A previously unreleased track for number 13 Man On The Land was something Martin Cilia and I got together to create in the late 80s hoping to write some material for Slim Dusty. We actually played it at my one and only Tamworth appearance a few years later. Lyrically it’s an interesting snapsot of what was going on 30 years ago before China emerged as a huge trading partner. Click on the title for the Bandcamp version and there’s also a chart for those who’d like to play along.
MAN ON THE LAND
The man on the land is in deep water
Our wool’s not in demand our sheep are only fit for slaughter
And the Ruskies can’t afford to pay for a million tonnes of wheat
The man on the land is in real deep
While our sailors in the Gulf protect the Saudis with their blood
The Saudis send our live sheep back and say that they’re all dud
And the Canberra politicians cannot trump the Saudi hand
So the price is paid by the man on the land
The man on the land is in deep water
Our wool’s not in demand our sheep are only fit for slaughter
And the Ruskies can’t afford to pay for a million tonnes of wheat
The man on the land is in real deep
The banks in the city want all that they can take
They need to fill the kitty to pay for past mistakes
They can’t afford to lend a dollar to lend a helping hand
So the price is paid by the man on the land
The man on the land is in deep water
Our wool’s not in demand our sheep are only fit for slaughter
And the Ruskies can’t afford to pay for a million tonnes of wheat
The man on the land is in real deep
The European markets pay their farmers to produce
They’re deaf to Aussie pleas to ease the dump and to reduce
We’ve tried to play it fair but the rules are underhand
And the price is borne by the man on the land
The man on the land is in deep water
Our wool’s not in demand our sheep are only fit for slaughter
And the Ruskies can’t afford to pay for a million tonnes of wheat
The man on the land is in real deep
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