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.
Horse And Hobble Days
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When bullocks hauled the woolclip in and we turned in fully dressed
They were rough and rowdy mustering camps and wild bulls on the prod
Those horse and hobble days were best when we swung the greenhide rod
Singing hobbles horsebells and halters as we ride over gibber and sand
Singing surcingles stockwhips and saddles and the greasy kip reins in our hands
There were teamsters moving up the track and drovers travelling through
Colt breakers with their tackling gear and the dogger armed with bait
Canteen and springside leggings, horse and hobble days were great
Singing bridles bullwhips and buckers as we ride round the bullocks at night
Singing saddlebags quartpots and scrubbers oh they won't rush but maybe they might
Oh I cut my teeth on a bridle bit and was raised on damper crust
Chased a bull and ever since my friend I′ve been swallowing cattle dust
Now the Mitchell grass has been my bed and a kneepad for a rest
When yarramans wore the neck straps horse and hobble days were best
Singing cattle camps scrubbers and slush lamps as we ride back to camp in the west
Singing scrub dashing ringers and mickys oh the old hobble days were the best
In the song "Horse and Hobble Days" by Slim Dusty, the singer takes the listener back to an older time when life was simpler and more rugged. The days of horse and hobble, where the beards of men draped down their chest and they wore fully dressed while turning in, were rough and rowdy. The singer describes the days of mustering camps and wild bulls on the prod, and the excitement of swinging the greenhide rod. The bush was a lively place where men moved up the track and drovers travelled through. The colt breakers with their tackling gear, and the dogger armed with bait were all part of the experience. The canteen and springside leggings were all part of the culture of the horse and hobble days.
The singer mentions singing hobbles, horsebells, and halters as they rode over gibber and sand. There were also surcingles, stockwhips, saddles, and greasy kip reins in their hands. They sang as they rode round the bullocks at night, and even mentioned saddlebags, quartpots and scrubbers. The old hobble days were great days, filled with camaraderie, excitement, and adventure.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I'll take you back to the good old days when our beards hung down our chest
Let me take you back to a time when things were simpler and tougher and men were rough and hardy, with big bushy beards.
When bullocks hauled the woolclip in and we turned in fully dressed
When working animals like bullocks did the heavy lifting and men slept fully clothed after working hard.
They were rough and rowdy mustering camps and wild bulls on the prod
These were untamed times when the camps were wild and men had to deal with unpredictable animals like wild bulls.
Those horse and hobble days were best when we swung the greenhide rod
The best days were the ones when they had to put in a lot of work and used tools like greenhide rods, as it made them feel more accomplished.
Singing hobbles horsebells and halters as we ride over gibber and sand
Making music with the sound of hobbles, horsebells, and halters while riding over rough terrain like gibber and sand.
Singing surcingles stockwhips and saddles and the greasy kip reins in our hands
Making music with the sound of surcingles, stockwhips, saddles, and using the greasy kip reins in their hands as they worked hard.
Oh the bush was such a lively place and the men were likewise too
The bush was full of life and energy, as were the men who worked in it.
There were teamsters moving up the track and drovers travelling through
There were people moving through the area, like teamsters and drovers, looking to get work done.
Colt breakers with their tackling gear and the dogger armed with bait
There were colt breakers with their tools ready to break in young horses and doggers armed with bait to catch wild dogs.
Canteen and springside leggings, horse and hobble days were great
Life was simpler back then, with just a canteen and springside leggings and working with horses and hobbles was great for these men.
Singing bridles bullwhips and buckers as we ride round the bullocks at night
Making music with the sound of bridles, bullwhips, and buckers while working at night on rounding up bullocks.
Singing saddlebags quartpots and scrubbers oh they won't rush but maybe they might
Making music with the sound of saddlebags, quartpots, and scrubbers while doing some work that might not be too tough, but still requires caution.
Oh I cut my teeth on a bridle bit and was raised on damper crust
I learned how to work with horses from a young age and grew up eating simple, bread-like damper crust.
Chased a bull and ever since my friend I've been swallowing cattle dust
From chasing a young bull to working with cattle, the singer has always been surrounded by dust kicked up by animals.
Now the Mitchell grass has been my bed and a kneepad for a rest
After working hard, the singer rests on kneepads made from Mitchell grass.
When yarramans wore the neck straps horse and hobble days were best
The best days were when yarramans, or people who work with horses, had to wear neck straps while using hobbles.
Singing cattle camps scrubbers and slush lamps as we ride back to camp in the west
Making music with the sound of cattle camps, scrubbers, and slush lamps while riding back to their western camp.
Singing scrub dashing ringers and mickys oh the old hobble days were the best
Making music with the sound of scrub dashing, ringers, and mickys while working with hobbles – these were the best days.
Writer(s): Joe Daly, David Kirkpatrick
Contributed by Avery L. 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