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Maralinga (Rainy Land) Lyrics
This is a rainy land
This is a rainy land
No thunder in our sky
No trees stretching high
But this is a rainy land
My name is Yami Lester
I hear I talk I touch but I am blind
My story comes from darkness
Listen to my story now unwind
This is a rainy land
First we heard two big bangs
We thought it was the great snake digging holes
Then we saw the big cloud
Then the big black mist began to roll
This is a rainy land
A strangeness on our skin
A soreness in our eyes like weeping fire
A pox upon our skin
A boulder on our backs all our lives
This is a rainy land
This is a rainy land
No thunder in our sky
No trees stretching high
But this is a rainy land
My name is Millipuddy
They captured me and roughly washed me down
Then my child stopped kicking
Then they took away my man to town
They said do you speak English?
He said
I know that Jesus loves me I know
Because the bible tells me so
I know that Jesus loves me I know
Because the bible tells me so
This is a rainy land
This is a rainy land
No thunder in our sky
No trees stretching high
But this is a rainy land
This is a rainy land
No thunder in our sky
No trees stretching high
But this is a rainy land
I hear I talk I touch but I am blind
My story comes from darkness
Listen to my story now unwind
This is a rainy land
We thought it was the great snake digging holes
Then we saw the big cloud
Then the big black mist began to roll
This is a rainy land
A soreness in our eyes like weeping fire
A pox upon our skin
A boulder on our backs all our lives
This is a rainy land
No thunder in our sky
No trees stretching high
But this is a rainy land
They captured me and roughly washed me down
Then my child stopped kicking
Then they took away my man to town
They said do you speak English?
He said
I know that Jesus loves me I know
Because the bible tells me so
I know that Jesus loves me I know
Because the bible tells me so
This is a rainy land
No thunder in our sky
No trees stretching high
But this is a rainy land
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One of Paul Kelly's most poignant songs. It describes how the indigenous community recalled the British nuclear tests at Maralinga in the 1950's, and the effects thereof. Finally the story of Millipuddy, who is pregnant and whose unborn child dies. Her partner is picked up by authorities, who ask if he can speak English. His reply is the only English he knows, the poem taught by missionaries.