Clip description
This is the full version of 'From Little Things Big Things Grow’ recorded for Kev Carmody’s album 'Bloodlines’ (1993).
Curator’s notes
While Kelly had recorded the song in 1991, Carmody had held off doing so in respect for the mourning period after Lingiari’s death.
This version was never meant to be on the 'Bloodlines’ (1993) album and was recorded very basically (in mono) as a demo for the soundtrack of a film documentary, Blood Brothers – From Little Things Big Things Grow (1993), about Carmody’s life and music.
The informality of the recording is marked by the talking and count in at the beginning. With little more than backing from guitars and harmonica, Kelly and Carmody sing alternate verses in this very moving and affecting version.
While the message is serious and there are shades of melancholy, the feel of the song is upbeat and optimistic. The 'little thing’ was Lingiari walking off, demanding better conditions for his people, which resulted eight years later in Prime Minister Whitlam symbolically giving land back to the Indigenous people, furthering the 'big thing’ of land rights and equality.
Gather round people I’ll tell you a story
An eight-year-long story of power and pride
British Lord Vestey and Vincent Lingiari
Were opposite men on opposite sides.
Vestey was fat with money and muscle
Beef was his business, broad was his door
Vincent was lean and spoke very little
He had no bank balance, hard dirt was his floor.
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Gurindji were working for nothing but rations
Where once they had gathered the wealth of the land
Daily the pressure got tighter and tighter
Gurindji decided they must make a stand.
They picked up their swags and started off walking
At Wattie Creek they sat themselves down
Now it don’t sound like much but it sure got tongues talking
Back at the homestead and then in the town.
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Vestey man said ‘I’ll double your wages
Seven quid a week you’ll have in your hand.’
Vincent said ‘Uh-uh, we’re not talking about wages
We’re sitting right here till we get our land.’
Vestey man roared and Vestey man thundered
‘You don’t stand the chance of a cinder in snow.’
Vince said ‘If we fall others are rising.’
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Then Vincent Lingiari he boarded an aeroplane
Landed in Sydney, big city of lights
Daily he went round softly speaking his story
To all kinds of men, from all walks of life.
Vincent sat down with big politicians
‘This affair,’ they told him, ‘it’s a matter of state.
Let us sort it out, why your people are hungry.’
Vincent said ‘No thanks, we know how to wait.’
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Then Vincent Lingiari returned in an aeroplane
Back to his country once more to sit down
And he told his people ‘Let the stars keep on turning
We have friends in the south, in the cities and towns.’
Eight years went by, eight long years of waiting
Till one day a tall stranger appeared in the land
And he came with lawyers, he came with great ceremony
And through Vincent’s fingers poured a handful of sand.
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
That was the story of Vincent Lingiari
But this is the story of something much more
How power and privilege cannot move a people
Who know where they stand and they stand in their law.
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
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