I Am Australian – English Lyrics

• By: The Seekers

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the rich tapestry of Australian identity through The Seekers' iconic song, “I Am Australian.” This folk-pop anthem offers a powerful lesson in unity and diversity, exploring the historical and cultural threads that bind the nation. Perfect for learners, the song's heartfelt lyrics and memorable melody provide a unique window into the Australian spirit.

[English]

I come from the dreamtime

From the dusty red soil plains

I am the ancient heart

The keeper of the flames

I stood upon the rocky shore

I watched the tall ships come

For forty thousand years I've been

The first Australian

I came upon the prison ships

Bound down by iron chains

I've worked the land

Endured the lash

And waited for the rains

I'm a settler

I'm a farmers wife

On a dry and barren run

A convict and a free man

I became Australian

I'm the daughter of a digger

Who sought the mother load

The girl became a woman

On the long and dusty road

I'm a child of the Depression

I saw the good time come

I'm a bushy, I'm a battler

I am Australian

We are one

But we are many

And from all the lands on earth we come

We'll share a dream

And sing with one voice

I am, you are, we are Australian

I'm a teller of stories

I'm a singer of songs

I am Albert Namatjira

And I paint the ghostly gums

I am Clancy on his horse

I'm Ned Kelly on the run

I'm the one who waltzed Matilda

I am Australian

I'm the hot wind from the desert

I'm the black soil of the plain

I'm the mountains and the valleys

I'm the drowned and flooding rains

I am the rock

I am the sky

The rivers when they run

The spirit of this great land

I am Australian

We are one

But we are many

And from all the lands on earth we come

We'll share a dream

And sing with one voice

I am, you are, we are Australian

We are one

But we are many

And from all the lands on earth we come

We'll share a dream

And sing with one voice

I am, you are, we are Australian

I am, you are, we are Australian

...

Yes, the power of the right lyrics and the right melody

To help us collectively express something

That's usually very private and we never talk about

But some of that just makes us all feel, uh, feel pretty good

There's a couple of other things that make us feel pretty good tonight, too

Apart from, thank you, you're all here with us

We just found out that today

That the album and the video that we have out at the moment

Well especially the album, really

We know that the video has already gone

But it was our 68 concert for the BBC in London in black and white

And the soundtrack from it we released for this tour

And we're delighted to tell you that this week

It's just gone into the Top 20 at number twelve

Can't keep a good group down, can you?

So if anyone's bought it, thank you, if you're gonna buy it, double thank you

No, we're thrilled and, uh

The other thing that makes us feel good in a package of these next three songs

Two in fact, I think, are on that video

Because the second and the third songs you will certainly know

They were B-Sides to two of our biggest ever hit singles

And they got as much airplay as the singles themselves

So we regard them as big hits, and you'll certainly know them

The first song of the trio is a little bit different, 'cause it's one of those early songs

We used to have a lot of fun with, because when we first sat down together

We didn't know the verses to all these great gospel songs

So we'd sing the chorus' in lusty fashion but we sorta had to be creative with the verses

You'll get the drift, here's the song

Quaintly entitled, "Let the Light from the Lighthouse Shine on Me"

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dreamtime /ˈdriːmtaɪm/ B2	noun - the time of creation in Aboriginal culture
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood in the body
flame /fleɪm/ A2	noun - the visible part of fire
land /lænd/ A1	noun - the part of the earth's surface that is not covered by water
convict /ˈkɒnvɪkt/ B1	noun - a person found guilty of a crime
barren /ˈbærən/ B2	adjective - not able to produce plants or crops
daughter /ˈdɔːtər/ A1	noun - a female child
spirit /ˈspɪrɪt/ B1	noun - the non-physical part of a person
voice /vɔɪs/ A1	noun - the sound produced by humans when speaking
mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ A2	noun - a large natural elevation of the earth's surface
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a wide way leading from one place to another
flood /flʌd/ B1	verb - to overflow with water
share /ʃɛr/ A2	verb - to have a portion of something with others

Key Grammar Structures

• I come from the dreamtime

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the present simple tense to express a fact or a habitual action.

• I am the ancient heart

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ This line also uses the present simple tense to define identity.

• I watched the tall ships come

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ The past simple tense is used here to describe a completed action in the past.

• I am a settler

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ This line uses the present simple tense to express a current state of being.

• I am the daughter of a digger

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The present simple tense is used to indicate a relationship or identity.

• We are one but we are many

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ This line uses the present simple tense to express a universal truth.

• I am the spirit of this great land

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The present simple tense is used to convey a sense of identity and belonging.