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.
Gotta Keep Moving
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got that diesel roarin' underneath the hood,
Hey the road is open an' I'm rollin' free, you see,
That I feel so good as long as I'm movin'
Yes I feel so good as long as I'm movin'.
Been rollin' down this road, seven days or so,
There's a thousand miles behind me, a couple more to go,
She'll see that plume of diesel smoke and I'm headin' home there.
Gotta keep movin' an' I'm feelin' good,
Got that diesel roarin' underneath the hood,
Hey the road is open an' I'm rollin' free, you see,
That I feel so good as long as I'm movin'
Yes I feel so good as long as I'm movin'.
Now I'm the sort of man who could never stay still,
I've always kept on movin' guess I always will,
There's always one more trip and there's always one more load,
There's always one more reason to keep me on the road.
Gotta keep movin' an' I'm feelin' good,
Got that diesel roarin' underneath the hood,
And the road is open an' I'm rollin' free, you see,
That I feel so good as long as I'm movin'
Yes I feel so good as long as I'm movin'.
Sometimes I start to think this truckin' life's too hard,
Blue lights and inspectors, you can never drop your guard,
I'm a little over weight, done a few too many miles,
Then I hear that diesel roarin' and the whole thing seems worthwhile.
Hey!
Gotta keep movin' an' I'm feelin' good,
Got that diesel roarin' underneath the hood,
And the roads are open an' I'm rollin' free, you see,
That I feel so good as long as I'm movin'
Yes I feel so good as long as I'm movin'
Yes I'm feelin' free as long as I'm movin
It's the only life for me now that I'm movin'
Yes I feel so good as long as I'm movin'...
The lyrics to Slim Dusty's song, Gotta Keep Moving, express the joy and freedom that comes from being on the road. The singer feels alive and happy as long as he keeps moving and has his trusty diesel truck roaring under the hood. He's been driving for seven days and has a couple more left to go before he reaches his destination - where a woman awaits him. The road ahead is open, and he feels free as long as he keeps moving.
The singer describes himself as a man who could never stay still, and trucking is the only life for him. Even though there are difficulties that come with the job, like blue lights and inspectors, being on the road is worth it when he hears the diesel engine roaring. To him, there's always one more trip, one more load to carry, and one more reason to stay on the road.
Overall, the song is an ode to the trucking lifestyle and the happiness and freedom it brings the singer. It speaks to the idea that sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination, and the feeling of being on the road is where the magic lies.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta keep movin' an' I'm feelin' good,
I need to keep moving and as long as I'm doing that, I feel happy and satisfied.
Got that diesel roarin' underneath the hood,
My truck is powered by diesel and it's running smoothly and strongly.
Hey the road is open an' I'm rollin' free, you see,
The road ahead of me is clear and I'm driving without any restrictions, giving me a sense of freedom.
That I feel so good as long as I'm movin'
I emphasize the importance of movement in my life and how it keeps me contented.
Yes I feel so good as long as I'm movin'.
I reiterate my previous statement that my happiness is tied to my constant movement on the road.
Been rollin' down this road, seven days or so,
I've been traveling down this same road for almost a week now.
There's a thousand miles behind me, a couple more to go,
I have already passed a thousand miles and I only have a few more miles to go before I reach my destination.
Somewhere up ahead there's a woman all my own,
There's someone waiting for me at my final destination- a woman who is very special to me.
She'll see that plume of diesel smoke and I'm headin' home there.
My truck will emit a plume of diesel smoke indicating to the woman that I am on my way before I finally arrive at my destination.
Now I'm the sort of man who could never stay still,
I am naturally a restless person and could never remain stationary for too long.
I've always kept on movin' guess I always will,
I have made a career of constant movement and plan to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.
There's always one more trip and there's always one more load,
There always seems to be another job or delivery that needs to be done, which keeps me constantly occupied and on the move.
There's always one more reason to keep me on the road.
I always find a new reason to stay on the road, whether it's to earn more money or to simply enjoy the freedom of travelling.
Sometimes I start to think this truckin' life's too hard,
There are times when I get overwhelmed with the challenges and difficulties that come with the trucking life.
Blue lights and inspectors, you can never drop your guard,
I constantly have to be aware of blue lights and inspectors on the road, which requires me to stay vigilant and cautious.
I'm a little over weight, done a few too many miles,
My truck might be slightly overweight or I might have driven a few too many miles on this particular trip, which can be physically taxing.
Then I hear that diesel roarin' and the whole thing seems worthwhile.
Despite the physical strain and stress that comes with trucking, hearing my truck's diesel engine roaring reminds me why the trucking life is worth it.
Yes I'm feelin' free as long as I'm movin
Movement on the open road makes me feel free and unbounded.
It's the only life for me now that I'm movin'
There is no other life that I can imagine for myself because the trucking life, with its constant movement, suits me perfectly.
Yes I feel so good as long as I'm movin'...
I reiterate the importance of movement and the happiness it brings me.
Contributed by Ryan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kevinstuart7197
You keep us moving slim 🎸
@vincentmillwood
A pub with no beer slim dusty
@josefinaSandenportugal
i'am a swedish truckie mate. But i listen to slim dusty he's singing about what i feel
@jimbojones2457
Slim is the bloody king mate!!!! I love ya Slim!!
@nathangesler2498
I love slim he's the best singer mate he is I no he is I love him n I'm going to miss him same with you guys he's the best I love him u do to hey mate he ues to drive a truck hey mate
@sallyolsen4501
Congratulations.
Omedeto
Thankyou
Guardian Angels
On
The Road to Bogan Gate.
@sallyolsen4501
I love Slim too.
@glenmunro3
top song
@filthyanimal874
Glen Munro always only the best from Mr. Slim Dusty!!!! Greetings from Horizon City, Texas US of A 🇺🇸 mate!!!
@FordTurbo302
how mate hes a good mate