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.
You Can Never Do Wrong In A Mother
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No matter what you may do
She will always forgive any wrong you've done
And she'll open her warm heart to you
Though you've been the cause of her tears she's cried
When you've strayed the straight narrow bar
Oh you can never do wrong in a mother's eyes
She knelt by her bed many lonely nights
While waiting for you to come home
And prayed to the Lord to keep you right
And guard you wherever you roam
Though you're not the man that you might have been
And you feel ashamed of your past
Oh you can never do wrong in a mother's eyes
For she sees her son through her heart
:
A careless mistake can bring you shame
And troubles just hang over you
And a father might say you've disgraced the name
But the love of a mother stays true
Although you've been careless with Cupid's bow
And you falsely directed his dart
Oh you can never do wrong in a mother's eyes
For she sees her son through her heart
You can never do wrong Γ―n a mother's eyes
For she sees her son through her heart...
The lyrics to Slim Dusty's song "You Can Never Do Wrong In A Mother's Eyes" are a moving tribute to the unconditional love of a mother. The song captures the idea that no matter what a person does in life, their mother will always love and accept them. The first verse sets the tone for the song, stating that a mother will always forgive her child no matter what mistakes they make. The second verse speaks to the sacrifices a mother makes for her child, such as praying for their safety and well-being.
The chorus is the most poignant part of the song, stating that a mother's love is unshakeable and unwavering. The lyrics state that even if a person has made mistakes in their life, they can never do wrong in their mother's eyes because she sees them through her heart. The third verse reinforces this message, saying that even if a father might judge a child for their actions, a mother's love will always remain true.
Line by Line Meaning
You can never do wrong in a mother's eyes
A mother's love for her child is unconditional and boundless, and she will never see any fault in her child's actions.
No matter what you may do
Regardless of the choices and paths her child takes, a mother will always love and accept them.
She will always forgive any wrong you've done
A mother's forgiveness is endless, and she will always forgive her child for any mistakes they make.
And she'll open her warm heart to you
A mother's love is a safe haven for her child, and she will always welcome them with open arms.
Though you've been the cause of her tears she's cried
Even if her child has caused her heartache and disappointment, a mother's love will remain unwavering.
When you've strayed the straight narrow bar
Even if her child strays from the path of righteousness and makes poor choices, a mother's love will not falter.
For she sees her son through her heart
A mother's love is not based on the actions of her child but rather on the love in her heart.
She knelt by her bed many lonely nights
A mother's worries and prayers for her child are constant and unwavering, even during the darkest of times.
While waiting for you to come home
A mother's heart is always waiting for her child to return home, no matter how far they may have strayed.
And prayed to the Lord to keep you right
A mother's love is not limited to her own strength, and she calls upon a higher power to protect her child.
And guard you wherever you roam
A mother's love follows her child wherever they may go, watching over them and keeping them safe.
Though you're not the man that you might have been
Even if a mother's child has not lived up to their full potential, she will continue to see the goodness within them.
And you feel ashamed of your past
A mother's love acknowledges her child's mistakes, but she does not dwell on them and instead focuses on the future.
A careless mistake can bring you shame
A mother knows that even a small mistake can cause her child great distress and embarrassment.
And troubles just hang over you
A mother's love recognizes the weight of her child's troubles and worries and will do everything possible to ease them.
But the love of a mother stays true
A mother's love is constant and unchanging, no matter what hardships her child may encounter.
Although you've been careless with Cupid's bow
Even if her child has made mistakes in their love life, a mother's love remains a constant guiding force.
And you falsely directed his dart
Even if her child's choices have led to pain and heartache, a mother's love is still present and unwavering.
For she sees her son through her heart
A mother's love cannot be swayed by circumstance or actions, as it is based on the unbreakable bond between a mother and her child.
You can never do wrong in a mother's eyes
A mother's love is a source of comfort and acceptance for her child, and she will always view them through the lens of love and compassion.
For she sees her son through her heart
A mother's love is unwavering and eternal, and it is a constant presence in the life of her child.
Contributed by Mia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ericspry7102
Sitting next to my 2 sons whom I buried together and listening to this song
Makes me cry so much
Love you both.
@lucytanami4378
A true icon Slim travelled all around Australia, that is why he sings from the heart. Never forgotten true legend.
@keithschmidt6418
Happy Mother's Day my beautiful mother, been gone 20yrs and miss you lots RIP. ππ
@oomnookie
And there I had my wife crying :( Our son immigrated to Australia Sep 2015. He introduced us to Slim Dusty's music and needless to say our favorite singer now.
@ceedee4071
Mum and dad met slim... said he was down to earth lovely lovely person classic song with no truer words...being a mum and now Grandma love slim πβ₯οΈπ₯ππΉ
@ynikshia5986
:) beautifully said. feb 15 2020
Southern Alberta.Ca.
POB : Singapura
@fredbell1372
What a great song so true
@dipayanchakraborty4751
I am crying sir. You are great. You have given the best tribute to every mother. Love from India.
@roseanne74
This song was what we danced our deb waltz to.
@bevlinke77
A beautiful song sung by a great singer