I think the idea if "country" is also an important concept on this song. This awesome song is, afterall, called dead country. So what is the dead country? Here's my 2 cents:
it could be the westernized parts of modern Austrailia. The pursuit of economic interests in rural austrailia transformed the physical landscape (in the form of mines, mining towns, ranches ect) and ultimately reshaped parts of the aboriginal "country". I suppose these places are physically dead (in that they no longer maintain their former ecological and social functions). But more importantly, according to the song, the physical place is only one part of country - the actual culture, customs, values and beliefs continue to live on in the hearts and minds of the aboriginals, despite the changes wrought to the kandacape by the English/Aussies.
I think the idea if "country" is also an important concept on this song. This awesome song is, afterall, called dead country. So what is the dead country? Here's my 2 cents:
it could be the westernized parts of modern Austrailia. The pursuit of economic interests in rural austrailia transformed the physical landscape (in the form of mines, mining towns, ranches ect) and ultimately reshaped parts of the aboriginal "country". I suppose these places are physically dead (in that they no longer maintain their former ecological and social functions). But more importantly, according to the song, the physical place is only one part of country - the actual culture, customs, values and beliefs continue to live on in the hearts and minds of the aboriginals, despite the changes wrought to the kandacape by the English/Aussies.
...sorry for the typo- I meant landscape.
...sorry for the typo- I meant landscape.