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.

Whoa Bullocks Whoa
Slim Dusty Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Spoken
Whoa Bullocks, whoa there.

Sung
Singing Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa,
Bringing in the gidgee for they're itching for to go,
Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa,
Hold up the lead, keep them moving nice and slow.

They're a wild touchy mob from the gulf country run,
And they'll give us lots of action 'ere this roving trip is done,
Each time they make a break, there's a call for reckless speed,
To hold back the scrubbers racing madly in the lead.
Singing Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa,
Hold up the lead, keep them moving nice and slow.

When we counted out the yard, there were two thousand head
Two thousand bullocks all Gulf country bred,
A hundred miles behind us and a thousand more to go,
'Til we truck 'em at the border where the Darling River flows.
Singing Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa,
Hold up the lead, keep them moving nice and slow.

There's not too many left of the old droving school,
And these Gulf country cattle can't be handled by a fool,
So give 'em room to spread boys and let 'em feed along,
And hold up the lead boys if anything goes wrong.
With your Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa,
Hold up the lead, keep them moving nice and slow.

There's a long drive ahead, 'fore we hit the final town,
And the boss drover's worries can really get him down,
You watch 'em on the nightcamp when they're ready for to leap,
Why they've even got me watching and a-droving in my sleep.
Singing Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa,
Bringing in the gidgee for they're itching for to go,
Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa,
Hold up the lead, keep them moving nice and slow.
Moving Nice and slow,
Moving Nice and slow.

Spoken
Whoa Bullocks, whoa there you bullocks.

Overall Meaning

The song "Whoa Bullocks, Whoa" by Slim Dusty is an ode to the traditional practice of droving cattle across vast distances in the Australian outback. The song paints a vivid picture of the challenging task of moving an unruly mob of cattle across rugged terrain, through scrubland and across rivers. The opening lines, "Whoa Bullocks, whoa there," are a command to the working dogs to calm the cattle down and hold them in place. The rest of the song is a rallying cry to both the human and the animal members of the team to work together to make it to the final destination.

The song describes the cattle being brought in from the remote Gulf country, where they have been grazing wild and free, and the difficulty of managing such a large and 'wild touchy mob.' There is a sense of camaraderie between the drovers, who are all working together to achieve a common goal, but there is also a respectful appreciation of the skill that it takes to manage a herd of this size. Slim Dusty weaves the sounds of the bush into the song, with the beat of hooves and the barking of dogs, but the lyrics also express the anxieties and dedication of the team as they work towards their final destination.

Line by Line Meaning

Whoa Bullocks, whoa there.
The song is about droving cattle through the Gulf Country region, and this line is calling for the draft of bullocks to stop.

Singing Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa, Bringing in the gidgee for they're itching for to go, Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa, Hold up the lead, keep them moving nice and slow.
The drovers are trying to calm down the restless cattle as they bring them along the trail. They are using the word 'Whoa' to signify the need for the cattle to stop and to soothe them. The 'lead' refers to the cattle at the front of the herd, and the drovers want them to move slowly to avoid any accidents or stampedes.

They're a wild touchy mob from the gulf country run, And they'll give us lots of action 'ere this roving trip is done, Each time they make a break, there's a call for reckless speed, To hold back the scrubbers racing madly in the lead.
The cattle being driven are a strong and unpredictable bunch from the Gulf Country region. The drovers know that they will have their work cut out for them to keep them under control. When the cattle start moving too quickly, the drovers need to quickly react and try to slow down the leaders of the herd who are leading the charge.

When we counted out the yard, there were two thousand head Two thousand bullocks all Gulf country bred, A hundred miles behind us and a thousand more to go, 'Til we truck 'em at the border where the Darling River flows.
The drovers started with a large group of around 2000 Gulf country-bred cattle. The journey is a long one, with over a thousand miles still to go until they reach their destination at the border where the Darling River flows. By the time they eventually reach their destination, they will have travelled over a hundred miles.

There's not too many left of the old droving school, And these Gulf country cattle can't be handled by a fool, So give 'em room to spread boys and let 'em feed along, And hold up the lead boys if anything goes wrong.
The droving profession is not as popular as it used to be, and the few remaining drovers are skilled and experienced. The cattle being driven in the Gulf Country are particularly difficult to handle and require a delicate touch. The drovers must be careful to give the cattle enough space to spread out and graze, but at the same time, they also need to keep them moving and under control.

With your Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa, Hold up the lead, keep them moving nice and slow.
This line repeats the chorus, which encourages the drovers to use the word 'Whoa' to keep the cattle calm and stop them when needed, and to hold up the front of the herd to keep the pace slow and steady.

There's a long drive ahead, 'fore we hit the final town, And the boss drover's worries can really get him down, You watch 'em on the nightcamp when they're ready for to leap, Why they've even got me watching and a-droving in my sleep.
The drovers have a long drive ahead of them before they reach their final destination. Their boss is worried about the safety of his men as well as the cattle under their care. When they make camp at night, the cattle can be unpredictable, and it can be hard to sleep well knowing that they might leap or stampede at any moment.

Singing Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa, Bringing in the gidgee for they're itching for to go, Whoa Bullocks, whoa bullocks, whoa bullocks whoa, Hold up the lead, keep them moving nice and slow. Moving Nice and slow, Moving Nice and slow.
The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, which calls to keep the cattle moving slowly and under control with a calm tone. They are being driven towards their destination, but the drovers must be cautious and patient to ensure their safe arrival.

Whoa Bullocks, whoa there you bullocks.
The song ends with a repetition of the opening line, calling for the draft of cattle to stop.

Writer(s): Stanley Coster, David Kirkpatrick

Contributed by Alex F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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