Grandfather Johnson
Slim Dusty Lyrics

Friends, most of my bush ballards are based on true stories
The singer wants to share with the listeners his collection of true stories that he learned from his travels around the country.

I'd like to sing for you now a story that is 100% true
The singer wants to share a factual story that he had personally experienced with a person named grandfather Johnson.

Because I know the family that grandfather Johnson lived with,
The singer personally knew the family of grandfather Johnson which gave him a chance to get to know the old man and his story.

And like most bush ballards and story songs these
The singer believes that the structure of his story is self-explanatory and easy to understand.

Ballards explain themselves as they move along.
The singer believes that his story would be easier for the listeners to understand as the narrative progresses.

Here is the true story of Grandfather Johnson.
The singer introduces the main character of his story who is the old man named grandfather Johnson.

Grandfather Johnson was an old blackman
Grandfather Johnson was an elderly African Australian.

From a real proud race of men
Grandfather Johnson was from a proud Aboriginal community that has faced prejudice and discrimination.

When he was a child he heard them tell of butcher's creek
Grandfather Johnson was born into a generation who has heard the story of the conflicts of Aboriginal peoples with the white Australians.

And the story was old even then.
The story of the fight for land ownership and racial equality was an old one even when Grandfather Johnson was young.

How the white man came and took over the land
The story that Grandfather Johnson heard as a child was about how the white Australians took over the land from the aboriginal people.

And the blood of the blackman mixed with white
As a result of colonialism, the blood of black Australians mixed with the blood of white Europeans.

But grandfather Johnson was a fullblood man,
Despite the perceived advantages of having white ancestry in that era, Grandfather Johnson was proud of being a full-blooded Aboriginal.

Proud of his people and their rights,
Grandfather Johnson was passionate about his people's rights and equality.

Now grandfather Johnson was a tribal man
Grandfather Johnson was a member of an Australian Aboriginal tribe and was raised and taught traditional Aboriginal skills.

He knew all the old hunting ways
Grandfather Johnson was an expert in traditional Aboriginal hunting techniques.

He knew how to wield the nulla throw the killer boomerang
Grandfather Johnson knew how to use the Nulla and Boomerang which were traditional Aboriginal weapons that are used for hunting and combat.

And he'd entertain the tourists everyday.
Grandfather Johnson would spend his days entertaining tourists who were interested in learning about traditional Aboriginal skills.

And grandfather Johnson had a brand new suit
Grandfather Johnson bought himself a new suit which he could wear when entertaining tourists at the request of his family.

A new hat for his snowy headed crown
Grandfather Johnson also bought himself a hat that would serve as a crown of sorts for him to wear.

But whenever the tourists where about to arrive
When guests or tourists came near, Grandfather Johnson would take off his suit.

He would change into his old hand me downs.
Grandfather Johnson preferred wearing his worn-out clothes when he was entertaining the tourists.

When I asked him the reason he said son you ought to know
The singer asked Grandfather Johnson why he would change into his old clothes and the old man gave him the reason.

My old working clothes look better for the part
Grandfather Johnson believed that his old clothes made him look more authentic to the tourists who wanted to see the traditional Aboriginal man.

I'm just old grandfather Johnson making boomerangs for sale
Grandfather Johnson believed that his primary purpose was to sell authentic boomerangs and not to put on a show.

I'd lose business if I went around looking smart.
Grandfather Johnson believed that if he looked too distinguished or intelligent, tourists would stop buying from him.

So he sold them boomerangs and taught them to throw
Despite his reservations, Grandfather Johnson still sold and taught the tourists how to properly throw boomerangs.

And they bragged for months of seeing the real thing
The tourists proudly boasted of the chance to spend time with a real Aboriginal man and to observe him in action.

When they'd gone grandpa dressed up took his money from a bag
After the guests leave, Grandfather Johnson would put on his new clothes again and retrieve his payment from his bag.

And smiled as he paid cash for a new gold ring.
Grandfather Johnson loved shopping money and bought himself a new gold ring at one point.

He would always bail me up when we met in town
Grandfather Johnson would always find a way to get the singer's attention when they saw each other in town.

And he'd bite me for some money or a smoke
Grandfather Johnson would often ask the singer if he had cigarettes or money to spare.

Oh but I can't forget the day I had to tell grandfather
The singer recalls the time when he had to tell Grandfather Johnson that he couldn't give him any cigarettes or money.

I was sorry but I was stoney broke.
The singer apologized to Grandfather Johnson and explained that he too had no money to spare.

He just nodded and emptied out his pockets
Grandfather Johnson understood the singer's situation and gave him all the money and coins he had in his pocket.

The notes and the silver flowed apace
The coins and the bank notes flowed continuously into the singer's hands.

With a twinkle in his eye he shoved the money in my hand
Grandfather Johnson looked at the singer and handed him the money with a glint of happiness in his eye.

And laughed at the look upon my face.
Grandfather Johnson enjoyed the effect of his actions on the surprised singer.

Well grandfather Johnson died one year on walkabout
Grandfather Johnson passed away while going on a walkabout or a journey to various places.

In a strange land alone in the dark
Grandfather Johnson died in a foreign country by himself in the dark.

No one new his name or knew from where he came
Grandfather Johnson died far from his home and no one knew his identity or where he came from.

They just found him dead one morning in the park.
He was discovered dead in a park area by locals or authorities.

And they buried grandpa Johnson as a pauper
Grandfather Johnson was buried without a luxurious burial or a grand funeral.

It was months and months before I even knew
It took a long time for the news of Grandfather Johnson's death to reach the singer.

I gave his money to the hungry, clothes to the poor
The singer used the money given to him by Grandfather Johnson to help those in poverty by providing them with food and clothes.

And his story I'm giving to you,
The singer finishes the ballad by telling his listeners that he has shared Grandfather Johnson's story with them and hopes that it will be retold to others.