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Gurindji Blues Lyrics by Ted Egan

The Aboriginals

1971

[Intro: Woman & Vincent Lingiari]
In the 1960s, Australia heard, for the first time, the expression 'land rights'
As two quite different tribal groups sought official recognition
Of their age old occupancy of their land
Aboriginals from Arnhem land took their case to the law courts
Tried under the same British system which had legalised the original theft of the Australian continent
The Aboriginals understandably lost
The Gurindji tribe on the other hand took their case to the people of Australia
My name is Vincent Lingiari, camе from Gurragil, Wattie Creek
[?]
That mean that I came down hеre to hush all this [?] 'bout the land right
What I got story from my old father or grandpa that land belong to me
Belong to Aboriginal man before the horse and the cattle come over on this land where I'm sitting now
That's why I been keep it on my mind, I still got it on my mind
That's all the word I can tell ya'

[Verse 1: Ted Egan]
Poor bugger me, Gurindji
Me bin sit down this country
Long time before Lord Vestey
All about land belongin' to we
Oh, poor bugger me Gurindji

[Verse 2: Ted Egan]
Poor bugger blackfeller, Gurindji
Long time work no wages we
Work for the good old Lord Vestey
Little bit flour; sugar and tea
For the Gurindji, from Lord Vestey
Oh, poor bugger me

[Verse 3: Ted Egan]
Poor bugger me, Gurindji
Man called Vincent Lingiari
Talk all about Gurindji
'Daguragu place for we
Home for we, Gurindji

[Verse 4: Ted Egan]
But poor bugger blackfeller, Gurindji
Government boss him talk long we
"We'll build you house with electricity
But at Wave Hill, for can't you see
Wattie Creek belong to Lord Vestey"
Oh, poor bugger me

[Verse 5: Ted Egan]
Poor bugger me, Gurindji
Up come Mr Frank Hardy
ABSCHOL too and talk long we
Givit hand long Gurindji
Buildim house and plantim tree
Longa Wattie Creek for Gurindji

[Verse 6: Ted Egan]
But poor bugger blackfeller Gurindji
Government lawyer him talk long we
"Can't givit land long blackfeller, see
Only spoilim Gurindji"
Oh, poor bugger me

[Verse 7: Ted Egan]
Poor bugger me, Gurindji
Peter Nixon talk long we:
"Buy you own land, Gurindji
Buyim back from the Lord Vestey"
Oh, poor bugger me, Gurindji

[Verse 8: Ted Egan]
Poor bugger blackfeller Gurindji
Suppose we buyim back country
What you reckon proper fee?
Might be flour; sugar and tea
From the Gurindji to Lord Vestey?
Oh, poor bugger me

[Outro: Ted Egan]
[?]
My country Gurindji
Credits
Ted Egan

Ted Egan

About “Gurindji Blues” by Ted Egan

Read the complete lyrics to "Gurindji Blues" by Ted Egan from the album "The Aboriginals" in 1971. 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 Aboriginal Music, Indigenous, Rock.

"Gurindji Blues" is performed by Ted Egan. from the album "The Aboriginals" in 1971 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 "Gurindji Blues", explore more songs by Ted Egan 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

"Gurindji Blues" is credited to Ted Egan. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Gurindji Blues" appears on "The Aboriginals" in 1971.

Visit the Ted Egan artist page at /artist/ted-egan for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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