David Gordon "Slim Dusty " Kirkpatrick AO, MBE (13 June 1927—19 September 2… Read Full Bio ↴David Gordon "Slim Dusty " Kirkpatrick AO, MBE (13 June 1927—19 September 2003) was an Australian country music singer-songwriter and producer, with a career spanning nearly eight decades. He was known to record songs in the legacy of Australian poets Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson that represented the Australian Bush Lifestyle, and also for his many trucking songs. Dusty was the first Australian to have a No. 1 Hit song with Gordon Parsons (Pub With No Beer). He received an unequaled 37 Golden Guitar and two ARIA awards and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and the Country Music Roll of Renown. At the time of his death at the age of 76, Dusty had been working on his 106th album for EMI Records. In 2007 his domestic record sales in Australia surpassed seven million.

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.

When The Currawongs Come Down
Slim Dusty Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I was just a young man
I remember being told
By a weather beaten bushman
Grizzled grey & old
He was sitting on a bar stool
On a sale day in the town
Oh it's time to get the rum out
When the Currawongs come down

When the Currawongs come down from the mountains
To the warmer valley country down below
When the Currawongs come down from the timber
It's a sign of rough weather, rain or snow

Now through out the passing years
To often I have heard
Plain & simple Currawong
Refered to as great birds
Well I have studied nature closely
& one thing I have found
It's time to don your oilskins
When the Currawongs come down

I know many indications
Learn't from bushman I have met
Indications of the weather
Dry or cold or wet
Sometimes they are right you know
& sometimes wrong I've found
But there's no two ways about it
When the Currawongs come down

When the Currawongs come down from the mountains
To the warmer valley country down below
When the Currawongs come down from the timber
It's a sign of rough weather, rain or snow

Now I live here in the Snowy's
With their howling winter winds
Were as soon as summers over
The winter time begins
& the artists love the beauty
Of frost upon the ground
Then it's time for winter fires
When the Currawongs come down

When the Currawongs come down from the mountains
To the warmer valley country down below

When the Currawongs come down from the timber
It's a sign of rough weather, rain or snow

Overall Meaning

The song 'When The Currawongs Come Down' by Slim Dusty is a tribute to the weather-watching knowledge of the bushmen, specifically referring to the Currawongs that fly from the mountains to the lower valleys when the weather is about to change. The weather-beaten bushman, grizzled, grey, and old, advises the young man that when the Currawongs come down from the timber, it's an indication of rough weather. The Currawongs are referred to as simple birds, but Dusty suggests that they are much more significant and their observation can help predict cold, dry or wet weather.

Through the passing years, Slim Dusty has learned many weather indications from different bushmen he has met. He states that while sometimes the bushman's predictions are right, sometimes they are wrong, but there's no ambiguity when the Currawongs come down. The song is not just an ode to the weather and bushman wisdom but also a tribute to the beauty of the snowy mountains. The winter winds howl, and the ground is covered in frost, which is an artists' delight. The arrival of the Currawongs is not just an indication of rough weather, but it also serves as a reminder to get ready for winter fires.

In summary, Slim Dusty's song 'When The Currawongs Come Down' addresses the importance of bushman's wisdom in predicting the weather by observing the Currawongs' movements. The song is also a tribute to the beauty of the Snowy Mountains and a reminder to get ready for winter fires.

Line by Line Meaning

When I was just a young man
As a youth, I recall

I remember being told
I was taught

By a weather beaten bushman
From a rugged countryman

Grizzled grey & old
Experienced and aged

He was sitting on a bar stool
Perched on a saloon seat

On a sale day in the town
During a marketplace gathering

Oh it's time to get the rum out
It's the moment for spirits

When the Currawongs come down
As the Currawongs descend

Now throughout the passing years
As time went by

Too often I have heard
Frequently I've perceived

Plain & simple Currawong
Just a modest Currawong

Referred to as great birds
Exalted as grandiose fowl

Well I have studied nature closely
Through observing nature keenly

& one thing I have found
I've discovered one fact

It's time to don your oilskins
It's time to wear waterproof attire

When the Currawongs come down
As the Currawongs descend

I know many indications
I am aware of many signs

Learn't from bushman I have met
Taught by fellow countrymen

Indications of the weather
Signs of the climate

Dry or cold or wet
Arid, chilly or damp

Sometimes they are right you know
They can be accurate

& sometimes wrong I've found
Though occasionally they're incorrect

But there's no two ways about it
Regarding this one matter

When the Currawongs come down
As the Currawongs descend

Now I live here in the Snowy's
Currently residing in the Snowy region

With their howling winter winds
Accompanied by the howling winter breeze

Were as soon as summers over
Once summer concludes

The winter time begins
The start of the cold season

& the artists love the beauty
And the artists appreciate the splendor

Of frost upon the ground
Of ice crystals on the earth

Then it's time for winter fires
Thus, it's the season of winter fires

When the Currawongs come down
As the Currawongs descend

When the Currawongs come down from the mountains
As the Currawongs migrate from the peaks

To the warmer valley country down below
To the warmer valley below

When the Currawongs come down from the timber
As the Currawongs come down from the wooded area

It's a sign of rough weather, rain or snow
It's an indicator of severe weather, rain or snowfall

Contributed by Ellie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

Eurydice Barzane

2y↑4

Was talking about Currawongs with someone on Twitter and they sent the link to this clip. Never heard this song before - Slim was and still is a legend.