South Australia
The Pogues feat. Joe Strummer Lyrics
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In South Australia, 'round Cape Horn, we're bound for South Australia
Haul away your rolling king, heave away, haul away
Haul away, you'll hear me sing, we're bound for South Australia
As I walked out one morning fair, heave away, haul away
'Twas there I met Miss Nancy Blair, we're bound for South Australia
There's just one thing that's on my mind, heave away, haul away
That's leaving Nancy Blair behind, we're bound for South Australia
And as we wallop round Cape Horn, heave away, haul away
You'll wish to God you've never been born, we're bound for South Australia
In South Australia I was born, heave away, haul away
In South Australia, 'round Cape Horn, we're bound for South Australia
The lyrics in The Pogues feat. Joe Strummer's song "South Australia" describe the journey of a sailor who was born in South Australia and is bound for Cape Horn. In the first stanza, the singer mentions his birthplace and how they are going around Cape Horn, which is a treacherous stretch of water in the southernmost part of South America. The chorus talks about the sailor's journey and how they are hauling away while singing about their destination.
In the second stanza, the singer meets a woman named Nancy Blair while walking out one morning fair. The third stanza reveals that despite the journey, his mind is only focused on leaving Nancy Blair behind. The final stanza repeats the first stanza.
The lyrics portray the struggles of a sailor's journey, while the repetition of the first and last stanzas emphasizes the never-ending cycle of a sailor's life. The use of "haul away" and "heave away" create a musicality in the song that mimics the rhythm of rowing, and the chorus adds a sense of camaraderie among the sailors.
Overall, "South Australia" is a classic sea shanty that tells a tale of adventure, love, and longing for home.
Line by Line Meaning
In South Australia I was born, heave away, haul away
I was born in South Australia, and now I'm on a ship sailing away from there.
In South Australia, 'round Cape Horn, we're bound for South Australia
Even though we're leaving South Australia, we'll come back around Cape Horn to return.
Haul away your rolling king, heave away, haul away
Let's get to work and start hauling, we have to keep moving.
Haul away, you'll hear me sing, we're bound for South Australia
We'll keep singing as we make our journey back to South Australia.
As I walked out one morning fair, heave away, haul away
One beautiful morning, I was walking and enjoying the scenery.
'Twas there I met Miss Nancy Blair, we're bound for South Australia
I met a woman named Nancy Blair, who is also on this ship heading to South Australia.
There's just one thing that's on my mind, heave away, haul away
I can't stop thinking about leaving Nancy behind when we arrive in South Australia.
That's leaving Nancy Blair behind, we're bound for South Australia
Leaving Nancy behind is the only thing that's making me feel sad about returning to South Australia.
And as we wallop round Cape Horn, heave away, haul away
Going around Cape Horn is not going to be an easy journey.
You'll wish to God you've never been born, we're bound for South Australia
The rough journey around Cape Horn will make you wish you were never born, but we'll still make it to South Australia in the end.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RUPERT CHRISTIE, MICHAEL WILLIAM HAWKINS, JOHN LEONARD MCDONNELL, JOHN ANTHONY BROWN, JONATHAN ROBERT CLEAVE, CHRISTOPHER JOHN LETHBRIDGE, TREVOR FREDERICK GRILLS, JULIAN NICHOLAS BROWN, NIGEL SHERRATT, JEREMY DAVID BROWN, RICHARD PETER ROWE, ROSE PRINCE,
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike Newson
For a Londoner like me, this period in the 80's was just unbelievable, the sheer power of the music and lyrics from bands like The Clash & The Pogues has never been equalled. RIP Joe
JC Dove
agree - what happened to brillinat live bands like this? Today they get a diet of X factor bullshit
Lieren Cavanaugh
Awesome performance! I love both The Pogues and The Clash, but would never have imagined this!
neilchair
Aside from this being one of the best musical performances on youtube, I love how you can transpose Bruce Springsteen into the same sort of postures Joe takes. I love how one era of music builds and recognizes the other, just like Gaslight Anthem now with Bruce. We are all related. It all comes from the same place :)
phil james
A true hero. He influenced so many people to question things and not to believe the bullshit!! A legend.
jam1ga
Joe looks fantastic here. Miss him. The crowd looks like they were having a blast.
Penndragoon
My one regret is that I never got to see such a great man play, kudos to those that have.
Dresoul01
Joe was the common man's hero, he wasn't perfect and he told it like it was, he wasn't just a guitar player but a statesman for the times.Ok he didn't start the punk revolution but The Clash help hold it down when so many bands like The Sex Pistols imploded. So while Iggy was wallowing in his drug dependency, and The Ramones were sniffing glue, Joe and the boys kept on making the masses think.
The Momur
I got to see Joe as The Pogues frontman at The Wiltern after Shane went to hiatus. From the mezzanine We could see the balcony move up and down with the dancing upstairs. One of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen. How delectable is the song with accordion & mandolin?
Mark Lacey
Legends on stage....The Pogues do this song justice....