Salt of the Earth – Terry Bennetts/Yvonne Hams
Salt of the earth are men like George, few and hard to find
And life is richer when you have known, men of his rugged kind
Their mettle is tempered by blazing sun, their courage nurtured by flood
And the drought but seasons these ageless men, and toil is in their blood
He wasn’t a man who suffered fools, for theirs was a rough bushman’s life
Those early years in the Kimberley tested these men, those found wanting did not survive
He drove their bullock teams, to the stations outback , from the year of nineteen ‘o’ one
But time brings on changes and through those Kimberley ranges, the trucks reigned and the bullocks were gone
For years he carted the stations wool, their stores and saddles and packs
Breaking each year a trail anew, where the wet has lost their tracks
He bought a station just South, at Mullor Downs, Running cattle on those spinifex plains
But George was a man who was born to the road. He sold up and went trucking again
He had married a girl from old Derby town, had a family but she wasn’t to stay
But the second time around well George got it right, a loving mate ‘til the end of his days.
He raced his fine horses when they held picnic days, Drove sick folk to town in his truck
Was elected to council and in later years, he gave back to this town that he loved.
“His working years well they are though at last, and he bows to the younger bloke”
Yeah he finally retires, he rolls up his swag, and he heads for the city smoke
Australia’s son and pioneer, at the age of eighty one
We paid you tribute and we wished you well, And Derby said “Well done”
Salt of the earth are men like George, few and hard to find
And life is richer when you have known, men of his rugged kind
Salt Of The Earth Lyrics, Terry Bennetts Music.
