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.
Send 'Er Down Hughie
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But that I can see for myself
And they tell me a cyclone is coming
Oh I surely could do with some help
This little old shovel I'm holding
Looks puney beside this old Mac
She's down to the diff and still going
And there's only more mud up the track
Oh I've reved and I've rocked and reversed it
Oh I've dug at the mud on the wheels
I've kicked and I've swore and I've cursed it
And to the good Lord I've appealed
But the line up to heaven aint open
I've a feeling I'm not getting through
I'll just have to lighten the load
One carton of stubies should do
Oh I wonder if ever they'd miss it
One carton from all of those tons
But I bet you they'd be asking where is it
And licking their dry dusty tongues
Oh I can picture those miners all dying
Of thirst in that drought stricken town
While here in the mud I've been trying
Striving to put the booze down
And in each of these stubbies I empty
I insert a small note of distress
And cast it adrift in the gully
An SOS out of the west
How many days have I languished
Here in this swamp called a road
While in my dispair and my anguish
I've been working at lighting the load
Perhaps some old fisherman casting
His line on the Barrier Reef
Will see all these stubbies go past him
And come sailing up to my relief
And won't we all have such a booze up
The best ever seen on this road
But I doubt if they ever will choose us
To carry their next flaming load
So good health to the sand flies and skeeters
Good luck to that solmen old frog
Oh I'm damned if this rain's going to beat me
Thank hell for this truck load of grog
Oh send her down Huey you beauty
You got the right knack of doing it now
All my sorrows have drowned well and truly
And there's plenty more booze to put down
Ah it's lomesome ah ha
In Slim Dusty's song "Send 'Er Down Hughie," the singer is stuck in a swampy road during a rainy and cyclone season. The song is a humorous take on the challenging experience of navigating treacherous roads during bad weather. The singer expresses his desperation for help, as his truck gets stuck in the mud, and he attempts to lighten his load by sacrificing a carton of beer. He hopes that the note of distress he inserts into each emptied stubby would be cast adrift in the gully and rescue him. The singer continues with his humorous tone, imagining that the miners in a nearby drought-stricken town are dying of thirst while he is trying to lighten his load with alcohol.
The song also highlights the singer's resilience, as he refuses to give up and turns to the truckload of grog for temporary solace. He acknowledges the insects and animals around him, including the sand flies, mosquitoes, and the solemn old frog, as companions during his struggle.
The song captures the Australian spirit of facing adversity with humor, determination, and resourcefulness. It is an ode to the nation's love of beer and its ability to find a lighthearted perspective during tough times.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the radio tells me it's raining
The radio confirms the obvious, that it's raining outside
But that I can see for myself
I don't need the radio to tell me it's raining, I can see it
And they tell me a cyclone is coming
The radio predicts a cyclone approaching
Oh I surely could do with some help
I could use some assistance in this situation
This little old shovel I'm holding
The shovel I'm holding is small and insignificant
Looks puney beside this old Mac
The shovel seems small compared to the 'old Mac' truck
She's down to the diff and still going
The truck has traveled a long way and is still going despite challenges
And there's only more mud up the track
The road ahead is only going to get more challenging
Oh I've reved and I've rocked and reversed it
I've tried various methods to move the truck through the mud
Oh I've dug at the mud on the wheels
I've tried to remove the mud from the wheels
I've kicked and I've swore and I've cursed it
I've been angry and frustrated with the situation
And to the good Lord I've appealed
I've asked for help from a higher power
But the line up to heaven aint open
I'm not getting a response from my prayer
I've a feeling I'm not getting through
I don't think my prayer is reaching anyone
I'll just have to lighten the load
The only solution is to remove some weight from the truck
One carton of stubies should do
I will remove one carton of beer
Oh I wonder if ever they'd miss it
I wonder if anyone will notice that I've taken one carton of beer
One carton from all of those tons
One carton of beer from all the cargo will hardly make a difference
But I bet you they'd be asking where is it
People will still ask where the beer is, even if it's only one carton
And licking their dry dusty tongues
People will be thirsty and in need of a drink
Oh I can picture those miners all dying
I imagine the miners in the nearby town suffering from thirst
Of thirst in that drought stricken town
The town is experiencing a severe lack of water
While here in the mud I've been trying
While I'm in the mud, I'm trying to lighten the truck's load
Striving to put the booze down
I'm trying to remove the beer from the cargo
And in each of these stubbies I empty
In every beer I drink, I put a note of distress
I insert a small note of distress
I add a written plea for help with each empty beer
And cast it adrift in the gully
I throw the empty bottle into the nearby gully
An SOS out of the west
The notes serve as a distress call from the west
How many days have I languished
I have been here for many days
Here in this swamp called a road
This road is swampy and difficult to navigate
While in my dispair and my anguish
I'm feeling hopeless and upset about the situation
I've been working on lighting the load
I'm trying to reduce the weight of the cargo
Perhaps some old fisherman casting
Maybe someone fishing nearby will find the notes
His line on the Barrier Reef
The fisherman is on the Barrier Reef
Will see all these stubbies go past him
He will notice the empty beer bottles floating by
And come sailing up to my relief
He will come to my rescue with more beer
And won't we all have such a booze up
When we are rescued, we will have a big drinking party
The best ever seen on this road
It will be the best party on this road
But I doubt if they ever will choose us
I don't think anyone will choose us for their next cargo job
To carry their next flaming load
To transport their next shipment
So good health to the sand flies and skeeters
Cheers to the sand flies and mosquitos
Good luck to that solmen old frog
Wishing the frog good luck
Oh I'm damned if this rain's going to beat me
I won't let this rain get the best of me
Thank heaven for this truck load of grog
Thankful for the beer in the truck
Oh send her down Hughie you beauty
Rain harder, Hughie, let it pour
You got the right knack of doing it now
You're doing a good job with the rain, Hughie
All my sorrows have drowned well and truly
All my worries have gone away with the rain
And there's plenty more booze to put down
There's still a lot of beer left to drink
Ah it's lomesome ah ha
It's lonely out here in the mud
Contributed by Nathaniel K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@keithschmidt6418
RIP. SD. I've listened to this song and known every word for many a year, also many many others, i never get tired of slim and never will.
@belindamarmion2914
My dad loved Slim and I loved my dad and miss him so much, even after 30 years,
@court5792
My dad says send her down Hughie when it starts raining ❤❤❤
@Pablo-vh8tg
as much as i listen to the country music now, i will always have a soft spot for old slim
@TonyMac28
The reason there is the Pub with no Beer! Love ya Slim!
@hansgoepel
Pub with no Beer! Love ya Slim!
@trooper44069
Love slim dusty from the UK but an Aussie by heart
@trooper44069
Same here
@undertheblade1
omg slim does it again hehehe i cnt stop lughing :)
@tracyschiemer4366
Whats happen to country today its lost its way sounds more like rock an roll now slimy dusty marty robbins tex ritter an so manny more old singers there country music an songs was far bedder then todays
Miss you slim