Red Gum – The Spirit Of The Land lyrics

The rivers are dry across the land
And the farmers' fields have turned to sand
'Cause the rain hasn't come for two years going on three
The top soil's gone with the hot north wind
The crops won't grow and rust's set in
And the cruel south wind of winter brought no relief

And the old man in the public bar told of floods and droughts before
And as the night goes on and the conversations die
But the battlers don't give up
Its written on theirs hands
And in their eyes
And the spirit of the land survives

And on Saturday night in the royal hotel
Hank the Dutchman plays guitar
He signs country and western favourites and requests
It used to be his second job
A bit of a laugh for a couple of bob
Now it's all he's got 'cause his crops all died of thirst

Then he spent his savings on cattle and sheep
He got some credit got into deep
The stock won't graze on pastures turned to salt
And then he tried to get work as a travelling man
Selling [royal] clothes from the back of his van
But the cockies all shop in town where things are cheap

And the old man in the public bar told of floods and droughts before
And as the night goes on and the conversations die
But the battlers don't give up
Its written on theirs hands
And in their eyes
And the spirit of the land survives

The school's all run down
The roof's rusted and the paint's peeling
The playground's just a dust ball, not a spot of green
But kids still kick their footballs
Sending dust clouds to the sun
And its good to know the drought can't spoil the fun

And in the cricketer's lounge late at night
Where cockies talk and the shearers fight
And their wives drink shandys 'cause they'll be driving home
The talk centres round the price of wheat
The lack of grain and the lack of sleep
His credit's stretched and it won't stretch any more

And the old man in the public bar told of floods and droughts before
And as the night goes on and the conversations die
But the battlers don't give up
Its written on theirs hands
And in their eyes
And the spirit of the land survives

And the old man in the public bar told of floods and droughts before
And as the night goes on and the conversations die
But the battlers don't give up
Its written on theirs hands
And in their eyes
And the spirit of the land survives