Australia 2001

The roo and the emu fought for the crown
The roo in a skin coat the emu in feathered gown
Fighting and fighting they both went down

Out laughed the kookaburra his own name
He the Aborigine played his own game
For all the fights the world remained the same

The Aussie and the Kiwi had come into town
In the name of the Brit Queen and Crown
But the Aborigine knew they had feet of clay

And heard of his own death as if in a radio-play
Dream time is racial memory
GMT but a reverie.

II

Then came the yellow peril
from Borneo and Java
It was said they had friends in Havana

'Trade means friendship
And the object of trade is song.'

It was said they wanted Aussie diamonds
                        extracted with toil
But they knew in reality
                        we coveted their oil

Now our blood was shed at Gallipoli and Vietnam
So what's a bit of blood for Kalumantan!
We're all dancing on the rim of a volcano
Drink and dance for tomorrow we go


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