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Spirit Bird Lyrics
Give it time and we wonder why “do what we can laugh and we cry,
and we sleep in your dust because we've seen this all before.”
Culture fades with tears and grace,
leaving us stunned hollow with shame we have seen this all, seen this all before.
Many tribes of a modern kind, doing brand new works, same spirit by side,
joining hearts and hand and ancestral twine,
ancestral twine.
Many tribes of a modern kind, doing brand new works, same spirit by side,
joining hearts and hand and ancestral twine,
ancestral twine.
Slowly it fades.
Slowly we fade.
Slowly it fades.
Slowly we fade.
Spirit bird she creaks and groans she knows she has,
seen this all before she has, seen this all before she has.
Spirit bird she creaks and groans she knows she has,
seen this all before she has, seen this all before she has.
Slowly you fade.
Slowly it fades.
Slowly you fade.
Slowly it fades.
Slowly you fade.
Soldier on,
Soldier on, my good country man.
Keep fighting for your culture, now keep fighting for your land.
I know it’s been thousands of years and I feel your hurt
and I know it’s wrong and you feel you’ve been chained and broken and burned
and those beautiful old people those wise old souls have been ground down for far too long,
by that spineless man that greedy man,
that heartless man,
deceiving man,
government hand taking blood and land,
taking blood and land and still they can,
but your dreaming and your warrior spirit lives on
and it is so so so strong in the earth in the trees, in the rocks, in the water, in your blood,
and in the air we breath.
Soldier on,
Soldier on, my good country man.
Keep fighting for your children now keep fighting for your land.
Slowly you fade.
Slowly it fades.
Slowly you fade.
Slowly you fade.
Give it time and we wonder,
“why do what we can laugh and we cry
and we sleep in your dust because we've seen this all before.”
and we sleep in your dust because we've seen this all before.”
Culture fades with tears and grace,
leaving us stunned hollow with shame we have seen this all, seen this all before.
Many tribes of a modern kind, doing brand new works, same spirit by side,
joining hearts and hand and ancestral twine,
ancestral twine.
Many tribes of a modern kind, doing brand new works, same spirit by side,
joining hearts and hand and ancestral twine,
ancestral twine.
Slowly we fade.
Slowly it fades.
Slowly we fade.
seen this all before she has, seen this all before she has.
Spirit bird she creaks and groans she knows she has,
seen this all before she has, seen this all before she has.
Slowly it fades.
Slowly you fade.
Slowly it fades.
Slowly you fade.
Soldier on, my good country man.
Keep fighting for your culture, now keep fighting for your land.
and I know it’s wrong and you feel you’ve been chained and broken and burned
and those beautiful old people those wise old souls have been ground down for far too long,
by that spineless man that greedy man,
that heartless man,
deceiving man,
government hand taking blood and land,
taking blood and land and still they can,
but your dreaming and your warrior spirit lives on
and it is so so so strong in the earth in the trees, in the rocks, in the water, in your blood,
and in the air we breath.
Soldier on, my good country man.
Keep fighting for your children now keep fighting for your land.
Slowly it fades.
Slowly you fade.
Slowly you fade.
“why do what we can laugh and we cry
and we sleep in your dust because we've seen this all before.”
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Every time I listen to this I get goosebumps. Another great song from Xavier, lyrics and melody are both beautiful.
This of course is dedicated to the immense persecution still going on as we speak of the Australian Aborigines but it also applies to all native peoples of this Earth constantly misunderstood, discarded and ultimately, left to die in apathy. They still live in the land no matter how one tries to deny their mark, their Spirit.
@Octavedoctor do you know the meaning of the choir singing phrase? I talk about that "Ema na io io io io". Does it have some meaning in australian aboriginal language? Thanks!
@Octavedoctor do you know the meaning of the choir singing phrase? I talk about that "Ema na io io io io". Does it have some meaning in australian aboriginal language? Thanks!
@miguitas I've heard of two versions of the meaning:
@miguitas I've heard of two versions of the meaning:
1- Mana is a Red Tailed Black Cockatoo and yo-yo-yo, etc. means "yes"
1- Mana is a Red Tailed Black Cockatoo and yo-yo-yo, etc. means "yes"
2- Mana is Rudd's aborigine name and yo remains "yes"
2- Mana is Rudd's aborigine name and yo remains "yes"
You can look up the interview he gave about his inspiration on cooltry . com.au
You can look up the interview he gave about his inspiration on cooltry . com.au
@Octavedoctor wow!! thank you so much. That's more info than I expected! I really appreciate it :) I will check that interview up! Cheers!!
@Octavedoctor wow!! thank you so much. That's more info than I expected! I really appreciate it :) I will check that interview up! Cheers!!
I know the song is a little about politics and so on. But for myself this song takes on a whole new meaning! I see the the spirit bird as my ex. When we broke up she has seen this all before. In previous relationships. It was probably history repeating itself so each time I wamted to talk to her again she would ignore me because she knows how the story goes “she has seen this all before. And where he says “soldier on” is where I let go and say okay you can go. Where Cavier Rudd says about how ypu should fight on is for the guy to fight in order to get his ego back! “Slowly you fade” means For me that my ex is slowly fading away and one day she will be nothing but a vauge memory. Sad.. This comment is based on my personal experience. Thanks for reading ;) listen to the song again and imagine this. It really regnates