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.
Old Dingo
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reveal an awe about him
As constantly he scans the countryside
There′s a dogger in the country
And he's seen those tracks before
And he knows that there′s a bounty for his hide.
So run, Old Dingo, watch your tail
Never let your concentration slide
For the word's out that they want you
And they'll track you ′til you′re dead
As long as there's a bounty for your hide.
The channel country is his home,
Way out on the Cooper
Where the bones of all his generations lie
And when the moon is rising
Through the stillness of the night
From a lonely ridge way out you′ll hear him cry
In the past'ral country, way out west
You′ve always been a villain
And the station folk all say you'll never tame
But to me you pose less danger
Than some dogs along our streets
With their pedigrees and their high-falutin′ names
He mated with domestic breeds
Gone wild and left to wander
And for the havoc that it caused he bore the blame
And because his tracks are frequent
To these paths, and often seen
There's a dogger, and his bullet's got your name
So run, Old Dingo, watch your tail
Keep your wits about you
Never let your concentration slide
For the word′s out that they want you
And they′ll track you 'til you′re dead
As long as there's a bounty for your hide.
Oh, they watched his movements day and night
Until he came to water
At the station bore beyond the coolabah
And as he raced for freedom
A single shot rang out
Now he lays to rest beneath the desert stars
The channel country is his home,
Way out on the Cooper
Where the bones of all his generations lie
And when the moon is rising
Through the stillness of the night
From a lonely ridge way out you′ll hear him cry
From a lonely ridge way out you'll hear him cry
The song "Old Dingo" by Slim Dusty is a powerful and poignant tribute to the life of an old dingo, who is constantly hunted by doggers in the Australian outback. The first verse describes the old dingo's keen, troubled eyes that scan the countryside, indicating his sense of danger and the bounties on his head. The chorus urges Old Dingo to be alert and escape from the hunters who have been tracking him for years. The second verse describes the home of the dingo in the Channel Country, where the bones of his generations lie, and his lonely howl that echoes across the desert at night. The third verse contrasts the wild, free-spirited Old Dingo with the domesticated pedigree dogs in the cities, who pose more danger to humans than the old dingo ever did. The final verse is a sorrowful tribute to the death of the old dingo at the hands of the doggers and his final resting place under the desert stars.
The song Old Dingo has been performed by a number of artists, including Slim Dusty, who composed and recorded it in the 1950s. The song has been covered by a number of other Australian country singers, including Lee Kernaghan, Ted Egan, and Lindsay Butler. The song features a catchy and memorable chorus that has become a staple of Australian country music. The lyrics to the song are a powerful reminder of the beauty and harshness of life in the Australian outback, where humans and animals must coexist in a fragile balance of survival.
Line by Line Meaning
His dusky, keen, old troubled eyes
Describes the appearance of Old Dingo through Slim Dusty's observation.
Reveal an awe about him
Suggests Old Dingo's intimidating presence comes from his watchful eyes.
As constantly he scans the countryside
Old Dingo constantly scans the environment, wary of danger.
There's a dogger in the country
There is a professional shooter after Old Dingo.
And he's seen those tracks before
The dogger recognizes Old Dingo's footprints from previous encounters.
And he knows that there's a bounty for his hide.
The shooter is motivated to hunt Old Dingo for a reward payment.
So run, Old Dingo, watch your tail
Slim Dusty warns Old Dingo to be cautious and flee from danger.
Keep your wits about you
Old Dingo must remain focused and alert to survive.
Never let your concentration slide
Old Dingo must always be aware of his surroundings to avoid danger.
For the word's out that they want you
The news has spread that people are searching for Old Dingo.
And they'll track you 'til you're dead
The shooter will relentlessly pursue Old Dingo, determined to capture or kill him.
The channel country is his home,
Old Dingo's natural habitat is in the channel country.
Way out on the Cooper
Old Dingo lives far away from civilization on the Cooper River.
Where the bones of all his generations lie
Old Dingo's ancestors lived and died in this area.
And when the moon is rising
During the moonrise,
Through the stillness of the night,
In the quiet of the night,
From a lonely ridge way out you'll hear him cry
Old Dingo's howling can be heard from a distant, isolated location.
In the pastoral country, way out west
In the farming areas of the western part of the country,
You've always been a villain
People have always considered Old Dingo a menace.
And the station folk all say you'll never tame
Farmers believe that Old Dingo is impossible to train or domesticate.
But to me you pose less danger
Slim Dusty believes that Old Dingo is not as harmful compared to other domesticated dogs.
Than some dogs along our streets
Slim Dusty refers to well-bred, urban dogs.
With their pedigrees and their high-falutin' names
These urban dogs have fancier titles and a more privileged lifestyle than Old Dingo.
He mated with domestic breeds
Old Dingo had offspring with domesticated dogs who escaped from their owners.
Gone wild and left to wander
These dogs went into the wild, leaving behind their domestication.
And for the havoc that it caused he bore the blame
Old Dingo was blamed for the mess caused by his hybrid offspring.
And because his tracks are frequent
Because Old Dingo's footprints can be found often,
To these paths, and often seen
Farmers can quickly and easily spot Old Dingo's tracks.
There's a dogger, and his bullet's got your name
The shooter is waiting for Old Dingo to show himself in the area.
Oh, they watched his movements day and night
Old Dingo was under constant surveillance.
Until he came to water
When Old Dingo reached the water source,
At the station bore beyond the coolabah
A borehole, South Australia usage, in the farthest part of the station’s land, near a type of eucalyptus tree.
And as he raced for freedom
As Old Dingo fled for safety,
A single shot rang out
The shooter fired one bullet.
Now he lays to rest beneath the desert stars
Old Dingo is now buried in the desertland under the stars.
Writer(s): Ernie Constance, Slim Dusty
Contributed by Chloe H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dave327ful
Slim Dusty is magic with Australian songs!
@SamhainBe
My favorite Slim Dusty song - Thanks for posting!
@matthewkerley5246
This song is in my top 5 from the great SD
@davidmyles4517
A truer song never was sung.
@peterstorck5349
Brilliant as Usual!! He was like Mohammad Ali!! No one was better than poor old Slim,And IFFF there was ever a better singer!! I'd like too know who He was!! AND I remember when Dad bought Mum, A Krysler Radiogram, and Dad always said he'd never heard any other record Player, that Had such a beautiful Reproduction!!🙂and he'd say..'Whenever I played a Slim Dusty record on it U could smell the Gum leaves burning!!' Which was so very True, and when we moved into town from the bush, MUM wanted a brand new Radiogram!! AND as per usual!! WHEN Mum wanted something, no matter what it was, Dad d buy it for her!! So, Dad bought her a Brand new HMV Radiogram !! AND Dad gave our old Krysler too old Dick Evans, who mentioned he'd like too buy it!! But; Dad being Dad, he said u can have it mate!!🙂and it wasn't very smart of him folks!! As the Brand new HMV which was supposed to be the best one money could buy!! From the western stores in Dubbo, which became Myers, and it was ok..ish!!🤔But not in the same class as our Krysler was!!😥 I think it was a crying shame too be perfectly honest with you!!☹ Because, if u want to listen to Slim at his very Best!! U want to Hear him at his very Best!! AND I KNOW that's all only a bit of Trivia🙂but, I just thought I'd share it with u that's all. May u Rest in Peace Slim.
@johnjurkewicz9925
👍👍👍👍 I love it so great 👍👍👍👍
@discodags68
good job mate
@johnpatterson8697
I'm getting a Johnny Cash undertone
@lumberjaxe8910
Check one of my Tree felling Videos and tell me if you recognize me. Is your Fathers Name John also?