Home Page

The Albums

Lyrics

All songs are copyright and may not be copied or reproduced in any form without the express permission of the copyright owner(s).

Red Dust in the City,  the first Eureka! album was released January '94. The title alludes to the red dirt of Australia's outback, so, for those in other parts of the world, the title suggests a country or earthy influence on a city band.
Click on the underlined titles to see the lyrics.

TRACK LIST

PEEL OF THE ONION (Tune Set)

COUNTRY HOTEL

A HUNDRED YEARS TOO LONG

THE BIG 100

LARRIKINS OF OLD SYDNEY (Tune Set)

THE BARREN PLAINS OF HAY

 MARY CALLED HIM MISTER

MY BROTHER, MY SISTER

WALPOLES (Tune Set)

COUNTRY HOTEL

WORDS AND MUSIC: RALPH GRAHAM.

COUNTRY HOTEL WITH THE LONG VERANDAHS

OLD FASHIONED WELCOME, IT'S AN OPEN DOOR

LONELY ROOMS THEY ARE EMPTY, FORGOTTEN

FARMERS DON'T COME MUCH TO TOWN ANY MORE

NOBODY'S WATCHING THE BLACK AND WHITE TV

TALK TO YOURSELF  IN THE COLD NIGHT AIR

BACK TO THE BAR WHERE THE PUBLICAN'S WAITING

SAYS "WHERE YOU GOIN' MATE" AND BUYS YOU A BEER

COUNTRY HOTEL YOU COULD TELL ME A STORY

SHOUTS OF THE FARM HANDS, THE CARDS AND THE BEER

ECHOES OF LAUGHTER, THE LIES OF THE SHEARER

SHADOWS OF HARD TIMES THEY'RE ALL LIVING HERE

NOBODY CARES THAT THE PAINT WORK IS FADED

MOTEL IS MODERN BUT IT AIN'T QUITE THE SAME

SUN'S GOING DOWN ON A BLOOD RED HORIZON

COUNTRY HOTEL YOU'RE STILL, WAITING FOR RAIN

CH:  THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A COUNTRY HOTEL

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

STAY THE NIGHT AND MAKE THE DAY GO WELL

HOW I LOVE THAT COUNTRY HOTEL

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

WHEN THE MORNING COMES I'LL BE BACK ON THE ROAD

TO ANOTHER COUNTRY HOTEL

IT'S A LONG LONG MAY BUT WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN

I'LL, BE LOOKING FOR A COUNTRY HOTEL

            A HUNDRED YEARS TOO LONG

WORDS AND MUSIC: ANDY GRAY

HEAR THE BEAT OF HEAVY FEET

THE EARLY WORKERS WALK ON BY

ANOTHER "FACES IN THE STREET"

SAME LOOK IN THEIR EYES

CH: A HUNDRED YEARS HAVE COME AND GONE

POETS SING THE SAME OLD SONG

A HUNDRED YEARS TOO LONG

SMELL THE SLIMY SANDSTONE WALLS

DOWN THE DANK AND NARROW ROAD

WHERE NO SUN SHINES AT ALL

AN ENDLESS STREAM OF PEOPLE FLOW

CH: A HUNDRED YEARS HAVE COME AND GONE...(ETC)

THE CURTAIN FALLS ON ANOTHER DAY

LISTEN TO THE SHUFFLE OF THE WALKING SOUND

DOWN THE PATHS AND ALLEY WAYS

AGE TO AGE ROUND AND AROUND

CH: A HUNDRED YEARS HAVE COME AND GONE...

IS OUR LAND STILL YOUNG AND FAIR?

OR ARE WE OLD IN OUR WAYS?

DOES THE PROCESSION REALLY CARE?

PASSING BY DAY AFTER DAY

CH: A HUNDRED YEARS HAVE COME AND GONE...

THE BIG 100

WORDS AND MUSIC: RALPH GRAHAM

1]   SAY GOODBYE TO COMFORT

BLUED ME DOUGH AND I'LL BE GONE AT DAWN

SAY GOODBYE TO RACHEL

SEE HER WHEN THE LAST OF THEM ARE SHORN

NO MORE CONVERSATION

I'M GOING OFF TO WORK AND NOT TO ROAM

THERE'LL BE COMPENSATION

SEE THE MATES AND BRING THE MONEY HOME

2]   DREAM OF OUR SELECTION

THIRTY POUNDS AND WE'LL BE ON OUR FARM

TREES IN ALL DIRECTIONS

ALL OUR OWN, NO ONE CAN DO US HARM

SWEATING FOR ME WAGES

THIRTY BOB AND KEEP IS WHAT WE DRAW

JUST ONE THING THAT BREAKS ME

TO SHEAR A HUNDRED SHEEP AND KEEP THE SCORE

CH:    TRIED TO MAKE A HUNDRED, A HUNDRED TIMES BEFORE

NINETY NINE AIN'T GOOD ENOUGH AND
ME BACK IS BLOODY SORE

WELL I'VE JUST FELL OVER ON ME HEAD IN THAT STINKING SLIPPERY PEN

BUT I'LL BE BACK TOMORROW, I SUPPOSE,
TO TRY AGAIN

3]   STOPPING FOR A SMOKO

THE MEN ARE PLAYING TWO UP IN THE SHED

THINK ABOUT MY RACHEL

DREAM ABOUT THE DAY WHEN WE WAS WED

I WON'T LISTEN TO ME MATES

OR I'D BE CHASING LADIES IN THE TOWN

NOT TOO LONG TO WAIT

FRIDAY NIGHT THE CHEQUES ARE HANDED ROUND

CH:   TRIED TO MAKE A HUNDRED...(ETC)

[SPOKEN]
WELL IT TAKES THREE MONTHS OF BREAKING YOUR BACK

AND THE CHEQUE SEEMS LIKE A FORTUNE

THE DIRTY SHEARERS ARE ALL SPRUCED UP AND STIRRING UP THE TOWN

WE LIVE LIKE KINGS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS

AND SING TO OUR GOOD FORTUNE

THEN I LAY MY HEAD ON RACHEL'S BREAST AND PROMISE I'LL SETTLE DOWN

4]   ALL THOSE GOOD INTENTIONS

ME BACK DOES ACHE AND SO TOO DOES ME HEAD

THAT WHISKY'S SOME INVENTION

THOUGHT I'D WAKE TO FIND THAT I WAS DEAD

NEXT YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT

HEAD FOR HOME DIRECTLY FROM THE SHED

JUST ONE DRINK WITH BILLY

YOU DIDN'T HEAR A WORD THAT I JUST SAID

CH:   TRIED TO MAKE A HUNDRED...

THE BARREN PLAINS OF HAY

WORDS AND MUSIC: ANDY GRAY.

HEAR ABOUT THE INTERNEES

BRITAIN IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR

TWENTY FIVE HUNDRED REFUGEES AND THE

HARDSHIP THEY ENDURED

TRUMPED UP GUARANTEES

BURIED IN A SHIP'S HULL

STRIPPED OF ALL IDENTITY

WHERE THEY WERE GOING THEY WERE NEVER TOLD

SICK FROM THE GRUBS IN THE SOUP

SICK FROM THE ROLLING SWAY

LIEUTENANT O'NEIL WAS SUCH A BRUTE IN HIS

OWN DESPICABLE WAY

HELL ON WATER WITH A HOSTILE CREW

FOR FIFTY SEVEN DAYS

THE POOR LOST SOULS WERE BANISHED TO

THE BARREN PLAINS OF HAY

CH: OPEN UP YOUR HEART

SHARE YOUR OPTIMISTIC JOY

OPEN UP YOUR DOOR

WELCOME IN.. DUNERA BOYS

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

WRAPPED IN BARBED WIRE

HOT DESERT AIR AND COLD DESPAIR

ANOTHER BAPTISM OF FIRE

DAYS PASSED INTO YEARS

MANY WERE ASKING WHY

THE BLINDNESS OF AUTHORITY

HAD LEFT THEM HIGH AND DRY

CH: OPEN UP YOUR HEART...

SOME NATIVE BIRDS FLEW BY

GALAHS PINK AND GREY

IN THE SHIMMERING CRIMSON DESERT SKY

A YOUNG MAN DID SAY

"I'VE SEEN THESE BIRDS BEFORE

BACK IN MY OLD COUNTRY

TRAPPED IN A CAGE NOW I'M IN A CAGE

AND THEY'RE LOOKING DOWN AT ME"

CH: OPEN UP YOUR HEART...

MARY CALLED HIM MISTER

WORDS: HENRY LAWSON
MUSIC: ANDY GRAY

1]   THEY PARTED JUST A YEAR AGO

SHE THOUGHT HE'D NE'ER COME BACK

SHE STAMMERED, BLUSHED, HELD OUT HER HAND

AND CALLED HIM 'MISTER MACK'

HOW COULD HE KNOW THAT ALL THE WHILE

SHE LONGED TO MURMUR JOHN

HE CALLED HER 'MISS LE BROOKE AND ASKED

HOW SHE WAS GETTING ON

2]   THEY PARTED BUT A YEAR BEFORE

THED LOVED EACH OTHER WELL

BUT HE'D BEEN DOWN TO SYDNEY SINCE

AND COME BACK SUCH A SWELL

THEY LONGED TO MEET IN FOND EMBRACE

THEY HUNGERED FOR A KISS

BUT MARY CALLED HIM MISTER

AND THE IDIOT CALLED HIM MISS

MARY CALLED HIM MISTER..

3]   HE PAUSED AND LEANED AGAINST THE DOOR

A STUPID CHAP WAS HE

AND WHEN SHE ASKED IF HE'D COME IN

AND HAVE A CUP OF TEA

HE LOOKED TO LEFT, HE LOOKED TO RIGHT

AND THEN HE GLANCED BEHIND

AND SLOWLY DOFFED HIS 'CABBAGE TREE'

AND SAID HE DIDN'T MIND

4]   SHE MADE A SHY APOLOGY

BECAUSE THE MEAT WAS TOUGH

AND ASKED IF HE WAS QUITE, QUITE SURE

THE TEA WAS SWEET ENOUGH

HE STIRRED HIS TEA AND SIPPED IT TWICE

AND THEN SAID "PLENTY, QUITE"

AND CUT HIMSELF' A SLICE OF BEEF

AND SAID THAT IT WAS RIGHT

MARY CALLED HIM MISTER..

SHE GLANCED AT HIM AT TIMES

AND COUGHED AN AWKWARD LITTLE COUGH

HE STARED AT ANYTHING BUT HER

AND SAID "I MUST BE OFF"

THAT EVENING HE WENT RIDING NORTH

A SAD AND LONELY RIDE

SHE LOCKED HERSELF INSIDE HER ROOM

AND SAT HER DOWN AND CRIED

THEY PARTED BUT A YEAR BEFORE

THEY LOVED EACH OTHER WELL

BUT SHE WAS SUCH A COUNTRY GIRL

AND HE'D GROWN SUCH A SWELL

THEY LONGED TO MEET IN FOND EMBRACE

THEY HUNGERED FOR A KISS

BUT MARY CALLED HIM MISTER

AND THE IDIOT CALLED HER MISS

MARY CALLED HIM MISTER...

MY BROTHER, MY SISTER

WORDS: JACK DAVIS                                                            MUSIC: ANDY GRAY

THERE'S A GLEAM ON' THE MOON ON THE MAN ON THE RIM ROCK

ARM LIFTED HIGH FLASHES DOWN IN AN ARC

THE KANGAROO SPINS LEANING AND TUMBLING

AND FALLS TO THE GROUND WITH A SPEAR THROUGH THE HEART

WHEN THEY HUNT IN THE SWAMP IT'S A PICANINN MORNING

THEN THE WATER HEN RIPPLES AWAY FROM HER NEST

OH, THIS HARVEST OF FOOD IS SURELY GOD-GIVEN

FOR LIFE HAS A PURPOSE AND LOVE'S AT IT'S BEST

THE SHEEP AND THE CATTLE CAME OVER THE RANGES

THEY FLATTENED THE GRASSES AND MUDDIED THE WATERS

THE URON AND CARDA CRAWLED INTO THE BOULDERS

BIGORDA IS HIDING BEHIND THE FULL MOON

COME BROTHER, COME INTO THE TOWNSHIPS AND CITIES

THERE'S FOOD AND THERE'S DRINK ALL YOURS FOR ASKING

A HOUSE, NEAR CONDEMNED, SOME CLOTHING TO MATCH IT

AND A GUV'MENT MAN WITH HIS TONGUE IN HIS CHEEK

COME MARPOO, BRING JEERI, SHE'S YOUNG AND BECOMING

SHE'S FRIGHTENED, WE KNOW, BUT WE SHOW HER THE WAY

WE SHOW HER THE BRUTE AND THE BEAST THAT IS IN US

THEN TURN HER LOOSE IN THE CITY TO PLAY

OH! MY PEOPLE, YOU ARE THE CHANGELINGS

THE NEON LIGHTS FLICKER 'KIA-ORA SALOON'

THE KANGAROO COMES FROM THE SHOP ON THE CORNER

MY BROTHER, MY SISTER, YOU'RE DYING TOO SOON....
 

It didn't want to be scanned but this is the cassette cover.