Great Southern Land
Icehouse
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Standing at the limit of an endless ocean Stranded like a runaway, lost at sea City on a rainy day down in the harbour Watching as the grey clouds shadow the bay Looking everywhere 'cause I had to find you This is not the way that I remember it here Anyone will tell you its a prisoner island Hidden in the summer for a million years Great Southern Land, burned you black So you look into the land and it will tell you a story Story 'bout a journey ended long ago Listen to the motion of the wind in the mountains Maybe you can hear them talking like I do ". . they're gonna betray you, they're gonna forget you Are you gonna let them take you over that way . ." Great Southern Land, Great Southern Land You walk alone, like a primitive man And they make it work, with sticks and bones See their hungry eyes, its a hungry home I hear the sound of the stranger's voices I see their hungry eyes, their hungry eyes Great Southern Land, Great Southern Land They burned you black, black against the ground Standing at the limit of an endless ocean Stranded like a runaway, lost at sea City on a rainy day down in the harbour Watching as the grey clouds shadow the bay Looking everywhere 'cause I had to find you This is not the way that I remember it here Anyone will tell you its a prisoner island Hidden in the summer for a million years Great Southern Land, in the sleeping sun You walk alone with the ghost of time They burned you black, black against the ground And they make it work with rocks and sand I hear the sound of the stanger's voices I see their hungry eyes, their hungry eyes Great Southern Land, Great Southern Land You walk alone, like a primitive man You walk alone with the ghost of time And they burned you black Yeah, they burned you black Great Southern Land
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: Ivor Davies
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
11 facts about this song
Release Date"Great Southern Land" by Icehouse was initially released as a single on 18 August 1982.
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Album AppearanceThis iconic song is part of the band's second album, "Primitive Man," which was released later in the same year.
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Song CreatorThe song was written by the band's frontman, Iva Davies.
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Charts Performance"Great Southern Land" peaked at No. 5 on the Australian singles chart in October 1982.
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Song ThemeIt's known for its lyrics speaking about Australia's history, landscape, and identity, making it an unofficial national anthem.
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In MoviesThe track featured in the 1988 movie "Young Einstein," and in 1992 it was re-released to promote the film.
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Cover VersionsMany artists have covered the song, including Adam Brand and Steve Kilbey.
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National SignificanceIn 2001, the Australian Performing Right Association (APRA) listed "Great Southern Land" in its top 30 best Australian songs of all time.
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Live PerformanceIn a historic moment, Icehouse performed the song live in 2012 at the opening ceremony of the Australian Open Tennis Championship.
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Song VideoThe original video for "Great Southern Land" was filmed at the Warrumbungle National Park in New South Wales.
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Re-recordingIn 2021, Icehouse re-recorded the song in collaboration with musicians like Missy Higgins and William Barton to draw attention to the effects of climate change on Australia.
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Citation
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"Great Southern Land Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Jun 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/24342551/Icehouse/Great+Southern+Land>.
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