Background: Goanna
Shane Howard, who wrote the song in 1982, told the Sydney Morning Heraldon 21 September 2012 that he experienced a “Great Awakening” while attending a corroboree at Uluru. The spiritual experience brought the idea of the song, which evolved to become more political after returning to Alice Springs and seeing “all the consequences of dispossession”.
Solid Rock (Artist: Goanna)
Out here nothin' changes, not in a hurry anyway
You feel the endlessness with the comin' of the light o' day
We're talkin' about a chosen place
You wouldn't sell it in a marketplace, well?
Well, just a minute now
Standing on solid rock
Standing on sacred ground
Living o-on borrowed ti-i-i-ime
And the winds of change are blowin' down the line
Right down the line
Round about the dawn o' time, When dreamin' all began
A croud o' people came
Well they were looking for their promised land
Were running from the heart of darkness
Searching for the heart o' light
Well, it was their paradise
But they were standin' on - solid rock
Standing o-on sacred grou-ound
Living o-on borrowed ti-i-i-ime
And the winds of change were blowing cold that night
Oh
They were standin' on the shore one day, Saw the white sails in the sun
Wasn't long before they felt the sting, white man, white law,white gun
Don't tell me that it's justified, 'cause somewhere, someone lied
Yeah well, someone lied, someone lied, genocide
Well someone lied, oh, ahh
And now you're standing on - solid rock
Standing o-on a sacred grou-ound
Living o-on borrowed ti-i-i-ime
And the winds of change are blowin' down the li-ine
Solid rock, Standing on sacred ground
Living o-on borrowed ti-i-i-ime
And the winds of change are blowing down the line
Solid rock, Standing o-on sacred grou-ound
Living o-on borrowed ti-i-i-ime
And the winds of change are blowing down the line
Oh-oh-oh no, NO-O
Select two unfamiliar words/phrases from this list. Find a definition of each word/phrase.
endlessness sacred ground winds of change down the line
dreaming promised land heart of darkness genocide
Link to the Australian National Dictionary
Reflect on your impression/understanding of the poem/song. Use the worksheet attached here to guide your thinking.
(You will have an opportunity to share these with the other members of your group.)
Point of view: From whose point of view is the poem/lyrics written?
Theme: What is the theme or message in the poem/lyric?
Uploaded on YouTube July 3, 2017
WASLA Teacher Librarian of the Year- 2017: Jo-Anne Urquhart
- 2016: Lise Legg
WASLA Library Officer of the Year- 2012: Karen Notley