Clip description
In this clip we hear the landmark Aboriginal protest song 'We Have Survived’, as performed by No Fixed Address on the soundtrack of Wrong Side of the Road (1981).
Curator’s notes
The reggae style of this song, inspired by Bob Marley, was different from other Aboriginal bands of the time, who played mainly country music.
The lyrics are key to 'We Have Survived’. Written by Bart Willoughby, they capture the frustrations of the black community:
We have survived the white man’s world
And the hurt and the torment of it all
We have survived the white man’s world
And you know you can’t change that.
You can’t change the rhythm of my soul,
You can’t tell me just what to do.
You can’t break my bones by putting me down,
Or by taking the things that belong to me.
We have survived the white man’s world
And the horror and the torment of it all.
We have survived the white man’s world
And you know you can’t change that.
All the years has just passed me by,
I’ve been hassled by the cops nearly all my life.
People trying to keep me so blind,
But I can see what’s going on in my mind.
We have survived the white man’s world
And the horror and the torment of it all.
We have survived the white man’s world
And you know you can’t change that.
You can’t change the rhythm of my soul,
You can’t tell me just what to do.
You can’t break my bones by putting me down,
Or by taking the things that belong to me.
We have survived the white man’s world
And the horror and the torment of it all.
We have survived the white man’s world
And the horror and the torment of it all.
We have survived the white man’s world
And the horror and the torment of it all.
Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer 'We have survived' from the music We Have Survived as a download.
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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.
All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.
When you access australianscreen you agree that:
- You may retrieve materials for information only.
- You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
- You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
- The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.
All other rights reserved.
ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.
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