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.
Sweeney
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I came in search of copy, to a Darling River town
Come-And-Have-A-Drink we'll call it, 'tis a fitting name I think
And 'twas raining, for a wonder, up at Come-And-Have-A-Drink
Underneath the pub verandah I was resting on a bunk
When a stranger rose before me, and he said that he was drunk
He apologised for speaking, there was no offence he swore
He agreed you can't remember all the chaps you chance to meet
And he said his name was Sweeney, people lived in Sussex Street
He was camping in a stable, that he swore that he was right
Only for the blanky horses walkin' over him all night
He'd apparently been fighting, for his face was black and blue
And it looked as though the horses had been treading on him too
But an honest genial twinkle in the eye that wasn't hurt
Seemed to hint of something better, spite of drink and rags and dirt
He was born in Parramatta and he said with humour grim
That he'd like to see the city, 'ere the liquor finished him
But he couldn't raise the money, he was damned if he could think
What the Government was doing here, he offered me a drink
I declined, 'twas self-denial and I lectured him on booze
Using all the hackneyed arguments that preachers mostly use
Things I'd heard in temperance lectures, I was young and rather green
And I ended by referring to the man he might have been
But he couldn't stay to argue, for his beer was nearly gone
He was glad, he said, to meet me, and he'd see me later on
But he guessed he'd have to go and get his bottle filled again
And he gave a lurch and vanished in the darkness and the rain
Now of afternoons in cities, when the rain is on the land
Visions come to me of Sweeney, with his bottle in his hand.
In Slim Dusty's song "Sweeney," the singer tells the story of a chance encounter with a man named Sweeney in a small Darling River town called Come-And-Have-A-Drink. When the singer meets Sweeney, he is drunk and battered, having apparently been in a fight and slept in a stable with horses trampling over him all night. However, despite his rough appearance and alcoholism, Sweeney has a twinkle in his eye that suggests he may have had a better life at one point.
The singer lectures Sweeney about the dangers of alcohol in a patronizing manner, using arguments that he has heard in temperance lectures. He refers to the man Sweeney "might have been," but Sweeney cuts the conversation short to get more beer. The song ends with the singer thinking about Sweeney later on and feeling a twinge of guilt for his judgmental behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
It was somewhere in September and the sun was goin' down
The singer arrived in a Darling River town in September during sundown.
When I came in search of copy, to a Darling River town
The singer came to this town looking for material to write about.
Come-And-Have-A-Drink we'll call it, 'tis a fitting name I think
The pub's name is appropriate since it's a place where people come to drink and socialize.
And 'twas raining, for a wonder, up at Come-And-Have-A-Drink
It was raining which was unusual for that place.
Underneath the pub verandah I was resting on a bunk
The artist was lounging on a bed under the pub's veranda.
When a stranger rose before me, and he said that he was drunk
A drunk man appeared before the singer.
He apologised for speaking, there was no offence he swore
The man apologized for talking to the singer.
But he somehow seemed to fancy that he'd seen my face before
The man thought he recognized the artist.
He agreed you can't remember all the chaps you chance to meet
The man acknowledged that it's hard to remember everyone you meet.
And he said his name was Sweeney, people lived in Sussex Street
The man introduced himself as Sweeney who lived in Sussex Street.
He was camping in a stable, that he swore that he was right
Sweeney claimed that he was camping in a stable and it was okay.
Only for the blanky horses walkin' over him all night
The only problem was that horses kept walking over him during the night.
He'd apparently been fighting, for his face was black and blue
Sweeney had been in a fight as his face had bruises.
And it looked as though the horses had been treading on him too
It seemed like the horses had stepped on him as well.
But an honest genial twinkle in the eye that wasn't hurt
Despite his injuries, Sweeney's eyes showed a glint of honesty and friendliness.
Seemed to hint of something better, spite of drink and rags and dirt
Sweeney's eyes suggested that he was capable of more than just drinking and living in a dirty place.
He was born in Parramatta and he said with humour grim
Sweeney hailed from Parramatta and said something with a wry sense of humour.
That he'd like to see the city, 'ere the liquor finished him
He wanted to visit the city before alcohol completely ruined him.
But he couldn't raise the money, he was damned if he could think
Sweeney didn't have the money to go to the city and couldn't think of a way to get it.
What the Government was doing here, he offered me a drink
Sweeney didn't understand what the government was doing in that town and offered the artist a drink.
I declined, 'twas self-denial and I lectured him on booze
The artist refused the offer and started lecturing Sweeney about drinking too much.
Using all the hackneyed arguments that preachers mostly use
The artist used all the generic arguments that preachers usually use against drinking.
Things I'd heard in temperance lectures, I was young and rather green
The singer had heard them during lectures on temperance and was young and inexperienced.
And I ended by referring to the man he might have been
The artist concluded by talking about the kind of person Sweeney could have been.
But he couldn't stay to argue, for his beer was nearly gone
Sweeney couldn't continue the conversation as he had almost finished his beer.
He was glad, he said, to meet me, and he'd see me later on
Sweeney was happy to meet the singer and said that he would see him again.
But he guessed he'd have to go and get his bottle filled again
Sweeney realized that he needed to go and get more alcohol.
And he gave a lurch and vanished in the darkness and the rain
Sweeney stumbled and disappeared into the darkness and the rain.
Now of afternoons in cities, when the rain is on the land
Whenever it rains in the city in the afternoons,
Visions come to me of Sweeney, with his bottle in his hand.
the singer remembers Sweeney holding a bottle whenever this happens.
Contributed by Isaiah E. 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