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A Bastard Like Me (For Charlie Perkins) Lyrics by Paul Kelly

Songs from the South: Paul Kelly’s Greatest Hits 1985–2019

2018

[Verse 1]
I was born in the bush
Near old Alice Springs
As far as you get from the sea
My mother was a fighter
My daddy was too
He never knew a bastard like me
My brothers and sisters scattered like the wind
From the desert and the hills to the sea
Much too young, many died
But I have survived
So lucky a bastard like me
[Refrain]
So lucky a bastard like me
I have survived a hell of a ride
Nobody knows a bastard like me
[Verse 2]
Call me a stray
A dog every day
Call me a mongrel half-breed
And mongrels are strong
So if you take me on
Better watch out for a bastard like me
[Refrain]
Ohhhh
You better watch out for a bastard like me
I fought all the way
I fight every day
You can't stop a bastard like me
[Verse 3]
I've taken my licks
I've taken my kicks
I am a man of degrees
I wear the scars
I earned them so hard
Every day in the lucky country
[Refrain]
Ohhhh
Every day in the lucky country
I've taken my licks
I've kicked against the bricks
Oh try and stop a bastard like me
Credits

About “A Bastard Like Me (For Charlie Perkins)” by Paul Kelly

Read the complete lyrics to "A Bastard Like Me (For Charlie Perkins)" by Paul Kelly from the album "Songs from the South: Paul Kelly’s Greatest Hits 1985–2019" in 2018. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock.

"A Bastard Like Me (For Charlie Perkins)" is performed by Paul Kelly. from the album "Songs from the South: Paul Kelly’s Greatest Hits 1985–2019" in 2018 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "A Bastard Like Me (For Charlie Perkins)", explore more songs by Paul Kelly using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"A Bastard Like Me (For Charlie Perkins)" is credited to Paul Kelly. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"A Bastard Like Me (For Charlie Perkins)" appears on "Songs from the South: Paul Kelly’s Greatest Hits 1985–2019" in 2018.

Visit the Paul Kelly artist page at /artist/paul-kelly for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.