As you can guess I am an Aussie, I stand proud & cry every time this immortal song is played & sang. We have come a long way here & you Yanks can do the same, you all know what you have to do to make America great gain. We need you to be strong not just for yourselves but for the whole world, now get it done.
Judith wanted to be remembered for her music.She would have thanked you for your comments.A very humble respectful person who was adored by her fans.RIP Judith.
Their will never be another voice like Judith's.I'm a kiwi and think that song should be Aussies National anthem.Gives me chills every time I hear it !!! RIP Judith ❤❤❤❤
This is what the USA wants for itself, what we could be. What we should be. Keep the flame burning, Aussies, until we in the USA finally grow up. A hopeful American.
Don't put yourself down my American cousin, America is still the hope of the world and the only problem for all sane and fact-based thought is to stop pandering to the Woke which is infecting the whole of Western Civilisation.This morning I saw this interview with an anti-oil protester in Britain who said one of his solutions for stopping climate change is to ban all farming. When the interviewer asked the obvious question of where the food was going to come from if this was to come to pass, the idiot replied ''the supermarket''. Says it all really.
This is a song with very Australian references, so in case it helps to do justice to the beauty of words and music, I've put a brief explanation in brackets after the lyrics: I came from the dream-time, (The Dreamtime is the creation time for indigenous Australians. The Dreaming is the creation of their world and the things that populate it, living and non-living.) From the dusty red-soil plains. (Most of the interior of Australia, 'the Outback', is desert, composed of red soil formed from the weathering of the iron-rich rocks found there. Only the fringe of Australia is cities and green, which is why 85% of Australians live near the coast.) I am the ancient heart, the keeper of the flame. (The keeper of the Aboriginal stories and traditions, passed along orally and also in dance around the flame of the corroboree [ceremony].) I stood upon the rocky shores, I watched the tall ships come. (The rocky landforms of Botany Bay in New South Wales, close to the landing spot of the incoming First Fleet vessels bringing the first British colonisers.) For forty thousand years I've been the first Australian. (It is now known to be closer to 65,000 years that indigenous Australians have been here.) I came upon the prison ship, bowed down by iron chains, (The First Fleet of British ships brought English and Irish convicts, many just sentenced because of theft of items such as a loaf of bread to feed starving families, or Irish Catholics for practising their religion when this was outlawed by Protestant England. The Puritans who went to North America suffered the same persecution.) I cleared the land, endured the lash, (The convicts were set to work to clear land for farming, build roads, bridges, dwellings, etc and were whipped to keep them working, or for infringements, sometimes with a cruel weapon called a cat o' nine tails".) And waited for the rains. (There were long periods of dry, often drought, and intense heat, with the heavy rainfall -“the rains” providing welcome relief.) I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run, (Settler was the name for free people who settled in Australia; a run is a cattle or sheep farm.) A convict, then a free man, I became Australian. (Because convict sentences were seven or more years long, and return to England was often impossibly expensive, most convicts stayed once they had served their sentences. They were then released from bondage and became free men and women.) I'm the daughter of a digger, Who sought the mother lode. (A digger [later the name for Aussie soldiers] at that time was a prospector in the gold rush that began in 1852 in the goldfields of Bathurst, New South Wales, and Ballarat and Bendigo in Victoria. The mother lode was the deep vein of gold ore from which washed the small specks and nuggets that prospectors found in streams. The dream was to find that incredibly rich vein of gold.) The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road. (Families walked very long distances and in very harsh conditions to reach the goldfields-hence girls becoming women.) I'm a child of the Depression, (The Great Depression of 1930s followed the Wall Street Crash in the USA, and saw many families around the world lose all their savings, job retrenchments followed as businesses collapsed, many families were reduced to destitution.) I saw the good times come, (The 1940s started off with an economic resurgence, and this continued post-WW2, especially with the cessation of war in 1945.) I'm a bushie, (An Aussie who lives in the 'bush', the region between the cities and the Outback.) I'm a battler, (What Aussies call ordinary people, ones who just get by making a living and a life.) I am Australian. We are one, but we are many, And from all the lands on earth we come. We'll share a dream and sing with one voice, "I am, you are, we are Australian" (Australia is an incredibly multicultural nation. Since the First Fleet dropped anchor in 1788, close to ten million settlers have moved from across the world to start a new life in Australia, eight million of them since the end of the Second World War. The early years were convicts, free settlers, Irish and Germans escaping religious persecution and Irish also the Potato Famine, Chinese with the gold rushes, South Sea islanders working the sugar plantations, post-WW2 migration from Britain, Italy, Syria, Lebanon, etc, and Vietnames after the Vietnam war, then more recently refugees from conflict in areas such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan.) I'm a teller of stories, I'm a singer of songs, I am Albert Namatjira I paint the ghostly gums. (Albert Namitjira [1902-1959] was a famous Aboriginal artist who painted in non-traditional Aboriginal style. His paintings of Australian Ghost Gums, - a smooth, white-barked eucalyptus tree - became famous and commanded huge prices.) I'm Clancy on his horse, ('Clancy of the Overflow', a famous poem of an Australian drover - stockman “cowboy” - by A. B "Banjo" Paterson.) I'm Ned Kelly on the run, (Ned Kelly was an infamous Australian bushranger [Australian name for an outlaw] who led a gang - the Kelly Gang. He wore distinctive rough armor with a conical helmet. He was caught and executed at 25 years of age.) I'm the one who waltzed Matilda, ('Matilda', from the Australian poem also by Banjo Paterson that later was set to music to become the famous song 'Waltzing Matilda', is the swag; the gear of the drover/bushie was placed on a cloth and the corners lifted and tied together in a knot. A stick was then pushed through under the knot and the 'swag' was carried across the bushie's shoulder, which made it swing - or 'waltz' on the bushman’s back as he walked.) I am Australian. I'm the hot wind from the desert, I'm the black soil of the plains, I'm the mountains and the valleys, I'm the drought and flooding rains. (Australia is the driest continent on Earth, other than the poles. The edges of the Eastern coast are bordered by a mountain range, so rain falls on the mountains and coastal regions and usually do not reach inland from the east. From the west, the winds crossing into Western Australia come from across the polar ocean currents, which are too cold for to evaporate moisture and form rain clouds.) I am the rock, (Uluru is the famous huge red monolith in central Australia, called Ayer’s Rock in 1873 by explorer William Gosse, first non-Aboriginal person to see it., and named after Sir Henry Ayers, then Chief Secretary of South Australia. It has since passed back to the First Nations people of that area, and its name restored to Uluru.] ) I am the sky (The southern sky has quite different star patterns to the northern hemisphere, one being th Southern Cross seen on both Australian and New Zealand flags.), The rivers when they run, (River beds are often dry because of Australia’s low rainfall, the rivers in the centre of Australia only run after the rains.) The spirit of this great land, I am Australian. We are one, but we are many, And from all the lands on earth we come. We share a dream and sing with one voice, "I am, you are, we are Australian." (The dream is one of inclusion and equality for people from all lands. We are not there yet, but we are actively working towards it.)
You did a great job on this, Bellas 1717. It needs a few 'tweeks' but you certainly covered most of it correctly .It will certainly provide more understanding of Australia by people from overseas.
Judith's voice was unique, there was nothing generic about her singing, she is one of a kind, I remember someone saying that about Jascha Heifetz, people like this habit this world once. Funnily enough, I love the very last live version that this wonderful group did.
Probably never be fully accurate. Was probably people here before them and people before them as well. Australia has less over all migration compared to other regions for obvious reasons but theres nowhere other than the frozen ends that hasnt been kmhabited by dozens of groups who no longer exist.
Wow I was tearing up. I am a proud Australian my mother’s family came here from Ireland in 1854 and dads were came from England on the 1920s. My husband originated as convicts in the 1850s from England and the free settlers in the 1860s. We are lucky enough to have produced many great singers and bands here and a lot of them were born in UK and came here as children. This is what makes Australia so great. So proud of my heritage
How cool. My family goes back to New Orleans in the 1700's and my wife's in New Mexico and the 1700's. In both cases long before they were U.S. territory.
My mothers side of the family came on the first fleet and I’m only young and I love learning about all the history of how my family both my mum and dads side came here. I am so proud to be Australian 🇦🇺 ❤
From Australia , Yes I would suggest most Aussies would love this as there national anthem as most would sing this at an event of some kind and know the words where the current national anthem most people can barely get through the first verse , love this song and the Seekers , Peace from down under.
Not sure it was ever "in date", it was the best of a poor selection when they held the plebiscite in the 1970s to replace God Save the Queen: Advance Australia Fair (written by a Scot, one of the few places the word 'girt' would be heard in the world!), Waltzing Matilda (representative of Aussie style, but inappropriate lyrics and too long), and The Song of Australia (also written by a Scot, more British than Australian and requiring extensive explanation before children could understand it.) Verse 1- "There is a land where summer skies Are gleaming with a thousand eyes, Blending in witching harmonies; And grassy knoll and forest height, Are flushing in the rosy light, And all above is azure bright - Australia!"
And, of course, they only ever admit to 2 verses of Advance... They conveniently forget the 3 verses that talk of Erin, Scotia, Avalon & that brave Brit, Commander James Cook & how WE will always stand with England even though we're half a world away.
The time has come. Consign Advance Australia Fair to the waste bin of history. No reference to 60,000 of living in Australia by First Nations people. Written by members of the two most iconic folk bands in Australia (Bruce from Seekers and Dobe from Bushwackers). We have moved past that cloying colonial past. "I am Australian" is sung by all of us, First Nations People in Alice Springs desrt environment and city dwellers from the green fringe on the edges. It MUST become the National Anthem.
Glad you liked it - the message is what Australia has done so well and I hope continues to do which is to be a home to all who arrive on our shores never forgetting our wonderful inheritance of Aboriginal Australia. It's been a torrid past at times but hopefully a future where we are truly multicultural under one banner - Australia 🦘🌏
An American here who teared up listening to this moving song of struggle, of hope and the yearning for freedom. Especially during this time we are living through as our freedoms are eroding beneath our feet so rapidly here in the States.
RIP Judith, So happy you got to see the Young People around the world discover your Music before you left us, Seekers will live on for many generations to come.🐨🐨🦘🦘❣❣
It's a powerful and tear-jerking song. Just about everyone is stirred to tears when first hearing it. The song was written by Bruce Woodley of The Seekers and Dobe Newton of The Bushwackers. Bruce said, "It was like someone was guiding the hand of the pen," when he was writing it. Two complaints about the video are that quite a number of the accompanying photographs were very Sydney-centric, especially as the band were from Melbourne. Also, as the song expresses our diverse society, there were no photos representing the many ethnicities "from all the lands we come." Thanks for your lovely reaction to this song in memory of the gifted Judith Durham.
Thank you for your sincere & wonderful reaction and tribute to The Seekers, and to Judith Durham who we will remember for the joy she brought to us all. May she rest in peace.
Omg mate, as a 58 yr old Australian Aboriginal i loved seeing this version with all my people in it, the seekers were part of the reason racism calmed down and this song was why
I've had to listen to this song over and over and it still thrills me. This is another version that brings a little something extra. ua-cam.com/video/P4uXzHHsaC0/v-deo.html
Like your reference, Ned Kelly was our most notorious bushranger - (outlaw) it’s now a point of pride if you can find a family link back to him or his gang. Thanks for remembering Judith. We also love This Land… learned it as a kid.
Check out a song I had posted a few months back, "Pretty Boy Floyd" by The Byrds. It was written by fellow Oklahoman Woody Guthrie. Every word of it is true. ua-cam.com/video/5BuDR-fpZYs/v-deo.html
No matter where you're from or what you look like We're all Australian. So long as you conform to our standards of behaviour, you're in. Even if you don't live here if you're a Modest, Down To Earth, Warm, Open, Friendly Person who'll say "Hello!" or stop to talk with anyone we'll Adopt you as an Honorary Aussie. We don't Label People based on their heritage here unlike African American for example. Offensive behaviour and/or Bigotry simply isn't tolerated in Australia. If we See or Hear someone behaving like that they'll receive a Dirty Look that Could Kill or a Stern Talking To.
It's wonderful to see an American as distinct from a Yank who has a wonderfully open & educated view on this song.Linking the similarities of our nations during its early years is something to behold.Sir,that is truly wonderful.That's how the world should be.......looking for similarities & common ground which,I think this song illustrates. Strength to you.
We are one, but we are many ... and from all the lands on Earth we come... We'll share a dream..... AND SING with one voice......... I am... you are... *we are Australian* ... RIP Judith Durham
I'm any nationalities and I don't believe what the liberals say, how could I bee prejudice we are all 1 blood from the beginning, I love my fellow man. It's choose they are promoting and paying the atifa or (brown coats) to portraits kind of peaceful demonstrations. It's cal socialist.
I subscribed because you DID NOT interrupt the song “ I am Australian” as you reviewed. I cry every time I hear it. And I cannot believe others think they are reviewing when they stop the emotion and flow of the song to comment. Thank you for honoring what I believe is the best “anthem” Australians could ever dream of. Other reviewers thought their “disconnected” comments (cause that is what they did thinking a listener cared more about their comments than forming their own opinion of the experience) was warranted. It’s bad enough (I am a writer) to watch writers have to write to commercial breaks…story telling, movies are so broken. Thank you for shedding the tears for such an emotional song and allowing others, me too, to experience the soul of this song.
Thank you so much. I used to make a brief pause in my videos 'cause I thought I had to. It just drove me crazy. Someone suggested I don't have to do that as long as I don't have many subscribers and I link to the original song. That works for me. I have no aspirations to get thousands of subscribers. I'm non-monetized, I don't have swag for sale or a P.O. box for people to send me stuff. I just want to play good music and have fun. Besides, this way I can do what the hell I want. I am super casual and you might hear my dog barking or my wife's K-dramas in the background. That was one of the most moving songs I've ever heard and talking during the performance would be disrespectful. My thinking in general is people don't want to listen to me gab, they want to listen to the music. Again, thanks for watching and I hope I play music you enjoy.
Sadly ''artistic people'' seem to forget commercial interests make it possible to survive and continue to do what they do. Stop complaining about the hand that feeds you which just sounds like ingratitude.
Thanks for coming over to my weird little channel. I was blown away by the song and I'm so glad I played it. I don't have any fancy backgrounds or spiffy graphics, I just do this in my kitchen and it's all very casual. You may even hear my dog bark or my wife watching K dramas in the other room. It's all about playing great music that you won't find anywhere else.
Wow, thank you so much. It's been absolutely overwhelming that people from all over the world have tuned in to my little channel. It's a real tribute to Judith Durham and The Seekers and how much this song means to so many people. This is so cool! I don't think anybody from Hong Kong has ever seen my videos and it's kind of an honor. Thanks again and I wish you well.
I love your reaction, and so glad to see this moved you as it still does for so many of us. The song is absolutely perfect, encompassing our great Australian identity. Thank you! :)
I get goosebumps every time I hear this song. I am glad you showed this video for those who may not understand what the lyrics are referring to to. Thank You from OZ and I have just subscribed. I haven’t checked but have you played I was only 19 by Redgum, very emotional song about Vietnam and what our soldiers endured and it would be the same for all Vets no matter what country they are from.
Yes, it's a very intense song. After I played this and a few other songs, I've gone off on this Australian exploration of 40 years of music I've never heard before. I'm having a great time.
Hi There! "The Seekers", comprised of Keith Podger on 12 string Guitar, Bruce Woodley on Guitar, who co-wrote I AM AUSTRALIAN with his friend Dobe Newton of The Bushwackers in 1987. Their lead singer was Judith Durham who sadly 'passed' on August 5th 2022, and Athol Guy on the Double Bass. Like you, I find it very emotional and moving and I am English! Thank You for your 'review' of this great AUSTRALIAN classic.
I think the farewell performance was even better ,the older they had gotten the richer their voices became although the photos did help to explain the story .R.I.P Judith
In 1966 I believe the Seekers rendition of Georgy Girl and it's success in the UK made them the first Australian group to be an international success outside of Australia. Georgy Girl was nominated for an Acadamy Award. Many of their other songs were also successful.
Thank you so much. Judith was the most beautiful woman with a voice of an angel. This song means so much to us here in Australia and we now mourn Judiths passing. I would love This song as our Anthem or reworked set of lyrics set to the tune of Waltzing Matilda. Our Anthem never seems to evoke emotions as much say as the French or even German anthems . I like your Anthem but the Battle Hymn of the Republic is hard to beat !
I love "Waltzing Matilda" and I think The Seekers did sing it but I couldn't find a live version and as soon as I saw this I knew I had to play it. I can't stand our national anthem. You have to be a pretty good vocalist to even sing the damn thing. I would like to have an anthem that wasn't all about war but rather the beauty of our country. BUT.....some of the lyrics a kinda' radical. I've got the original recording on the channel somewhere. I can't keep track of all my videos 'cause I do five a day. Woody Guthrie was a great and prolific songwriter and was a good Oklahoma boy like I am. Thanks a lot for checking out my weird little channel.
This is a beautiful version, but I think the Seekers final show, when they sang this song, was the best ever, so much emotion. This song always makes me so proud to be Australian. RIP our beautiful Judith.
Your history report cracked me ! Thankyou' and I thought we were the ones with the convict past.!! And yes This Land would be perfect for America.Happy New Year🇦🇺🇺🇸♥️
Don't be embarrassed about your tears, mate. I tear up on the Ellis Ireland Song as well as Orphan girl., we have relos in Boston. Head hold up high, mate. We all came from the same places, ended up together. US/CanadaAus/NZ. Amen
Elton Jon said the best female singers ever were Judith Durham, Eva Cassidy and Karen Carpenter, sadly all of them are gone but their voices live on through us, so thanks for bringing Judith to the world, not as many know how amazing she was.
Wow, great song of pride and some history! I agree This Land would be a much better Anthem for us, but that’ll never happen. Have you seen/ heard Pete Seegers version? It’s from Obamas inauguration. ☮️💜
I am partial to "America the Beautiful" but would be happy with anything other than a song glorifying war set to the tune of an old British drinking song. "My Country Tis of Thee" is out too because the tune is the same as "God Save the Queen/King"
Might be difficult for many outside of Australia to understand all the references made in this song. But the basic gist is fairly obvious. From the indigenous people, to the settlers, the diggers (Anzac infantry), the poets and artists (Albert Namatjira, Banjo Patterson), and the bushranger Ned Kelly, all are Australian and all have made Australia what it is. We had to learn this song in primary school. We thought it was a bit silly and would deliberately sing different words “I am Mongolian” “ I am Ethiopian” etc😂. But now it’s 2022…. I live in the US. There is a massive neo-fascist, ultra nationalist, white supremacist movement that has become mainstream. 😢. People are killed because of their skin colour. People are labeled as aliens because of their ethnicity. And politicians and news media are fanning the flames. Never realized how lucky I was to grow up in a place where cultural and ethnic diversity was celebrated by most, where the indigenous people and their culture was revered, and where the story of their mistreatment at the hands of the colonists was discussed in our schools. Now in the US, many are choosing to live in a paradigm that bears little to no semblance to the reality that we all share. It is quite incredible. And incredibly terrifying.
Even though this song speaks the heart of most Australians it is too long to be our National Anthem. At international events eg Olympic Games or even some national events it would be cut down. What would you cut out? I think the song is too important to be cut.
An orchestral version for the types of events you're suggesting would probably just play 1 verse & chorus (no words, so it wouldn't matter which verse)
If you want this song as our national anthem, it should only include the last stanza and the chorus. The rest of the stanzas are basically an historical monologue which would be unsuitable for a national anthem, considering the time restraints for these things.
Love this song though my favourite version is definitely from their Farewell Tour with the beautiful didgeridoo introduction: ua-cam.com/video/KrLTe1_9zso/v-deo.html
That's so funny. Here in Oklahoma a Boomer is someone that was in the Land Run. When Oklahoma was still Indian territory , in 1889, the government opened up huge tracts of land for white settlement. They gave the land away by setting up a race. At 12:00 Noon, they fired off a gun (hence boomer) and people raced on horses, wagons or even on foot to stake a claim. The Sooners were people that sneaked in and claimed land on the sly.
RIP - Judith Durham How refreshing for this American expat in Japan to hear an anthem that doesn't have lyrics about bombs and rockets, just commonality, diversity, and acceptance.
As you can guess I am an Aussie, I stand proud & cry every time this immortal song is played & sang. We have come a long way here & you Yanks can do the same, you all know what you have to do to make America great gain. We need you to be strong not just for yourselves but for the whole world, now get it done.
Judith wanted to be remembered for her music.She would have thanked you for your comments.A very humble respectful person who was adored by her fans.RIP Judith.
And still is adored by her fans. RIP Judith.
Their will never be another voice like Judith's.I'm a kiwi and think that song should be Aussies National anthem.Gives me chills every time I hear it !!! RIP Judith ❤❤❤❤
This is what the USA wants for itself, what we could be. What we should be. Keep the flame burning, Aussies, until we in the USA finally grow up. A hopeful American.
Don't put yourself down my American cousin, America is still the hope of the world and the only problem for all sane and fact-based thought is to stop pandering to the Woke which is infecting the whole of Western Civilisation.This morning I saw this interview with an anti-oil protester in Britain who said one of his solutions for stopping climate change is to ban all farming. When the interviewer asked the obvious question of where the food was going to come from if this was to come to pass, the idiot replied ''the supermarket''. Says it all really.
Don't let self-serving politicians tear you apart. We love our American cousins and hope they become united once more, a true United States.
We lost the lead singer Judith,in February 2022,she had the voice of an angel.,this group will never be forgotten!!
This is a song with very Australian references, so in case it helps to do justice to the beauty of words and music, I've put a brief explanation in brackets after the lyrics:
I came from the dream-time, (The Dreamtime is the creation time for indigenous Australians. The Dreaming is the creation of their world and the things that populate it, living and non-living.)
From the dusty red-soil plains. (Most of the interior of Australia, 'the Outback', is desert, composed of red soil formed from the weathering of the iron-rich rocks found there. Only the fringe of Australia is cities and green, which is why 85% of Australians live near the coast.)
I am the ancient heart, the keeper of the flame. (The keeper of the Aboriginal stories and traditions, passed along orally and also in dance around the flame of the corroboree [ceremony].)
I stood upon the rocky shores,
I watched the tall ships come.
(The rocky landforms of Botany Bay in New South Wales, close to the landing spot of the incoming First Fleet vessels bringing the first British colonisers.)
For forty thousand years I've been the first Australian. (It is now known to be closer to 65,000 years that indigenous Australians have been here.)
I came upon the prison ship, bowed down by iron chains,
(The First Fleet of British ships brought English and Irish convicts, many just sentenced because of theft of items such as a loaf of bread to feed starving families, or Irish Catholics for practising their religion when this was outlawed by Protestant England. The Puritans who went to North America suffered the same persecution.)
I cleared the land, endured the lash, (The convicts were set to work to clear land for farming, build roads, bridges, dwellings, etc and were whipped to keep them working, or for infringements, sometimes with a cruel weapon called a cat o' nine tails".)
And waited for the rains. (There were long periods of dry, often drought, and intense heat, with the heavy rainfall -“the rains” providing welcome relief.)
I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run, (Settler was the name for free people who settled in Australia; a run is a cattle or sheep farm.)
A convict, then a free man,
I became Australian. (Because convict sentences were seven or more years long, and return to England was often impossibly expensive, most convicts stayed once they had served their sentences. They were then released from bondage and became free men and women.)
I'm the daughter of a digger,
Who sought the mother lode. (A digger [later the name for Aussie soldiers] at that time was a prospector in the gold rush that began in 1852 in the goldfields of Bathurst, New South Wales, and Ballarat and Bendigo in Victoria. The mother lode was the deep vein of gold ore from which washed the small specks and nuggets that prospectors found in streams. The dream was to find that incredibly rich vein of gold.)
The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road. (Families walked very long distances and in very harsh conditions to reach the goldfields-hence girls becoming women.)
I'm a child of the Depression, (The Great Depression of 1930s followed the Wall Street Crash in the USA, and saw many families around the world lose all their savings, job retrenchments followed as businesses collapsed, many families were reduced to destitution.)
I saw the good times come, (The 1940s started off with an economic resurgence, and this continued post-WW2, especially with the cessation of war in 1945.)
I'm a bushie, (An Aussie who lives in the 'bush', the region between the cities and the Outback.)
I'm a battler, (What Aussies call ordinary people, ones who just get by making a living and a life.)
I am Australian.
We are one, but we are many,
And from all the lands on earth we come.
We'll share a dream and sing with one voice,
"I am, you are, we are Australian"
(Australia is an incredibly multicultural nation. Since the First Fleet dropped anchor in 1788, close to ten million settlers have moved from across the world to start a new life in Australia, eight million of them since the end of the Second World War. The early years were convicts, free settlers, Irish and Germans escaping religious persecution and Irish also the Potato Famine, Chinese with the gold rushes, South Sea islanders working the sugar plantations, post-WW2 migration from Britain, Italy, Syria, Lebanon, etc, and Vietnames after the Vietnam war, then more recently refugees from conflict in areas such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan.)
I'm a teller of stories, I'm a singer of songs,
I am Albert Namatjira
I paint the ghostly gums. (Albert Namitjira [1902-1959] was a famous Aboriginal artist who painted in non-traditional Aboriginal style. His paintings of Australian Ghost Gums, - a smooth, white-barked eucalyptus tree - became famous and commanded huge prices.)
I'm Clancy on his horse, ('Clancy of the Overflow', a famous poem of an Australian drover - stockman “cowboy” - by A. B "Banjo" Paterson.)
I'm Ned Kelly on the run, (Ned Kelly was an infamous Australian bushranger [Australian name for an outlaw] who led a gang - the Kelly Gang. He wore distinctive rough armor with a conical helmet. He was caught and executed at 25 years of age.)
I'm the one who waltzed Matilda, ('Matilda', from the Australian poem also by Banjo Paterson that later was set to music to become the famous song 'Waltzing Matilda', is the swag; the gear of the drover/bushie was placed on a cloth and the corners lifted and tied together in a knot. A stick was then pushed through under the knot and the 'swag' was carried across the bushie's shoulder, which made it swing - or 'waltz' on the bushman’s back as he walked.)
I am Australian.
I'm the hot wind from the desert,
I'm the black soil of the plains,
I'm the mountains and the valleys,
I'm the drought and flooding rains. (Australia is the driest continent on Earth, other than the poles. The edges of the Eastern coast are bordered by a mountain range, so rain falls on the mountains and coastal regions and usually do not reach inland from the east. From the west, the winds crossing into Western Australia come from across the polar ocean currents, which are too cold for to evaporate moisture and form rain clouds.)
I am the rock, (Uluru is the famous huge red monolith in central Australia, called Ayer’s Rock in 1873 by explorer William Gosse, first non-Aboriginal person to see it., and named after Sir Henry Ayers, then Chief Secretary of South Australia. It has since passed back to the First Nations people of that area, and its name restored to Uluru.] )
I am the sky (The southern sky has quite different star patterns to the northern hemisphere, one being th Southern Cross seen on both Australian and New Zealand flags.),
The rivers when they run, (River beds are often dry because of Australia’s low rainfall, the rivers in the centre of Australia only run after the rains.)
The spirit of this great land,
I am Australian.
We are one, but we are many,
And from all the lands on earth we come.
We share a dream and sing with one voice,
"I am, you are, we are Australian."
(The dream is one of inclusion and equality for people from all lands. We are not there yet, but we are actively working towards it.)
what a great tranlastion of a great song well done bellas 1717
This made me smile. No better way to explain it and our Aussie story better. Thank you.
You did a great job on this, Bellas 1717. It needs a few 'tweeks' but you certainly covered most of it correctly .It will certainly provide more understanding of Australia by people from overseas.
Thank you so much for your wonderful explanation of the song. I love history and geography and never would have gotten all the refences and idioms.
@@barnowl5774 as in tweaks?
Judith's voice was unique, there was nothing generic about her singing, she is one of a kind, I remember someone saying that about Jascha Heifetz, people like this habit this world once. Funnily enough, I love the very last live version that this wonderful group did.
Rip Judith. This is us. Lyrics have been officially been updated to 60 000 years of the original inhabitants, the first ppls. 🇦🇺
I think that will need to be a rolling change. Latest findings are now at 65,000 years. Who knows what they will find next?
Seems like I remember them finding some of the oldest fossilized human footprints in NSW.
The national song is "The Carnaval
Carnival is over" my question is why?
@@madalynbelzowski6884 Don't know any country where The Carnival Is Over is a national song.
Probably never be fully accurate. Was probably people here before them and people before them as well. Australia has less over all migration compared to other regions for obvious reasons but theres nowhere other than the frozen ends that hasnt been kmhabited by dozens of groups who no longer exist.
Wow I was tearing up. I am a proud Australian my mother’s family came here from Ireland in 1854 and dads were came from England on the 1920s. My husband originated as convicts in the 1850s from England and the free settlers in the 1860s. We are lucky enough to have produced many great singers and bands here and a lot of them were born in UK and came here as children. This is what makes Australia so great. So proud of my heritage
How cool. My family goes back to New Orleans in the 1700's and my wife's in New Mexico and the 1700's. In both cases long before they were U.S. territory.
My mothers side of the family came on the first fleet and I’m only young and I love learning about all the history of how my family both my mum and dads side came here. I am so proud to be Australian 🇦🇺 ❤
He wrote this song while having a shower, and he wrote it alone, during an interview he mentioned that how he did most of his best work 😁
I've heard this song over and over for many years - and I still get very emotional. Yes it should our national anthem. RIP Judith
From Australia , Yes I would suggest most Aussies would love this as there national anthem as most would sing this at an event of some kind and know the words where the current national anthem most people can barely get through the first verse , love this song and the Seekers , Peace from down under.
A huge fan of Oklahoma. Visited there for two weeks back in 2010. Very genuine, down to Earth and good people.
RIP Judith. We Sing with 1 voice! You will be missed.
This song means more to us Aussies than our outdated official national anthem 'Advance Australia Fair'.
Not sure it was ever "in date", it was the best of a poor selection when they held the plebiscite in the 1970s to replace God Save the Queen: Advance Australia Fair (written by a Scot, one of the few places the word 'girt' would be heard in the world!), Waltzing Matilda (representative of Aussie style, but inappropriate lyrics and too long), and The Song of Australia (also written by a Scot, more British than Australian and requiring extensive explanation before children could understand it.) Verse 1-
"There is a land where summer skies
Are gleaming with a thousand eyes,
Blending in witching harmonies;
And grassy knoll and forest height,
Are flushing in the rosy light,
And all above is azure bright - Australia!"
And, of course, they only ever admit to 2 verses of Advance...
They conveniently forget the 3 verses that talk of Erin, Scotia, Avalon & that brave Brit, Commander James Cook & how WE will always stand with England even though we're half a world away.
@@EarlJohn61 They officially reduced the anthem to two verses some years ago.
The time has come. Consign Advance Australia Fair to the waste bin of history. No reference to 60,000 of living in Australia by First Nations people. Written by members of the two most iconic folk bands in Australia (Bruce from Seekers and Dobe from Bushwackers). We have moved past that cloying colonial past. "I am Australian" is sung by all of us, First Nations People in Alice Springs desrt environment and city dwellers from the green fringe on the edges. It MUST become the National Anthem.
@@kerrinorourke5914 Yes, totally. Someone just needs to adapt it to suit the functions of an anthem.
What a great song. Loved this film clip. Judith Durham was such an amazing singer
RIP💔
Glad you liked it - the message is what Australia has done so well and I hope continues to do which is to be a home to all who arrive on our shores never forgetting our wonderful inheritance of Aboriginal Australia. It's been a torrid past at times but hopefully a future where we are truly multicultural under one banner - Australia 🦘🌏
An American here who teared up listening to this moving song of struggle, of hope and the yearning for freedom. Especially during this time we are living through as our freedoms are eroding beneath our feet so rapidly here in the States.
Thank you for your tribute to Judith--she was and always will always be my most favourite singer ever.
RIP Judith, So happy you got to see the Young People around the world discover your Music before you left us, Seekers will live on for many generations to come.🐨🐨🦘🦘❣❣
It's a powerful and tear-jerking song. Just about everyone is stirred to tears when first hearing it. The song was written by Bruce Woodley of The Seekers and Dobe Newton of The Bushwackers. Bruce said, "It was like someone was guiding the hand of the pen," when he was writing it. Two complaints about the video are that quite a number of the accompanying photographs were very Sydney-centric, especially as the band were from Melbourne. Also, as the song expresses our diverse society, there were no photos representing the many ethnicities "from all the lands we come." Thanks for your lovely reaction to this song in memory of the gifted Judith Durham.
So many of the greatest songs (Bob Dylan etc.) were written in five or ten minutes. Almost like the universe wanted the song out in the world.
I made my own PowerPoint to accompany the song when I taught it to refugees matching the intent and well as the words.
@@Bellas1717 What a good idea!
RIP Judith we have lost a true Australian treasure and yes this should be our anthem
Thanks for watching my little channel. I try to play only the best music.
Thank you for your sincere & wonderful reaction and tribute to The Seekers, and to Judith Durham who we will remember for the joy she brought to us all. May she rest in peace.
Omg mate, as a 58 yr old Australian Aboriginal i loved seeing this version with all my people in it, the seekers were part of the reason racism calmed down and this song was why
I've had to listen to this song over and over and it still thrills me. This is another version that brings a little something extra. ua-cam.com/video/P4uXzHHsaC0/v-deo.html
This incredible voice ...
RIP Judith Durham, she died Friday age 79 from lung disease.
Like your reference, Ned Kelly was our most notorious bushranger - (outlaw) it’s now a point of pride if you can find a family link back to him or his gang.
Thanks for remembering Judith. We also love This Land… learned it as a kid.
Check out a song I had posted a few months back, "Pretty Boy Floyd" by The Byrds. It was written by fellow Oklahoman Woody Guthrie. Every word of it is true. ua-cam.com/video/5BuDR-fpZYs/v-deo.html
No matter where you're from or what you look like We're all Australian. So long as you conform to our standards of behaviour, you're in. Even if you don't live here if you're a Modest, Down To Earth, Warm, Open, Friendly Person who'll say "Hello!" or stop to talk with anyone we'll Adopt you as an Honorary Aussie. We don't Label People based on their heritage here unlike African American for example. Offensive behaviour and/or Bigotry simply isn't tolerated in Australia. If we See or Hear someone behaving like that they'll receive a Dirty Look that Could Kill or a Stern Talking To.
That song gets me teary eyed too. RIP Judith.
It's wonderful to see an American as distinct from a Yank who has a wonderfully open & educated view on this song.Linking the similarities of our nations during its early years is something to behold.Sir,that is truly wonderful.That's how the world should be.......looking for similarities & common ground which,I think this song illustrates. Strength to you.
Thank you, that's very kind.
It is a great song. Its a call to come home if you are out of the country❤
Awesome and beautiful song!! Thanks for sharing.
We are one, but we are many ... and from all the lands on Earth we come...
We'll share a dream..... AND SING with one voice......... I am... you are... *we are Australian* ... RIP Judith Durham
It's such an beautiful sentiment and something we should aspire to in the U.S. These days we seem to be moving backward as fast as we can.
I'm any nationalities and I don't believe what the liberals say, how could I bee prejudice we are all 1 blood from the beginning, I love my fellow man. It's choose they are promoting and paying the atifa or (brown coats) to portraits kind of peaceful demonstrations. It's cal socialist.
RIP Judith Durham
I cried too. This was such a moving song🩷🇦🇺
Thanks mate for your tears, We are Australian and proud 👍
I subscribed because you DID NOT interrupt the song “ I am Australian” as you reviewed. I cry every time I hear it. And I cannot believe others think they are reviewing when they stop the emotion and flow of the song to comment. Thank you for honoring what I believe is the best “anthem” Australians could ever dream of. Other reviewers thought their “disconnected” comments
(cause that is what they did thinking a listener cared more about their comments than forming their own opinion of the experience) was warranted. It’s bad enough (I am a writer) to watch writers have to write to commercial breaks…story telling, movies are so broken. Thank you for shedding the tears for such an emotional song and allowing others, me too, to experience the soul of this song.
Thank you so much. I used to make a brief pause in my videos 'cause I thought I had to. It just drove me crazy. Someone suggested I don't have to do that as long as I don't have many subscribers and I link to the original song. That works for me. I have no aspirations to get thousands of subscribers. I'm non-monetized, I don't have swag for sale or a P.O. box for people to send me stuff. I just want to play good music and have fun. Besides, this way I can do what the hell I want. I am super casual and you might hear my dog barking or my wife's K-dramas in the background. That was one of the most moving songs I've ever heard and talking during the performance would be disrespectful. My thinking in general is people don't want to listen to me gab, they want to listen to the music. Again, thanks for watching and I hope I play music you enjoy.
Sadly ''artistic people'' seem to forget commercial interests make it possible to survive and continue to do what they do. Stop complaining about the hand that feeds you which just sounds like ingratitude.
🇦🇺 beautiful I have not seen this particular video before but love this song
For me, the video was profound. Someone was nice enough to explain all the references.
Beautiful song great reaction makes Me proud to be Australian cheers Michael Australia.
Thanks for coming over to my weird little channel. I was blown away by the song and I'm so glad I played it. I don't have any fancy backgrounds or spiffy graphics, I just do this in my kitchen and it's all very casual. You may even hear my dog bark or my wife watching K dramas in the other room. It's all about playing great music that you won't find anywhere else.
Mate just keep up the good work, it is unreal how a good Song can turn anyone to Water cheers Mick
THE SEEKERS💖👫👬🌟🤩✨
Great!🎼🎵🎹🎸🎻🎤📀👍💯
From Hong Kong🙋♀️🌏💝🌺🥰
Wow, thank you so much. It's been absolutely overwhelming that people from all over the world have tuned in to my little channel. It's a real tribute to Judith Durham and The Seekers and how much this song means to so many people. This is so cool! I don't think anybody from Hong Kong has ever seen my videos and it's kind of an honor. Thanks again and I wish you well.
Hi! 🙂
Me too. 😉
@@deepcutsreactions7774
Hello!🙋♀️🌏💝🌺🥰🤝🤝🤝
@@terrypfahlert2177 🙋♀️🌏💝🤝
I love your reaction, and so glad to see this moved you as it still does for so many of us. The song is absolutely perfect, encompassing our great Australian identity. Thank you! :)
I'm so glad I got the chance to hear it.
Thanks mate. Iv'e watched a lot of the vids by The Seekers. This one, never seen before. Thanks mate.
I get goosebumps every time I hear this song. I am glad you showed this video for those who may not understand what the lyrics are referring to to. Thank You from OZ and I have just subscribed. I haven’t checked but have you played I was only 19 by Redgum, very emotional song about Vietnam and what our soldiers endured and it would be the same for all Vets no matter what country they are from.
Yes, it's a very intense song. After I played this and a few other songs, I've gone off on this Australian exploration of 40 years of music I've never heard before. I'm having a great time.
This was a beautiful reaction I hadn’t seen this clip before so good!
RIP Judith ❤
Their live version..the farewell concert..is fantastic.
Hi There! "The Seekers", comprised of Keith Podger on 12 string Guitar, Bruce Woodley on Guitar, who co-wrote I AM AUSTRALIAN with his friend Dobe Newton of The Bushwackers in 1987. Their lead singer was Judith Durham who sadly 'passed' on August 5th 2022, and Athol Guy on the Double Bass. Like you, I find it very emotional and moving and I am English! Thank You for your 'review' of this great AUSTRALIAN classic.
Hi from Sydney AUS, mate. Enjoyed your heartfelt reaction to this beautiful song. Look forward to seeing you again. Cheers, Matt
Thank you for your reactions to this iconic song from Down Under 🙏
Thankyou….Great video…Cheers to Oaklahoma💖🦘🦘🇦🇺
The images in the video are perfect. Never seen his version before. Outstanding.
Rip Judith 🥰🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
The national song is something like The end of the fair. Play that song and Waltzing Matilda for us too.
I did play "Waltzing Matilda" today and kinda' got overwhelmed.
The Carnival Is Over
I think the farewell performance was even better ,the older they had gotten the richer their voices became although the photos did help to explain the story .R.I.P Judith
In 1966 I believe the Seekers rendition of Georgy Girl and it's success in the UK made them the first Australian group to be an international success outside of Australia. Georgy Girl was nominated for an Acadamy Award. Many of their other songs were also successful.
Love it
This Land is your Land was covered by The Seekers. Check it out! Great reaction btw!
I didn't know they had covered it. Everybody's done it's kind of aa standard . I'll have to check out their version.
Thank you so much. Judith was the most beautiful woman with a voice of an angel. This song means so much to us here in Australia and we now mourn Judiths passing. I would love This song as our Anthem or reworked set of lyrics set to the tune of Waltzing Matilda. Our Anthem never seems to evoke emotions as much say as the French or even German anthems . I like your Anthem but the Battle Hymn of the Republic is hard to beat !
I love "Waltzing Matilda" and I think The Seekers did sing it but I couldn't find a live version and as soon as I saw this I knew I had to play it. I can't stand our national anthem. You have to be a pretty good vocalist to even sing the damn thing. I would like to have an anthem that wasn't all about war but rather the beauty of our country. BUT.....some of the lyrics a kinda' radical. I've got the original recording on the channel somewhere. I can't keep track of all my videos 'cause I do five a day. Woody Guthrie was a great and prolific songwriter and was a good Oklahoma boy like I am. Thanks a lot for checking out my weird little channel.
@@deepcutsreactions7774
This is a bit dated but I still absolutely love it. ua-cam.com/video/qb67Y638rHI/v-deo.html
This is a beautiful version, but I think the Seekers final show, when they sang this song, was the best ever, so much emotion. This song always makes me so proud to be Australian. RIP our beautiful Judith.
Judith was the voice of the Seekers. Such a strong and powerful voice. She is greatly missed. She was singing until 2021.
Your history report cracked me ! Thankyou' and I thought we were the ones with the convict past.!! And yes This Land would be perfect for America.Happy New Year🇦🇺🇺🇸♥️
Both Australia and New Zealand also have very unique animals.
This song has nothing to do with New Zealand.
Don't be embarrassed about your tears, mate. I tear up on the Ellis Ireland Song as well as Orphan girl., we have relos in Boston. Head hold up high, mate. We all came from the same places, ended up together. US/CanadaAus/NZ. Amen
Bruce Woodley who wrote this song also wrote a song with Paul Simon called Red Rubber Ball , But was never credited for it & never received a cent.🤬
Thanks for suggesting it.
Elton Jon said the best female singers ever were Judith Durham, Eva Cassidy and Karen Carpenter, sadly all of them are gone but their voices live on through us, so thanks for bringing Judith to the world, not as many know how amazing she was.
Wow, great song of pride and some history! I agree This Land would be a much better Anthem for us, but that’ll never happen. Have you seen/ heard Pete Seegers version? It’s from Obamas inauguration. ☮️💜
I am partial to "America the Beautiful" but would be happy with anything other than a song glorifying war set to the tune of an old British drinking song. "My Country Tis of Thee" is out too because the tune is the same as "God Save the Queen/King"
Not offhand but I did Woody's original a few months ago. ua-cam.com/video/JABlIutnwC0/v-deo.html
Might be difficult for many outside of Australia to understand all the references made in this song. But the basic gist is fairly obvious. From the indigenous people, to the settlers, the diggers (Anzac infantry), the poets and artists (Albert Namatjira, Banjo Patterson), and the bushranger Ned Kelly, all are Australian and all have made Australia what it is.
We had to learn this song in primary school. We thought it was a bit silly and would deliberately sing different words “I am Mongolian” “ I am Ethiopian” etc😂. But now it’s 2022…. I live in the US. There is a massive neo-fascist, ultra nationalist, white supremacist movement that has become mainstream. 😢. People are killed because of their skin colour. People are labeled as aliens because of their ethnicity. And politicians and news media are fanning the flames. Never realized how lucky I was to grow up in a place where cultural and ethnic diversity was celebrated by most, where the indigenous people and their culture was revered, and where the story of their mistreatment at the hands of the colonists was discussed in our schools. Now in the US, many are choosing to live in a paradigm that bears little to no semblance to the reality that we all share. It is quite incredible. And incredibly terrifying.
I just don't understand it, it seems like we've gone backward in the last twenty years. Hell, even Richard Nixon looks pretty good at this point.
link to original video ua-cam.com/video/d6sjKLCrHTE/v-deo.html
THIS SONG TO MOST OF US IS OUR OZZY NATIONAL ANTHEHEM
💚💛👍🇦🇺
touching
If you liked this then you will also like I still call Australia home for Qantas
Their farewell performance of this song is much more powerful. Seek it out (no pun intended)
Good content.
Yes, this should be the Australian National Anthem. It shits all over Advance Australia Fair.
Even though this song speaks the heart of most Australians it is too long to be our National Anthem. At international events eg Olympic Games or even some national events it would be cut down. What would you cut out? I think the song is too important to be cut.
An orchestral version for the types of events you're suggesting would probably just play 1 verse & chorus (no words, so it wouldn't matter which verse)
If you want this song as our national anthem, it should only include the last stanza and the chorus. The rest of the stanzas are basically an historical monologue which would be unsuitable for a national anthem, considering the time restraints for these things.
Love this song though my favourite version is definitely from their Farewell Tour with the beautiful didgeridoo introduction: ua-cam.com/video/KrLTe1_9zso/v-deo.html
🇭🇲🇭🇲🇭🇲🇭🇲
In Australia a "Boomer" is a Kangaroo. We have a Chrissy song called Six White Boomers... The singer is not very loved anymore for different reasons 😉
That's so funny. Here in Oklahoma a Boomer is someone that was in the Land Run. When Oklahoma was still Indian territory , in 1889, the government opened up huge tracts of land for white settlement. They gave the land away by setting up a race. At 12:00 Noon, they fired off a gun (hence boomer) and people raced on horses, wagons or even on foot to stake a claim. The Sooners were people that sneaked in and claimed land on the sly.
QANTAS the airline hijacked the song
Well that sucks! It should be the national anthem.
As good as the male seekers were they were nothing without Judith.
American Indians😂
RIP - Judith Durham
How refreshing for this American expat in Japan to hear an anthem that doesn't have lyrics about bombs and rockets, just commonality, diversity, and acceptance.
So one person does a "I'm an Australian" clip and next there are 20 people doing it. Do something original FFS.