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.
He's A Good Bloke When He's Sober
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And of him in this song I will tell
Just listen and you'll be reminded
Of someone like him you know well
He annoys everyone who is near him
Sitting there on his barstool
He's a really nice bloke when he's sober
But a pain in the rear when he's full.
With each drink he gathers more wisdom
While good manners take a back seat
He butts in on your conversation
And bores you until you retreat
Then he starts on the barmaid or barman
With unlimited dull boring junk
He's a man of few words when he's sober
But you can't shut him up when he's drunk.
Oh they're personal friends of the famous
Singers, dancers, sportsmen and so
And they tell all the bad things about them
Or good deeds they don't want to know
Repeating themselves as they maul you
You're a bloody good bloke they insist
They don't know you at all when they're sober
But you're their latest friend when they're plastered.
Well I'm using the men for example
But we know lots of women the same
Quite often they're worse than the men are
Cause no-one can talk like a dame.
They'll hug you and call you oh darlin'
You're the only great hero I choose
And they're pretty stand off-ish when sober
But come on like a rash when they're boozed.
So with each drink they gather more wisdom
While good manners take a back seat
And they butt in on your conversation
And bore you until you retreat
Then they start on the barmaid or barman
While swaying there on their barstool
Well they're pretty nice folks when they're sober
But a pain in the rear when they're full.
All together.
Then they start on the barmaid or barman
While swaying there on their barstool
Well they're pretty nice folks when they're sober
But a pain in the rear when they're full
All together.
And with each drink they gather more wisdom
While good manners take a back seat
And they butt in on your conversation
And bore you until you retreat
Then they start on the barmaid or barman
While swaying there on their barstool
Well they're really nice folks when they're sober
But a pain in the rear when they're full.
dah dah da da dah
The song "He's a Good Bloke When He's Sober" by Slim Dusty is about a character the singer meets during his travels who becomes annoying after having too much to drink. The song describes the man as someone who starts to become a "pain in the rear" after having a few too many drinks. While the man is pleasant and friendly when sober, alcohol seems to make him self-centered and talkative, often giving unwanted opinions and advice to those around him. The man also seems to enjoy telling stories and gossiping about others, including friends and celebrities, regardless of whether these stories are true or not. Overall, the song presents a humorous take on the way alcohol can impact a person's behavior and social interactions.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a character I've met in my travels
I am about to tell you a story about someone I have met.
And of him in this song I will tell
This song is about that person.
Just listen and you'll be reminded
You may recognize this person.
Of someone like him you know well
This person is common and easy to find.
He annoys everyone who is near him
This person bothers everyone around him.
Sitting there on his barstool
This person is sitting at the bar.
He's a really nice bloke when he's sober
This person is pleasant when they are not drunk.
But a pain in the rear when he's full.
This person becomes irritating when they are drunk.
With each drink he gathers more wisdom
This person becomes more annoying as they drink more.
While good manners take a back seat
This person becomes less polite as they drink more.
He butts in on your conversation
This person interrupts your conversation.
And bores you until you retreat
This person talks in a boring way that makes you want to leave.
Then he starts on the barmaid or barman
This person starts bothering the bartender or server.
With unlimited dull boring junk
This person talks endlessly about uninteresting topics.
He's a man of few words when he's sober
This person does not talk much when they are sober.
But you can't shut him up when he's drunk.
This person talks too much when they are drunk.
Oh they're personal friends of the famous
This person claims to be friends with famous people.
Singers, dancers, sportsmen and so
They are friends with people in the entertainment or sports industries.
And they tell all the bad things about them
This person gossips about their famous friends.
Or good deeds they don't want to know
This person talks about things their famous friends would rather keep private.
Repeating themselves as they maul you
This person talks endlessly, even if you are not interested.
You're a bloody good bloke they insist
This person insists that you are a great person.
They don't know you at all when they're sober
This person does not actually know you well when they are sober.
But you're their latest friend when they're plastered.
This person thinks of you as a friend when they are drunk, even if they barely know you.
Well I'm using the men for example
I am using men as examples in this song.
But we know lots of women the same
Women can behave similarly when they are drunk.
Quite often they're worse than the men are
Women can be even more irritating than men when they are drunk.
Cause no-one can talk like a dame.
Women can talk a lot when they are drunk.
They'll hug you and call you oh darlin'
Women can be overly affectionate when they are drunk.
You're the only great hero I choose
Women may flatter you when they are drunk.
And they're pretty stand off-ish when sober
Women may be distant when they are not drunk.
But come on like a rash when they're boozed
Women may become overly friendly when they are drunk.
And they butt in on your conversation
Women, like men, can interrupt your conversation when they are drunk.
While swaying there on their barstool
Women, like men, may sway on their barstool when they are drunk.
Well they're pretty nice folks when they're sober
Women are generally pleasant when they are not drunk.
But a pain in the rear when they're full.
Women can be irritating when they are drunk, just like men.
Contributed by Matthew M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ricocountry
Merci Slim !
@EarlJohn61
"No-one can talk like a Dame" Edna!
LOL!!! :D :D ;D
@eddie4084
I know a few