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.
Three Rivers Hotel
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And vow that we'll snatch it, go far away
But when day is done and we're soon feeling well
And laughter rings out from Three Rivers Hotel
There's Wesley the barman and young Irish Joe
Serving the booze and collecting the dough
What a stir they would cause if they ever should tell
On the night after payday there's fun and romance
It's a night for the fam'lies to sing and to dance
You can let down your hair and come out of your shell
And do your own thing in Three Rivers Hotel
And if you listen to the bosses when the night's gettin' late
On the progress they're makin' the best in the state
They'd be finished this line and this maint'nance as well
If they worked like they bragged in Three Rivers Hotel
And if you think you can drink we've got money to back
On stayers like Cass and old grader Jack
And they tell me old Coster gives everyone hell
When he gets on the booze in three Rivers Hotel
(Spoken)
Yeah, he's a whopper
When this job is finished we'll pack up and go
To another construction still chasing big dough
But wherever I wander my memory will dwell
On those happy days in Three Rivers Hotel
In the song "Three Rivers Hotel" Slim Dusty describes a typical evening at a hotel in a rural construction town. The song muses on the differences between the drudgery of work during the day and the fun, frivolity, and relaxation one experiences at the hotel after the day is over. The hotel itself is painted as a sanctuary of social activity and the place where workers blow off steam.
The lyrics describe the different types of people who frequent the Three Rivers Hotel and the various activities that occur. Wesley the barman and young Irish Joe are highlighted in the song, and they would likely have witnessed, or been privy to, many of the secrets and stories that come out during the evenings at the hotel. The song also mentions romances and families coming together to laugh and dance during the hotel's events. The singer even muses on the idea that if the bosses could work like they boasted they could in the hotel, the job would be done by now.
Overall, the song's message is one of escape and the joys of community. Despite the difficulties of manual labor, the community built at the Three Rivers Hotel allows workers to find solace and happiness that isn't found elsewhere in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
We curse at the things that go wrong through the day
At the end of the day, we complain about everything that went wrong
And vow that we'll snatch it, go far away
We make promises to escape and run away from our problems
But when day is done and we're soon feeling well
As the night begins, we start to feel better
And laughter rings out from Three Rivers Hotel
The sounds of joy and merriment can be heard from the Three Rivers Hotel
There's Wesley the barman and young Irish Joe
The Three Rivers Hotel is run by Wesley and Joe
Serving the booze and collecting the dough
They serve drinks and collect the money
What a stir they would cause if they ever should tell
If they were to reveal all the secrets they know, it would be quite a spectacle
All the secrets they've learned in Three Rivers Hotel
Over time they've picked up a lot of insider knowledge about their guests and their lives
On the night after payday there's fun and romance
After payday, people come to the hotel to have fun and experience some romance
It's a night for the fam'lies to sing and to dance
Guests bring their families along to sing and dance together
You can let down your hair and come out of your shell
People can be themselves at the Three Rivers Hotel and let loose
And do your own thing in Three Rivers Hotel
Everyone is free to enjoy themselves and do as they please
And if you listen to the bosses when the night's gettin' late
At night, the bosses talk about the progress of their projects
On the progress they're makin' the best in the state
They believe their work is the best in the state
They'd be finished this line and this maint'nance as well
If only they worked as hard as they bragged, they would finish their work and maintenance faster
If they worked like they bragged in Three Rivers Hotel
If only they measured up to the standards set by the hotel and its staff
And if you think you can drink we've got money to back
The hotel has a reputation for its drinkers, like Cass and Grader Jack
On stayers like Cass and old grader Jack
People like Cass and Grader Jack can handle their alcohol very well
And they tell me old Coster gives everyone hell
Old Coster is notorious for causing trouble when he’s drunk at the Three Rivers Hotel
When he gets on the booze in three Rivers Hotel
Old Coster is notorious for causing trouble when he’s drunk at the Three Rivers Hotel
Yeah, he's a whopper
He's a real troublemaker
When this job is finished we'll pack up and go
Once the job is done, they'll leave and move on to the next job site
To another construction still chasing big dough
They'll find another construction job that pays well
But wherever I wander my memory will dwell
They will always remember the happy times they had at the Three Rivers Hotel
On those happy days in Three Rivers Hotel
They reflect on the happy moments and memories made at the Three Rivers Hotel
Contributed by Julian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@williamboney7371
A lot of country singers pretend to be country folk,but Slim was the real deal.
@aussieaussieaussieioioio
What a bloody legend! Good old Slim will be missed. I lived in the town that this pub was in, and this song matches it perfectly!
@TOPEND75
Great Slim dusty Track! God bless Slim. RIP Mate and Thankyou!
@davidfransenasgrandpadavid5671
I was in Darwin, Australia in 1983 while in the U.S. Air Force. Never underestimate the Australians' determination to work hard and to play hard. But work is first. lol
@colindominy
" .... and they tell me Old Coster gives everyone hell .. when he gets on the booze at Three Rivers Hotel .. YEAH, He's a WHOPPER !! Come on, Coster !! ". Uniquely Australian & uniquely Slim Dusty, that line; I can't think, even for a moment, of anything resembling that line being embodied in a country song, anywhere else in the world. So good !!
@BRONZALiVE
now this is music to drink and party to, everybody around a fire singing along, I miss these times
@glendahill5030
We are stuck in Greenvale at present because of the floods and the hotel is a short walk away. Great song, conjuring up memories of what it must have been like.
@samturbo3030
Rowdy is how I would imagine haha
@bubblesron
Takes me back to the days in the early 70s when I followed construction through the north. Never worked on the greenvale railway, was at the other end, Yabulu the treatment plant near townsville, loved slim then and love him now
@bradwaters3891
My Uncle kicked about with Stan Coster. I grew up with this and now play this at many campfires, along with Lights on the Hill, great times in Australian music. R.I.P Slim. One of the greats.