Get Up Australia has worked with Australian musicians to put Kevin Rudd’s apology speech to music.
The adaptation of Paul Kelly’s song, From Little Things Big Things Grow, is sung by the Getup Mob, including Paul Kelly, Kev Carmody, Urthboy, Missy Higgins, Mia Dyson, Radical Son, Jane Tyrell, Dan Sultan, Joel Wenitong and Ozi Batla. Film Clip featuring John Butler, Leah Purcell, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Ernie Dingo, Anthony Mundine and Matty Bowen.
Click on the image below to play the video.
The track is available for download for the cost of $1.69 with the option of a donation towards GetUp’s Reconciliation Fund and the following charity organisations: Link Up, Mums and Bubs Program in Townsville and the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience. Download here.
Apology
As Prime Minister of Australia, I am sorry. On behalf of the Government of Australia, I am sorry. On behalf of the Parliament of Australia, I am sorry. And I offer you this apology without qualification.
Lyrics
To say sorry means to give respect
And it’s long overdue
Now you’ve failed to imagine,
What if it happened to you?
Now they’re not only words now,
It’s not just a symbol
Accepting the past, well, it’s not always simple.
But thinking of yesterday
We live for tomorrow
We can’t face the future now
Until we face the sorrow
Now under the colours, yeah,
Of red, yellow, and black
We’re saying “Never again”,
We’re saying “No turning back”
[Chorus]
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Lighting the path
With good in our heart
See the more that you look,
The better for all
So he sang as he walked
And together we’ll stand
For us all to stand tall
We must all play our part
[Indigenous and non-Indigenous]
With tears within our brow
Yes, forward we’ve struggled
And all we’ve achieved
Would mean nothing
If greed was the only motivation of man
So we can love one another
And with respect for each other
May we move forward [reconciled] together
[Chorus]
There are moments in the lives of nations
Where hope and history rhyme
And now’s one of those times
Let’s close the gap and if we truly mean it
We can stare down our future and find
We can see through those eyes
Let us not stand with those who deny
It seems to me that if we can
Imagine the injustice
Then we can
Imagine its opposite
And we can have justice
[Chorus]
All of us are one
Because we are human
And if I cut you, or you cut me
What comes out?
Red blood.
Not different colour blood
Only red blood.
Yes.