Bourke To Beaconsfield: Greatest Hits CD and MP3 Album

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15 years in the making, Bourke To Beaconsfield - Greatest Hits is a collection of the singles, Golden Guitar award winners and stand-outs compiled from Colin's five country albums - plus a couple of extras!

From Colin's award-winning debut, Galahs In The Gidgee, through nearly two decades of authentic, heartfelt, vivid songs, this is a collection for those who have been there all the way and those who are new to Colin's country career.

Bourke to Beaconsfield - Greatest Hits is part travelogue, part journal, part portrait. Songs like North Bourke Bridge and Edge of the Kimberley are weather-worn landmarks that capture and celebrate the expanse of the outback. She Waits and A Drover's Wife are skillfully crafted vignettes set amidst the corrugated iron main street verandahs of a small bush town. House No163 has the breadth of high country while resonating with an intimate, tender story of enduring sadness. These are songs that go wide and go deep - songs that represent the career highlights from one of Australia's finest songwriters.

The CD includes two new studio recordings of songs that carved a unique place in recent history - Beaconsfield (about the dramatic Tasmanian mine rescue) and the Steve Irwin tribute, Goodbye Crocodile Hunter. Both tunes captured a spirit that resonated across Australia and across the world. It's proof that when it comes to great songs, there's still plenty to look forward to from Colin.

Embark on a captivating journey through 21 stunning songs: Colin Buchanan's Greatest Hits, Bourke to Beaconsfield.

more... ...less

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Sheet Music
Lyrics

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1. Galahs In The Gidgee

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2. Come What May

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3. Uncle Viv

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4. She Waits

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5. The Local District Show

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6. A Drover's Wife

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7. Silver Bullet

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8. North Bourke Bridge

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9. Paradise

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10. The Measure Of A Man

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11. Tough Job (Duet with Lee Kernaghan)

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12. That Old Caravan

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13. Edge of the Kimberley

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14. Rocko

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15. Land of the Getaway

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16. Doo Wah Didjeri

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17. The Bishop of Burrill

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18. House No. 163

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19. Missin' Slim (Duet with Lee Kernaghan)

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20. Beaconsfield

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21. Goodbye Crocodile Hunter (Tribute to Steve Irwin)

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1. Galahs In The Gidgee

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Galahs in the Gidgee
Words and Music by Colin Buchanan © 1994 Universal Music (Aust)

Shearers, rouseabouts, stockmen and jackaroos
Cockies and squatters, swaggies with nothing to lose
Ridden and driven and trode these tracks
Calloused their hands and bent their backs
There’s some ripper yarns to spin if you can spare a minute of your time

Chorus
Galahs in the gidgee
Emus on the plains
‘Roos in the table drains
In a rugged land
Galahs in the gidgee
They watch this country grow
And I reckon they’d tell some stories if they could

House-wives, cooks, mothers and daughters too
They put their hand to whatever they had to do
From kitchen stove to a horse’s back
In homestead tent and timber shack
You’ll shake your head at their tales of courage if you stick around

Chorus

Not too many of the old timers still around
There’s another generation walking this dusty ground
But there’s still surprises out of the back o’ Bourke
And it still takes sweat and it takes hard work
And there’s still some ripper yarns if you can spare a minute of your time
×
2. Come What May

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Come What May
Words and Music by Colin Buchanan © 1994 Universal Music (Aust)

It was tinder dry round Illabo all summer
And we’re not entirely certain just how the fires began
But when the flames had finally passed
And we saw all that we’d lost
We weren’t about to bid it all farewell

Cos there’s been fire before in Illabo
And there’ll be fire again
And come what may
There’s been worse things in our way
It’s our home and we won’t leave
Without a fight

There were kids who’d never see the rain in Grenfell
And everyone was wondering just when the drought would break
And as each dusty day went by
We watched the stock curl up and die
But we weren’t about to do the same ourselves

Cos there’s been drought before in Grenfell
And there’ll be drought again
And come what may
There’s been worse things in our way
It’s our home and we won’t leave
Without a fight

After all the years of toil and tears
People ought to know
That we’re not the sort of folks
Who just let go
Most were glad when the drought broke in Nyngan
But what had really happened was the floods had just begun
And though we worked all through the night
In the end we lost the fight
But that didn’t mean
We’d lose the place for good

Cos there’s been flood before in Nyngan
And there’ll be flood again
And come what may
There’s been worse things in our way
It’s our home and we won’t leave
And there’s been flood before in Nyngan
And there’ll be flood again
And come what may
There’s been worse things in our way
It’s our home and we won’t leave
Without a fight
×
3. Uncle Viv

View Lyrics

Uncle Viv
Words and Music by Colin Buchanan © 1994 Universal Music (Aust)

Just what got me in I’m not quite sure
The hat with the Legacy badges
Or the tales about the war?
But when the stories started
I wanted to hear more

He spent some time in the Northern Territory
Proud of his time as a young bloke
Serving actively
The Coopers ale was rationed
But the jungle juice was free

Chorus
And he was born in the depression
He grew up hungry
And times were hard
And all his memories he’ll re-live
When you’re chewin’ the fat with Uncle Viv

Childhood days were lean and things were tough
Porridge made from grinding wheat
Never quite enough
And he chuckles now when the young ones
Say that things are getting tough

Chorus

Lightning Ridge was home till ’72
Mum couldn’t run the farm alone
So his mining days were through
But the treasures in his tobacco tin
He’ll gladly show to you

Chorus

Well his curly hair is long and mostly grey
And his grin is nearly toothless
And his joints have had their day
But Viv has got a swag of yarns
He’ll gladly throw your way

Chorus
×
4. She Waits

View Lyrics

She Waits
Words and Music by Colin Buchanan © 1994 Universal Music (Aust)

They met in the summer of 1958
A hometown girl with stars in her eyes
He came from out of town to work in the mill
She found what she was looking for
And he, he found a wife
She still remembers those good old days
Nights filled with laughter and friends
Drives in the country
And nights at the cinema
She still remembers
But he, he seems to forget

Chorus
He’s sitting at the bar of the Railway Hotel
He’s sittin with his mates all alone
She’s sitting in the Kingswood with a cigarette in hand
She waits
Remembers all they hoped it would be

The church bells echoed over town that day
They both felt the future looked bright
She still hears those church bells every Sunday morning
It is all that is left of their dreams
They just echoed away

Chorus

The railway that brought her, her man is closed
The flourmill is boarded and still
She’s mourning a friendship that slipped through her fingers
They took it for granted they’d be happy
But I guess they were wrong
×
5. The Local District Show

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The Local District Show
Words and music by Colin Buchanan © 1994 UNIVERSAL MUSIC (AUST.)

Rams and jams
Bulls and biscuits
Crafts and cattle
Sheep and shortbread
Brought before the steward’s gaze
Stock and produce
Craft displays
It’s a day when people have a go
It’s the local district chow

Akubras, moleskins, ties and tinnies
Trade and pleasure
Booze and business
All the experts round the bar
Will tell you where the best sheep are
From Mumblebone or Old Ashrose
You’ll find a man who knows

Chorus
Once a year from all around
They all converge on the showground
Some just look
Some compete
For some it’s just a chance to meet
The kids’ll walk you off your feet
But everyon’ll go
To the local district

Dagwood dogs, chips and children
Sideshow alley, shams and shooting
Red-nosed blokes a shabby price
Kiosk girl with hard dark eyes
Tomorrow they’ll be on the go
It’s just another show

Chorus

Sprays and presses, dips and demos
“Score a bargain” says the sales rep
A band new tank to fit your need
A special deal on wire or feed
They’ll tell you it’s all priced to go
Only a the show

Chorus

Sale at 3
Bids and buyers
Spotters scan. “hold the hammer!”
The Auctioneer he spits and roars
“For a 25 these rams are yours!”
the bids fly quickly to and fro
when they auction at the show

Chorus
×
6. A Drover's Wife

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A Drovers Wife
Words and music by Colin Buchanan © 1994 UNIVERSAL MUSIC (AUST.)

They walked in late
Heard about the show
On a country spot on the radio
Her sheepskin coast was sewn by hand
And her hat stayed on all night
They’d ridden their horses through the driving rain
From the camp they’d made on the Billaroo Lane
The stock was yarded
The dogs were chained
It was time to hit the town

Chorus
She was a drover’s wife
They lived in a caravan
She could match the work of any man
And in the morning they’d be gone
They were always moving on

The night wore on and she told us tales
Of a woman’s life on the stock route trails
Open fires, a thousand stars
And a life of making do
Eyes were wide on every child
The local women winked and smiled
The fells couldn’t quite work out
This unexpected guest

Chorus

The show wound up and they rode away
To another town and another day
Crossing paths swapping yarns
×
7. Silver Bullet

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Silver Bullet
Words and Music by Colin Buchanan © 1994 Universal Music (Aust)

Set the yards up
And dug a hole
And rounded up the sheep
Picked the ones that had to go
It’d make a fella weep
Food for dogs and few loose coins

Chorus
It was simple plan to work this land
A fighting man can’t understand
It blown away and overcome
By the silver bullet and the loaded gun

We’ve fed the lambs by hand
The boy’s have run the shed
We’ve given all we had
Now half the flock is dead
Years of hope in a shallow grave

Chorus

There’s a mound of dirt by the northern fence
The ground is turned and bare
A man can’t dwell on what’s been done
And what lies buried there
The work goes on and the seasons turn

Chorus x 4
×
8. North Bourke Bridge

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North Bourke Bridge
Words and Music by Colin Buchanan © 1994 Rondor Music (Aust)

There’s sunshine in the south-east
There’s a rain to the north-west
And Gundabooka’s brewing up a storm
The sleeping Bogan River
Winds it gentle track and the locals said
They knew that I’d be back

Chorus
Coz once you’ve crossed the North Bourke Bridge
Stood on the dust on a Ancient red ridge
Oh-oh the locals know the outback calls you back
They knew that I’d be back

Black feet on the red dust
Walk on ancient land
Never tamed and hard to understand
The gidgee and the redgum
Stand in silhouette
And I know the dreaming isn’t over yet

Chorus

Theres’ the fading glow of sunset
The creeping black of night
Gundabooka sleeps in silver light
And I stand in Lawson’s footsteps
Solitary and small
And in the stillness hear the distant call

Chorus
×
9. Paradise

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Paradise
Words and music by Colin Buchanan © 1994 UNIVERSAL MUSIC (AUST.)

It was a long drive over 200 k's of dirt
We watched the country change from slopes to plains
Stands of yellowbox
Turned to Mallee green and grey
And her beauty kept unfolding that day

Chorus
She is cruel
She is tender
She'll leave you open-mouthed in wonder
One day paradise, another hell
You can fall in love
And never know her well

Some have come here
Falling for her charms
Not knowing, or ignoring what's at stake
Falling victims, to her powerful expanse
Defeated by a fleeting romance

Chorus

And we rolled on
Through little outback towns
Clinging to her hard and dusty ground
Never far from memorials that prove
At best we're only ever passing through

Chorus
×
10. The Measure Of A Man

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The Measure of a Man
Words and music by Colin Buchanan © 1994 UNIVERSAL MUSIC (AUST.)

The autumn sun
Warmed the sand
Of the river running dry
And around the gums
Dads and mums
Lay with dogs
Under open skies
And let the days slip by ...

Chorus
The measure of a man isn't found
In the dollars in his pocket
Or in where he lives in town
It's what lies deep within
Past the colour of his skin
When we look there we begin to understand`
The measure of a man

They gave this land
This bed of sand
To the ones who now reside
But can rocks and earth
Restore their worth?
Their hope? Their lives? Their pride?
So many broken years have slipped by ...

Chorus

I've heard the tales
They say are there true
Of the waste and the abuse
As I live my life
With my kids, my wife
In a world just so removed
Who can resolve the two?

Chorus
×
11. Tough Job (Duet with Lee Kernaghan)

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Tough Job
Words & Music Colin Buchanan © 1999 Universal Music (Aust.)

Heading road trains west of the Warrego River
Pigging in the lyginum on the Barcoo
Drilling for oil in the Strezleki Desert
Or shipping the wool clip out of Pokataroo

Flagging the rows of the Wee Waa cotton
Running a mob out the back of Maree
14 hours on a Blackwater dragline
8 days week and 50 degrees

CHORUS
It’s a tough job, mate
But someone’s got to do it
It’s a tough job, mate
But it’s got to be done
Put in the hard yakka
Work up a sweat
The harder you work
The hotter it gets
It’s a tough job, mate
It’s a tough job, mate

Packing down in a scrum in a sudden-death semi
Waiting for the bell on a saddle bronc ride
Ringing a shed out west of Menindee
It’s just another day of a hard workin’ life

CHORUS

INSTRUMENTAL

BRIDGE
We go
Digging and driving
Sweating and striving
Grease and diesel
Steel and sweat...
×
12. That Old Caravan

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That Old Caravan
Words and music by Colin Buchanan © 1999 UNIVERSAL MUSIC (AUST.)

They hitched up that old caravan in 1963
Drove a big black Zephyr
They were young and they were free
Pointed southwards with a tailwind
And no particular plan
Just a young bloke and his new bride
And that old caravan

Chorus

Oh sweet memories
In that flaking paint and ply
Oh those miles that rolled on by
So hold her like you used to
When the journey first began
Side by side
In that old caravan

The day they got a flat tyre out the back of Narrabri
Annie was a twinkle in her mother's eye
And those little interruptions
Often times began
A romantic roadside rendezvous
In that old caravan

Chorus

Instrumental

Bridge

They still flick through those old photos
Of their little growing clan
It was freedom on the wallaby
In that old caravan
×
13. Edge of the Kimberley

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Edge of the Kimberley
Words & Music Colin Buchanan © 1999 Universal Music (Aust.)

Take the Sunset strip out of Timber Creek
Past the boab tree and the rusty peak
A couple of hours and you’re going to be
On the edge of the Kimberley

Took a tinny on the Ord to Ivanhoe
Barramundi and buffalo
I watched the crocs and the crocs watched me
On the edge of the Kimberley

CHORUS
Fill up the waterbags
Hitch up the caravan
Strap on the runabout
Top up the jerry can
Those Rusty Ranges keep calling me
From wherever I am
To the edge of the Kimberley

CHORUS

And at Kununurra well we knocked around
Climbed Kelly’s Knob on the edge of town
It’s the sort of view you could only see
On the edge of the Kimberley

CHORUS

Take the Sunset strip out of Timber Creek
Past the boab tree and the rusty peak
A couple of hours and you’re going to be
On the edge of the Kimberley

CHORUS x 2
×
14. Rocko

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Rocko
Words and music by Colin Buchanan © 1999 UNIVERSAL MUSIC (AUST.)

We searched out a quiet corner of the Middle Bre Hotel
A couple of dudes from out of town and it wasn't hard to tell
A fella with an old guitar
Who'd been playing in the public bar
Gave a gappy smile and said "G'day"

We made our introductions
And he gave our hands a shake
His grip was like a wool press
And I thought my hand would break
Rocko pulled a chair up near
Richard bought the man a beer
He got out a match stick pick
Began to play ...

CHORUS

Rocko was a sight to see
Singing songs about his life in Bre
Time to kill
And a story to tell
In that not-so-quiet corner
Of the middle Bre Hotel

Countless songs and yarns slipped by and it was nearly six
Rocko gave the songs a rest
And was doing matchbox tricks
I shook his hand, he slapped my back
I took off down the Cobar track
With Rocko's songs still ringing in my ears

CHORUS
×
15. Land of the Getaway

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Land of the Getaway
Words and Music by Colin Buchanan © 2001 Universal Music (Aust)

Sharlene and her husband Craig
Been 6 months out of Mackay
Livin’ like gypsies in a Cassa Villa pop top
Takin’ one day at a time

Hooked up with Pete from Revesby
Who gave the teachin’ game away
Joined the inland wanderers
Now he’s pickin’ grapes in the MIA

No passports
No orders
No bosses
No borders

CHORUS
They’re livin’ in the land of the getaway
No tellin’ where the road will end
They’re livin’ in the land of the getaway
And just around the bend is a brand new day
In the land of the getaway

You’ve got Gemma with her life in a her backpack
Chucked in her law degree
She’s done chipping Goondoowindi cotton
She’s gonna hitch up the Territory

White tribes in the red dirt camp grounds
playin’ cricket as the sun goes down
a beer and a chuckle
as they wonder what their mates
in the city are doing now

No peak hour
No hurry
No rat race
No worries...

CHORUS

BRIDGE

No deadlines
No hum drum
A full tank of freedom

CHORUS
×
16. Doo Wah Didjeri

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Doo Wah Didjeri
Words and music by Colin Buchanan © 2001 UNIVERSAL MUSIC (AUST.)

Way out there on the Mundi Plans
You’ll hear that sound again & again
It goes….
Doo wah doo wah didjeri doo now
Doo wah didjeri doo

Way up there on the tip of the Cape
Hear the sound the crocodile make
Doo wah doo wah didjeri doo now
Doo wah didjeri doo

Chorus

Doo wah didjeri (Doo wah didjeri)
Doo wah didjeri (Doo wah didjeri)
Doo wah didjeri (Doo wah didjeri)
Doo wah didjeri (Doo wah didjeri)
Doo wah doo wah didjeri doo
Doo wah didjeri doo

All the cousins in the Kimberley
Playin along by the boab trees
They go……
Doo wah doo wah didjeri doo now
Doo wah didjeri doo

Ancient misty mountain tune
Bogongs dance, silver moon
Doo wah doo wah didjeri doo now
Doo wah didjeri doo

Chorus

Sunset twilight Uluru
Clapstick boomerang didjeridoo
Doo wah doo wah didjeri doo now
Doo wah didjeri doo

It’s our didj, it’s our song
White fella, black fella sing along
Doo wah doo wah didjeri doo now
Doo wah didjeri doo

Everybody go..

Chorus
×
17. The Bishop of Burrill

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The Bishop of Burrill
Words & Music Colin Buchanan © 2001 Universal Music (Aust.)

He’s going up into the mountains
Going up into the hills
Going to saddle up the chestnut mare
And let her take him where she will

Goin’ to catch himself a fish or two
Going to gather up some wood
Going to sit beneath the messmates wondering
How he ever got it so good

CHORUS
Somewhere out past Yadboro
Out behind Termeil
In his ironbark cathedral
Rides the Bishop of Burrill
Out past Yadboro
The bush behind Termeil
Is ringing with the praises
Of the Bishop of Burrill

Going do a lot of thinking
Going take a bit of space
Maybe let a bit of angry weather
Put him in his place

On a swag under the moonlight
By the flicker of a fire
He going marvel at the majesty
Of the One who names the stars
(and who knows that ...)

CHORUS

And on top of Kaliana
He’s going to sing a simple prayer
For the everlasting mercy
Of the God who put him there
And who holds him in his care

CHORUS
×
18. House No. 163

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House #163
Words and music by Colin Buchanan © 2001 UNIVERSAL MUSIC (AUST.)

House number 163
33 steps to the top of Australia
Gloria and Ken were younger back when
They lived in old 163

Like folks from all over the world
The were bundled together in old Cabramurra
It was in 51
They prayed for a son
In old number 163

Chorus
They were the women’s women
They were the men among men
They were taming the rolling Snowy
As the blizzards came rolling in
Danger, adventure
Beauty and wonder
She closes her eyes and can see
The snow and the glow
Of house number 163

And we wept for that little one
She carried within her
Cold as the winter
Held to her breast
And then laid to rest
In front of old 163

Chorus

And every year her daffodils
And daisies bloom again
Dancing alpine monuments
To Gloria and Ken
And that little life the Snowy took from them

Danger, adventure
Beauty and wonder
She closes her eyes and can see
The snow and the glow
And the little one she never got to know in 163
×
19. Missin' Slim (Duet with Lee Kernaghan)

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Missin’ Slim
Words and Music by Colin Buchanan © 2004 Rondor Music (Aust)

Davey has a photo
From the day they met Slim Dusty
It hangs beneath the longhorns
In a simple timber frame
And I don’t know who was prouder
Davey or his old man
But you could see it in their faces
And the way they said his name
They’re...

CHORUS
Missin’ Slim
Missin’ Slim
The bush has lost a heor
And we all remember him
He was our mate
He was the king
We’re missin’ Slim
Missin’ Slim

Scotty is a mountain man
Hard as snowy granite
But when “Pub” came on the radio
I swear I saw a tear
If his life was a movie
Slim Dusty was the soundtrack
But he never thought the end
Was ever quite so near
He’s...

CHORUS

On the plains of Peppimenarti
To the end of the Canning Stock Route
At Three River’s and at Callaghan’s
And out to Camoweal
At Kooroongooloo Station
Charleville and Isa
And where the rain still tumbles down back there
At Nulla Nulla Creek
We’re...

CHORUS 1 then CHORUS 2

CHORUS 2

...Australia’s lost a legend
And we all remember him...
×
20. Beaconsfield

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Beaconsfield
Words & Music Colin Buchanan © 2006 Universal Music (Aust.)

Way down south in Beaconsfield
Late on Anzac Day
A thousand metres down below
A hundred tons gave way
Fourteen miners scrambled clear
But 17 went down
Fallen rock and twisted steel
3 men down in Beaconsfield
3 men down in Beaconsfield

Well Larry didn’t make it out
They found him two days in
Still no sign of Todd and Brant
Things were looking grim
Come late on Sunday afternoon
Hope was all but dead
When voices in the dark revealed
2 alive in Beaconsfield
2 alive in Beaconsfield

Tears of joy, they’re safe and strong
A miracle from God
Across the town, across the world
Spread word of Brent and Todd
They chatted to their rescuers
Just metres from their cage
Can you send us down a counter meal
From the Club Hotel in Beaconsfield
From the miner’s pub in Beaconsfield

Well that Tassie rock is hard as nails
But the folks are tougher still
Their families were praying
And their mates were on the drill
Freedom clawed its way on
Through the darkness and the dread
(But) They kept their shoulders to the wheel
They breed ‘em tough in Beaconsfield
Breed ‘em tough in Beaconsfield

And who’ll forget that moment
When the lads we thought were dead
Stepped out onto the surface
Todd Russell and Brant Webb
They held their loved ones tightly
And moved their tags to “Safe”
And every miner’s face revealed
They are the gold of Beaconsfield
They are the gold of Beaconsfield
And they walked free from Beaconsfield
×
21. Goodbye Crocodile Hunter (Tribute to Steve Irwin)

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Goodbye Crocodile Hunter
Words and Music by Colin Buchanan © 2006 Universal Music Publishing

Wasn't he a beauty
Crikey what a gem
A dinkum Aussie treasure
A khaki larrakin
Throwin' it all out there
Doin' what he'd do
You'd better duck for cover
Cos Steve is comin' through

Crazy as a cut snake
Bold as any man
He'd dive onto a crocodile
Hold spiders in his hand
Dodge a deadly taipan
With big-eyed, "Holy Smoke!"
You could like him
You could loathe him
But you couldn't miss the bloke

CHORUS
And wasn't he a beauty
Crikey what a gem
A dinkum Aussie treasure
A khaki larrakin
Throwin' it all out there
With his heart upon his sleeve
Goodbye
Crocodile Hunter
Farewell Steve

Well he was a wildlife warrier
He gave the bush his all
The nastier the moment
The more he had a ball
1000 miles a minute
And a showman to the core
He'd take a bit of bark off
And keep comin' back for more...

CHORUS
And wasn't he a beauty
Crikey what a gem
A dinkum Aussie treasure
A khaki larrakin
Throwin' it all out there
With his heart upon his sleeve
Goodbye
Crocodile Hunter
Farewell SteveGoodbye
Crocodile Hunter
Farewell Steve
Farewell Steve
×

Bourke To Beaconsfield: Greatest Hits CD and MP3 Album

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