The country celebrated Australia Day last Friday.
I don't really do this 'flag thang.'
I like to think of the whole planet as my domain, rather then just one tiny corner roped off with border control.
I was down at the beach early cause the Google plane was doing a hires geo photo shoot.
There were a few people mulling around with signs lying on the ground.
The thing is, that we didn’t see any plane fly over.
Read in the paper today (Tuesday) that the plane was diverted, as it might have interfered with the landing of commercial flights at the main airport.
That afternoon, I joined some mates down at the harbour to see a free gig by the Whitlams.
This is a short clip I took while down there…
Great group, good music, and proper lyrics that tell a story.
Interesting choice of band to perform for Sydneysiders celebrating Oz day.
I’ve included some lyrics including the ones for the song in the video.
I’ve highlighted favourite bits.
(YEAR OF THE RAT) by WHITLAMS
Creeping into town with all these changes in my head
Funny how my old haunts all look new
A taxi from the airport to the Paris end of King
I’ll drop my bags I’ll see who’s in
My dirty streets
My fabulous friends
Here I am
In your arms again
It’s easy being famous in Sydney
Cause everyone’s a star
But its got to be deepest darkest night
For you to see them all
There’s beer and women even for the thinking man
Join the circus come on down
I’ve heard they’ll even stop kicking you
Just before you hit the ground
My dirty streets
My fabulous friends
Yeah here I am
In your arms again
I’ll get a shine-on
All night and day
You rough me up
Till I gotta get away
You know I love you but you try and kill me
Gotta hold your head up in the Year of the Rat
Newtown I love you but you try and kill me
Gotta hold your head up in the Year of the Rat
Tat, a tat-tat, tat
Second rower with the earpiece and the rumble in his eye
Making sure that I don’t stumble, wishes all the freaks die
Over there a plain-clothes cop looking at his watch a lot
Wondering is it time to call in the dogs
My dirty streets
My fabulous friends
Here I am
In your arms again
I’ll get a shine-on
All night and day
You rough me up
Till I gotta get away
You know I love you but you try and kill me
Gotta hold your head up in the Year of the Rat
Newtown I love you but you try and kill me
Gotta hold your head up in the Year of the Rat
Tat, a tat-tat, tat
You know I love you but you try and kill me
You know I love you but you try and kill me, yeah
BLOW UP THE POKIES
There was the stage, two red lights and a dodgy P.A.,
You trod the planks way back then,
And it's strange that you're here again, here again.
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words,
To make you feel better, walk out of this place.
Defeat them in your secret battle,
Show them you can be your own man again.
Don't, don't explain, lots of little victories take on the pain,
It takes so long to earn, you can double up or you can burn, you can burn.
Chorus
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words,
To blow up the pokies and drag them away.
Cause they're taking the food off your table,
So they can say that the trains run on time.
Flashing lights, it's a real show, and your wife? I wouldn't go home,
The little bundles need care and you can't be a father there, father there.
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words,
To blow up the pokies and drag them away.
Cause they're taking the food off your table,
So they can say that the trains run on time.
Another man there was made the trains run on time.
YOU GOTTA LOVE THIS CITY
You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
Too sick for breakfast, the car wouldn't start
The train was really full, and his girlfriend had a boyfriend
The houses all the same, now here's the rain
Not falling but collapsing at his feet
Deep breath and he clocks on, raincoat on his arm
He wishes the hours would disappear
But the trip's in vain 'cause awaiting him
A lay-off notice and his severance pay
He shuffles back to the train again
You gotta love this city
You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
Back home he lies in bed for days and days
Watching American television, smoking
And playing with himself ringing double-O double-5
Into town on Thursday night
The girls are pretty and the lights are bright
At least he loves his city
Holding court on Taylor Square proper was the man he could become
Lear's Fool is a bum now
With seven holy parcels by his side
You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
He walks along the foreshore, he's got a bottle
And he's breathing with his city
It was busy everywhere he went
There was a crowd over the bay
And a fireworks display
It's all very strange for a Thursday night thought he
Then it dawns on him as a cracker explodes
And who the hell is he going to blame?
It dawns on him - the horror - we got the Olympic Games
You gotta love this city for its body and not its brain
And he screams My city is a whore, opened herself to the world
Jumped up and down in pastel shirts
And lathered up thinking about designs for T-shirts
You gotta love this city for its body and not its brain
It's more than he can take, and the stars' reflection breaks
'Cause you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it enjoy the view
You gotta love this city
He's had enough and he sinks to the bottom
I MAKE HAMBURGERS
My first customer was Megan
She came in for a hamburger with the lot - no meat
Hey that's a salad roll I said and we started going out
My second customer was Susan
she came in for Diet Pepsi morning tea
Each day and I said You don't need to be on a diet.
Do you wanna come out tonight?
I said I'll bring Gringo he's got a lot of money
And he'll take us to the bars where they've got a view.
He'll buy us all those beers they give it to you in bottles
They put lemon in the top it don't taste too bad I'm telling you
My third customer was Maria she came in for hot chips and sauce
More sauce she said. I said now you're talking
and she took me home to meet her mother
My fourth customer was Sandy she came in for nothing I could see except me
So it was I too, was eating a hamburger of sorts within an hour
I make hamburgers I get all the girls
and I take 'em out to dinner and I give 'em all a whirl
and If they work I keep 'em If they don't I keep 'em too
But I teach 'em all how to be dirty girls like you
Sounds like a good day!
ReplyDeleteGet rid of the flag! What a gesture it would be for a nation like Australia to say that from now on we have no flag. It would be a unifying thing. I am sick of nationalism and flag waving, which is being fostered in this country and becoming increasingly prevalent. Even some Americans are tiring of their national anthem being played at every opportunity - and that's saying something for a country whose people seem to be born with a non-thinking, nationalistic gene.
Well, to be fair, not all of us inherited the nationalistic gene :-)
ReplyDeleteI do agree about the flag reverence being, for the most part, ridiculous. I appreciate that people are honoring what the flag stands for, and that's fine. It's when people freak out about flag burning, or all the insane "flag ettiquite" (wow, I cannot spell that word!).
Why is it that Sydney, which has its pockets of crime and grime, always looks so clean? Or is it the clear blue sky that makes it seem so? Is Flag Day a national holiday there? Looks like the temp was very nice 'n' comfortable.
ReplyDeleteWell, to be fair, not all of us inherited the nationalistic and non-thinking gene. ;-) I'm in America and wasn't aware that Americans are tiring of their national anthem being overplayed. I am aware that it's gotta be the worst anthems in the world to try to sing, however!
ReplyDeleteA flag is simply a collection of stitched, coloured, cloth. It represents only what those who wrap themselves in it want it to. Like our fearless PM, many others see the flag as the epitome of Oz. It's actually the epitome of colonial obeisance. A Southern Cross and Federation Star subordinate to the Union Jack.
ReplyDeleteGive me the Eureka Flag any day. It represents who we really are, and what we stand for. Much more so than the current rag.
Wish I could respond or contribute to NonDeCocon's comment; alas, I'm a (lowly) American unequipped for Australian flag discussion.
ReplyDeleteThis whole flag thang is a bit dumb.
ReplyDeleteA lot of locals have problems making a distinction between ours and the New Zealand flag.
A guy on the radio went down to the Opera house, with a NZ flag and set fire to it.
People started complaining and getting all agro, until he pointed out that it wasn't an Aust flag.
Suddenly everyone was all smiles and jokes.
The whole thing about flag etiquette (good term by the way) is that a lot of patriots don't respect other peoples flags.
It's another example of 'we're the best group of people and everyone else is sub human!’
I like the idea of 'no flag'
In the Olympics our athletes would walk out into the arena with a bare stick held aloft.
No one would be able to tell whether our nation was in morning or not.
International readers might like to note the shot of the aboriginal flag, which is an original design.
The local indigenous peoples have named this day of celebrating the birth of our nation, 'invasion day' which is a label that appeals to me.
The Eureka flag was the symbol of a historic mining revolt. It occupies our psyche a bit like the American relationship with the Alamo, or the Brits and the closing of the national mines by Thatcher.
The weather was very pleasant in Sydney on Oz day 07, and yes we get a national holiday.
I'm a fan of 'dirty cities'
They’re rough, a bit dangerous, and REAL.
I’m a bit cautious about super clean cities like Sydney or Nuremburg.
One wonders where they put the garbage?
I don't trust good looking people in suits, or clean and tidy cities.
The problem is that, while the Eureka flag has a great place in our nation's history, it is a symbol against authority. Adopting it as the nation's official flag would both dilute the original symbolism of the flag and be a bit of a piss-take for its new function (an official flag that protests all things official). Not only that, but as many extremist groups have adopted the flag as their own (especially white supremacist groups) it could result in the further alienation of marginalised groups in society.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'm not a big fan of the current flag. I'd be all in favour of them designing a new one, but I'd bet it would end up looking like sh*t.
Ban all flags, I say. Make people wave coloured underwear instead. Let's see 'em get all nationalistic about their Y-fronts flying in the breeze.
LOL.......I like the cut of your jib! I'll still rest on the Eureka Flag though. It meant something then and for mine, it continues to do so, especially, as you say, as a piss-take against authority. I couldn't give a fig for who had adopted it for whatever reason. To me it will always mean Eureka and what that event stood for and still does today.
ReplyDeleteHuh? I spoke as a highly unpatriotic person whose birthplace is, through no direct choice of my own, America. Pleased to hear you're clear about the flag behind which you stand.
ReplyDeleteAs I stated as a caveat......."excuse me if I appear rude"
ReplyDeleteRudeness is not of particular concern; accuracy is.
ReplyDelete