Week 4 – Think Bensonium

Day 28: Bittersweet, Hoodoo Gurus

Rbenson — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:17:51 +0000

“You are my sword your love is its own reward…“

PS Take some ear defenders if you see these guys in concert they record and play very loudly!
For you Simon Beard

Day 27: Khe Sanh, Cold Chisel

Rbenson — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:16:53 +0000

Another great Australian band. This song captures the real sadness of the wondering spirit who is yet to find its home.

“I’ve been back to South East Asia, but the answer sure ain’t there.”
“Well the last plane out of Sydney almost gone…“

Day 26 (20th Wedding Anniversary): Happy Anniversary Baby by Little River Band.

Rbenson — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:15:22 +0000

OK I’m one lucky guy. Firstly, to marry a wonderful woman who has patiently put up with me for 20 years and secondly, because I fluked starting my Aussie music theme before realising that the perfect song to post for my 20^th wedding anniversary was in fact by an Aussie group, Little River Band. Therefore I have not messed up my Covid Island disc theme!

Well it is not quite the perfect song if you listen closely to the lyrics but hey, the main gist is there.

“Happy anniversary baby….“

Day 25.5 (Bonus track): Short Memory by Midnight Oil

Rbenson — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:14:00 +0000

PG: “This one’s for Henry Kissinger who got the Nobel peace prize for bombing the living daylights out of Cambodia”

Day 25: US Forces by Midnight Oil

Rbenson — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:11:36 +0000

This song needs no introduction. And what a fantastic backdrop for the Oils to perform live in. This one is for all my Felly friends with special mention to Simon (Happy birthday mate), Jodi, Tani, Adrian, Anne, Matt, Fiona and Cathy. Also in loving memory of my best man Jonathan Higgs who was a MASSIVE Oils fan. So much so, he had a Midnight Oil themed 21^st where I went dressed from the album cover Head Injuries.

I know at least three of you on this list have photos with the great Peter G. Thanks for the wonderful memories guys. You are such valuable friends.

“US Forces give the nod!“

Day 24: Shutdown by Australian Crawl

Rbenson — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:09:28 +0000

So continuing my Aussie band theme you can’t get more Australian than a band that named itself after God’s own country! I have been singing the chorus to this song often over the last month for obvious reasons. Good luck on working out the exact lyrics to this song.

Day 23 (Easter Sunday): The Prodigal Son Suite, by Keith Green

Rbenson — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:08:47 +0000

I had a friend at University of Sydney who first played me this amazing piano piece on a piano which at the time was located in one of the student Union buildings (Manning). It retells the famous parable that Jesus told of the prodigal son who repents and is welcomed home by his father.

Day 22: How to Make Gravy by Paul Kelly

Rbenson — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:05:52 +0000

So on Thursday I posted a song by probably the greatest wordsmith of rock and roll, Bob Dylan. Yet this Australian gives the great Dylan a run for his money in my opinion. For my UK friends, his music is really worth getting into if you like poetry set to music. He has so many great songs but in this little number, he manages to smuggle a recipe for making gravy into his lyric (“Just flower, salt, a little red wine; don’t forget a dollop of tomato sauce for that sweetness and extra tang“). Like Bob Dylan’s song Hurricane, this song tells a detailed and complex story about a guy spending his time in prison over Christmas.

Another clever lyric clause in this song is: “and you’ll dance with Rita, I know you really like her, just don’t hold her too close oh brother please don’t stab me in the back. I didn’t mean to say that, it’s just my mind it plays up, multiplies each matter, turns imagination into fact.“