Conquistador of Mexico, the Zulu and the Navaho
The Belgians in the Congo short memory
Plantation in Virginia, the Raj in British India
The deadline in South Africa short memory
The story of El Salvador, the silence of Hiroshima
Destruction of Cambodia short memory

Short memory, must have a, short memory

The sight of hotels by the Nile, the designated Hilton style
With running water specially bought short memory
A smallish man Afghanistan, a watch dog in a nervous land
They're only there to lend a hand short memory
Wake up in sweat at dead of night
And in the tents new rifles hey short memory

If you read the history books you'll see the same things happen again and again
Repeat repeat short memory they've all got it
When are we going to play it again
Got a short, got a short, got a short, got a short
They've got a short must have a short they've got a short aah
Short memory, they've got a.


Lyrics submitted by Chris_Gough, edited by Sunnyhill

Short Memory Lyrics as written by Martin Rotsey James Moginie

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Short Memory song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    Absolutely, Goat Island was an awesome concert. I saw them at Sterwart Hotel at Alexandra Headland in the late 80's. They were supported by the Wurrumpi band who were also awesome. This some is quite interesting. If you think about it, The English kind of stuffed themselves up with Australia. Some of countries mentioned in the song have been used by their invaders to profit from the culture of that country by making slaves and workers of the natives. The English didn't even take the opportunity to this, they tried to turn Australia into a white society by ridding it of anything Indigenous. So now much of the 'known history' of the Indigenous is gone. So, now the problem is trying to piece it all back together again so that Indigenous Australians can have some identity again.

    Bear157on December 22, 2006   Link

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