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.
Leave Him In the Long Yard
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And his sight is not the best
And the hair around his muzzle's turnin' grey
He has seen a hundred musters
And I think it's only fair
We leave him in the longyard here today
He was broken in the sixties
Never faltered always seemed to be on hand
Never have I seen him beaten
By a bullock in the bush
And at a night watch he was pick of all the land.
So leave him out there in the longyard
Do not rush him
Leave him out there with his mate the baldy bay
With his mates that he can graze
he can laze with
Leave him there and we will turn him out today
Yes he's lookin' kind of jaded
And his sight is not the best
And the hair around his muzzle's turnin' grey
He has seen a hundred musters
And I think it's only fair
We leave him in the longyard here today
He's entitled to some kindness
In return for all he's been
Now he's failin' and his step is gettin' slow
Let him squander his last summer
By the river with his mates
In the paddock where the sweetest grasses grow
So leave him out there in the longyard
Do not rush him
Leave him out there with his mate the baldy bay
Leave him there till after smoko
And we'll catch him
We'll pull his tail and turn him out today
Yeah, leave him out there in the longyard
Do not rush him
Leave him out there with his mate the baldy bay
Leave him there till after smoko
And we'll catch him
We'll pull his tail and turn him out today
We'll pull his tail and turn him out today
Leave him there and we will turn him out today
"Leave Him in the Long Yard" by Slim Dusty is a song that speaks of the life of a horse who has been a part of the bush for many years. The song tells the story of the old horse who has been a faithful workhorse on the farm for years. As the horse is getting old, the singer decides that it is time to give him a rest and let him live out his days in the long yard with his mate, the baldy bay. This song is a sentimental tale of a man's love and respect for his horse.
The lyrics use the metaphor of the long yard to represent the horse's retirement. The horse has worked hard his entire life, and now it's time for him to rest. The long yard is a place where horses can graze and rest, surrounded by their mates. The song speaks of the compassion that people should show to their aging horses and how it is cruel to force them to work in the fields when they are no longer able.
The song also speaks of the bond that develops between horses and their owners. The horse in the song has seen a hundred musters and has always been there for his owner. The singer recognizes that the horse is entitled to kindness in his later years and that he deserves to spend his summers relaxing by the river, surrounded by the sweetest grasses.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes he's lookin' kind of jaded
The horse is showing signs of age and fatigue.
And his sight is not the best
The horse is losing some of its vision.
And the hair around his muzzle's turnin' grey
The horse is getting old, as evidenced by the grey hair around its mouth.
He has seen a hundred musters
The horse has been a part of many cattle drives over the years.
And I think it's only fair
It is the right thing to do.
We leave him in the longyard here today
The horse will be left in the longyard to rest and live out his remaining days.
He was broken in the sixties
The horse was trained in the 1960s.
Maybe sixty three or four
It is uncertain exactly when the horse received his training.
Never faltered always seemed to be on hand
The horse has always been reliable and dependable.
Never have I seen him beaten
The horse has never been defeated by a bullock during a cattle drive.
By a bullock in the bush
Bullocks in the bush were known to be dangerous during cattle drives.
And at a night watch he was pick of all the land.
The horse was the best choice for night watch duty among all the available horses.
So leave him out there in the longyard
The horse should be left in the longyard to live out his remaining days.
Do not rush him
The horse should be given time to rest and relax in the longyard.
Leave him out there with his mate the baldy bay
The horse should be left with his friend, another horse with a bald spot on its coat.
With his mates that he can graze
The horse has other horses with which he can graze and spend time.
he can laze with
The horse can relax and be lazy with his horse friends.
Leave him there and we will turn him out today
The horse will be left in the longyard and then turned out to live the remainder of his days on the property.
He's entitled to some kindness
The horse deserves some compassion and generosity.
In return for all he's been
The horse should be rewarded for his years of service.
Now he's failin' and his step is gettin' slow
The horse is showing signs of physical decline.
Let him squander his last summer
Allow the horse to use his last summer as he wants.
By the river with his mates
Let the horse be with his horse friends near the river.
In the paddock where the sweetest grasses grow
Allow the horse to graze in a paddock where the grass is the sweetest and most plentiful.
Leave him there till after smoko
The horse should be left in the longyard until after the tea break for the day.
And we'll catch him
The horse will be caught when it is time to turn him out to the paddock.
We'll pull his tail and turn him out today
The horse will be led out to the paddock by pulling on his tail.
Yeah, leave him out there in the longyard
It is best to leave the horse in the longyard to rest.
We'll pull his tail and turn him out today
The horse will be led out to the paddock by pulling on his tail.
Leave him there and we will turn him out today
The horse will be left in the longyard and then turned out to live the remainder of his days on the property.
Contributed by Caden R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@darioburatovich2240
This song makes me a bit teary eyed.We arrived as immigrants from Argentina on. 24 of October 1980.And we brought with us bits of our past souls in the form of books and records.Amongst those records with Argentinian folk songs, there is one song called "El Corralero", it could be said that song its this same song, about a noble old horse, who after a life of work is spending his ( animals and people are "he or she" in Spanish) last years near the "corral" ,the yard.
The song is really sad, since the character of the station hand in the song's lyrics says:
" how do they suppose that I,after rising him since he was a foal, could sink a knife in his chest,just because the boss order it".
Terrible Aussie draughts make pastures and feed prescious, old horses no longer useful can be a menace to the survival of younger and more useful ones.
In his song, Slim is making a pledge for the old horse's life, asking to let him spend "his" last summers with "his" mates.
Similar environments and country lifestyles and work and hardships, inspire similar poetry and songs and emotions.
Not many young people, I guess, listen to Slim Dusty nowadays in 2020, and the old country traditions and legends originated in the lifestyle and hard work of early Australia have lost.meaning and are hard to understand or to inspire interest in the young and technologically savvy.
Slowly, on both sides of the ocean, all this is fading into the past.
@ucanleaveyourhaton
Yes he's lookin' kind of jaded and his sight is not the best
And the hair around his muzzle's turnin' grey
He has seen a hundred musters and I think it's only fair
That we leave him in the longyard here today
He was broken in the sixties, maybe sixty three or four
And never faltered, always seemed to be on hand
Never have I seen him beaten by a bullock in the bush
And at a night watch he was pick of all the land.
So leave him out there in the longyard do not rush him
Leave him out there with his mate the baldy bay
With his mates that he can graze, he can laze with
Leave him there and we will turn him out today
Hey !
Yes he’s lookin kinda jaded and his sight is not the best
And the hair around his muzzle’s turnin grey
He has seen a hundred musters and I think it’s only fair
That we leave him in the longyard here today
He’s entitled to some comfort for all the deeds he’s done
Now he’s failin and his step is gettin slow
So let him squander his last summer by the river with his mates
In the paddock where the sweetest grasses grow
So leave him out there in the longyard do not rush him
Leave him out there with his mate the baldy bay
With his mates that he can graze he can laze with
Leave him there and we will turn him out today
Leave him out there in the longyard do not rush him
Leave him out there with his mate the badly bay
(Spoken) Leave him there till after smoko,
… and we'll catch him
We'll pull his tail and turn him out today
Yeah we’ll pull his tail and turn him out today
That’s right !
@bluegrass818
I had never heard him sing until Christine Stretton introduced him on FB awhile back Love his style of Country music. Thanks Ms Stretton!
@lynhackney9411
I Absolutely Love Slim Dusty for listening to him was my very very safe place my real home where nobody could have ever heart me. I Truly thank my gorgeous father for giving him to me and all there life lessons and there LOVE TO ME ALWAYS ! You both know that I would not be here right now if I didn’t have my Poppy and Nanna and my very Special Uncle and Auntie. You both are my Real Father and Mother. Thank you so very much for Listening to me and opening up your Hearts to me Thank you so very much for everything I Love you all so very much. I Love Slim Dusty’s Aussie sing Song Record. Xxxx
@user-px4iu1gx8c
Hello Lyn, how are you doing today, hope you’re fine and safe from the Virus??
@GrahamJames14
I was raised on the land and loved my horses . This song is very special to me . I certainly miss Slim Dusty and his music . We are very fortunate to have CDs to keep . It is a shame though that there will be no new releases , new songs from Slim since he is gone forever as will we all be eventually .
@excell123
on facebook Graham is the SLIM DUSTY FAN GROUP, u would love it.
@wilfredheggart2988
@@excell123 what you type in to get too the fan group
@matthewcuellar7879
Easily one of my favorite country songs! It definitely captures how you ought to feel about an old gelding.
@grekiely6245
I have often thought if Kelly Dixon knew of the evergreen he created with this classic, Nice to see Slim, Charley and Rod with this. Australia has some of the world's top country and I'm privileged to like it.
@tonylarkin7564
Sang this song to my daughter when she Was a baby, until she was 2 after that She could Sing it with ME Thanks.. Slim A Aussis Legend Mate Tony Queensland Australia 🇦🇺🇦🇺
@undertheblade1
i played this song at my dad's funeral, he was 54 when he passed away on my 30th birthday last yr and i played lights on the hill when i spread his ashes on our favourite fishing spot .... this song means a lot to me cause dad was and still is my hero