Patriotic songs/artists

[CK]

Triggered by getting out "Scarecrow" from John Mellencamp, got me thinking about how well he captures the feel of America, particularly his ability to "sketch" a picture of someone and their life. "Scarecrow" and "The Lonesome Jubilee" albums have some brilliant portraits of lower to middle class USA and the issues people have.

It's similar to Bruce Springsteen, with songs like "Born In The USA" being able to stir up real passion in Americans - both artists are quintisentially "American" and capture their country very well. If I was American, I could fully understand why both of these gents, in particular, are so popular there still and still shift many copies of their earlier works.

What other artists are able to capture this, particularly in Australia? Paul Kelly came to mind straightaway there with much of his material, but there are plenty of artists who also "paint the picture" of Australia really well. For some reason, no matter where I am or what the weather is, Australian Crawl music takes me to a summer day, driving near a beach, in the mind.

[Media Park]

CK... "I still call Australia Home" sounds too obvious, but it gets the message across...

For me, "Poster Girl" by Beccy Cole is "the one," as far as Australia goes...

Also, for the US part, Alan Jackson's "Where were you (when the world stopped turning)" gets me every time.

Fact is, I am young, and that both of these songs are about current "wars", probably says something stronger about how our culture is at the minute...

[CK]

CK... "I still call Australia Home" sounds too obvious, but it gets the message across...

Great one, certainly does stir up real feelings of pride for me also , but funnily enough, I find that "Tenterfield Saddler" makes me identify even more with Australia, of Peter Allen's work.

[Pseudo]

I nominate the PhilG memorial song:

Out on the patio, we'd sit
And the humidity, we'd breathe
We'd watch the lightning, crack over canefields
Laugh and think that this is Australia

In general, Cold Chisel's "Khe Sanh" seems to fire up a bit of national pride in Aussies, particularly when you get a critical mass of them together on a Contiki bus in the middle of Europe. Can't say it ever did much for me personally, but hey....

[Leaping Lindner]

I nominate the PhilG memorial song:

Out on the patio, we'd sit
And the humidity, we'd breathe
We'd watch the lightning, crack over canefields
Laugh and think that this is Australia

In general, Cold Chisel's "Khe Sanh" seems to fire up a bit of national pride in Aussies, particularly when you get a critical mass of them together on a Contiki bus in the middle of Europe. Can't say it ever did much for me personally, but hey....

Particularly ironic when you consider Khe Sanh was the closest fire support base(or combat base) to the North/South border and no Australian ever served there only yanks and South Vietnamese (ARVN). The Aussies were right down the other end of the country in the South-East corner in the Phuoc Tuy province. But don't let the facts get in the way of a good myth.

As for Australian songs it's probably not patriotic (as such) but "And the Band played Waltzing Matilda" is one of the most moving songs I have ever heard.

[Magpiespower]

I nominate the PhilG memorial song:

LMAO!

This is Australia?

[piccachu]

Hey true blue

[maxyoz]

Christine Anu - My Island Home.
Men at Work - Down Under.
Gangajang - Sounds of Then (This is Australia)

More traditional:

The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

[am Bays]

Christine Anu - My Island Home.
Men at Work - Down Under.
Gangajang - Sounds of Then (This is Australia)

More traditional:

The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Makes me puke everytime I hear it the way the words were changed to make it palatable for the southern audience - however the original version by the Warumpi Band is one of my most favourite songs ever.

Now I'm down here living in the city, Grr - Now I'm down here West of Alice Springs.

Mainstream Yothu Yindi (from their first album) and Black Fella White fella Warumpi Band are also in my all time top ten.

[southee]

Great Southern Land - Icehouse

[zipzap]

Christine Anu - My Island Home.
Men at Work - Down Under.
Gangajang - Sounds of Then (This is Australia)

More traditional:

The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Makes me puke everytime I hear it the way the words were changed to make it palatable for the southern audience - however the original version by the Warumpi Band is one of my most favourite songs ever.

Now I'm down here living in the city, Grr - Now I'm down here West of Alice Springs.

Mainstream Yothu Yindi (from their first album) and Black Fella White fella Warumpi Band are also in my all time top ten.

Following on from that, Neil Murray's Calm and Crystal Clear was a beaut song and a pretty good album as well.
Paul Kelly's got some ace tunes like Leaps & Bounds, From St Kilda to Kings Cross and Bradman that probably fit the bill too. 'Adelaide' is a bit too cynical to include in that list I think.

[maxyoz]

'Adelaide' is a bit too cynical to include in that list I think.

I don't know, sums up the Clipsal 500 beautifully, I reckon.

[The Jack]

Midnight Oil. Noone will come close for me, as far as capturing Australia on record. Albeit from mainly a political point of view, but I challenge anyone to not break out into a sweat while imagining, "Holden wrecks and boiling diesels, Steam in Forty Five degrees".

[Iron Fist]

Hey true blue

Im with Piccachu on this one
gets me fired up singing it!

Another US one, is the gambler, very american IMO

[JK]

"New York State Of Mind" and "Empire State Of Mind" for New Yorkers

[am Bays]

Another US one, is the gambler, very american IMO

Bojangles (Alice Springs) goes off every Sunday morning at about 1:20 am, to The Gambler....

You can set your watch to it....

[smithy]

I was only 19 - redgum

[CK]

"New York State Of Mind" and "Empire State Of Mind" for New Yorkers

In its own unusual way, I reakon that Green Day's "American Idiot" sums up the anger about the Bush administration perfectly at the time it was released. Will be interesting to see how the rock opera of it goes over time.

Songs like "Things Don't Seem", "Downhearted" and "Shut Down" - all Australian Crawl - have that ability, no matter if it's the cold, wettest day around, to make me think of driving along the Esplanade, looking over a twinkling sea on a warm summer day.

[MagicKiwi]

A song called Ten Guitars is the unofficial New Zealand national anthem. Sung at weddings, parties, anything. Usually with a skinful and lots of friends. It is not patriotic but has been adopted.

[Wedgie]

Another for the US:
America by Neil Diamond