman. Dusty praises the dog as being "thin as a whip and strong as steel," highlighting its agility and durability in demanding situations. The dog is also depicted as being independent, as it "[will] not heel," indicating that it is not easily controlled or submissive to authority figures.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of the dog's ability to "turn and bite" - a crucial trait for a working dog that needs to control livestock. Slim Dusty seems to suggest that these dogs are worth more than horses when it comes to mustering, as they are agile, quick and unfailingly loyal to their masters. They require little care and grooming, as they are naturally blooming and well-adjusted.
In many ways, Slim Dusty's song captures the essence of what makes working dogs so special. These loyal and reliable companions are essential to farming and ranching operations the world over, earning their keep in the hearts of their masters as much as with their hard work on the land.
Line by Line Meaning
Ahh, thin as a whip an' strong as Steel
This dog may be thin, but he’s certainly strong.
He's the dog that will not heel
This dog is not a hesitant one, he’s proudly independent.
But he'll worked the whole day through and half the night,
This dog is a hard worker who never rests until the job is done.
As quick as a flash he's to the lead
This dog moves faster than lightning when he has to.
What more could any stockman need
This dog has all the qualities that a good stockman needs.
Then a good hard dog that'll turn the mob an' bite.
A dog that can make quick work of rounding up a herd and biting if necessary.
You can have your fancy cutting horse,
Fancy horses are no match for a good, hard dog.
When you're musterin' on a water course,
When you are herding along the water course.
He's as useless as a crow in a pen of lambs,
A fancy cutting horse won't be of much use in a herd of lambs.
'Course a good hard dog will beat him flat
A good, hard dog can beat any fancy horse any day.
He'll hit the lead and turn them back,
A good, hard dog knows how to lead and turn the herd back if necessary.
In the time it takes to gather up your reins.
A dog that moves quickly, he can do the work in no time.
Doesn't need no fancy groomin' thinners
This dog does not need any fancy grooming.
A whip but still he's blooming,
Despite having a hard exterior, his loyalties are always with his owner.
But only just a bit of a feed at night,
This dog does not require too much food to remain healthy.
Well a bit of a pat from the master's hand,
This dog doesn't require much affection, but a pat from its master can keep him going.
An' night watch all night he'll stand,
This dog is always alert and can stand watch for you all night.
Yes give me a good hard dog that will turn and bite.
A dog with the ability to round up cattle and defend when necessary is always the best candidate.
A muster' or in the pen,
This dog can work just as well in the corral as when mustering cattle.
He'd always on his toes and ready to fight,
This dog is ever-ready to confront any difficulties.
He's a faithful mate and loyal too
This dog is loyal and a faithful companion.
He'll do anything he can for you
This dog will do anything to assist you when needed.
Yes give me a good hard dog that will turn and bite.
A dog with the agility and skill is the best candidate in the case of herding cattle.
I remember when he was a pup,
Remembering when the dog was just a small pup.
If I could only have the luck,
If only luck was enough to make an excellent dog.
To break a good dog in to make the lead,
If only one could train an excellent dog to lead.
Well now when I feed him every night
Now this dog is all grown up and only requires some feed.
I know this pup has turned out right
The dog has grown into an excellent candidate for herding cattle.
An' he's well and truly worth his daily feed.
The dog is worth the daily feed and his incredible skills in herding cattle.
Pretty good dog.
A humble remark indicating that the dog is much better than one might think.
Oh give me a good hard dog that'll turn and bite.
The insistence on a dog that can turn and defend well.
Contributed by Luke I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gayle Feinberg
I miss my dog.Best friend we ever had.He was a good hard dog.
Nissan Silvia
my dad the man who wrote this passed away today at 4:30 11/6/2020. This song was written about a red and tan kelpie called D'Arcy.
JordanSF1
Love you slim
Abraham Magdalena
How does a slim dusty song about a dog posted here more than a decade ago have less than 80 likes? The world these days! We're a vanishing breed
James Hopkins
Good on ya Slim R.I.P Mate
Jason Carruthers
brilliant
MrPocketfullOfSteel
Great song Audra, you gotcha a good dog too! Be careful.