Project Tag: Australia

Never Came Home

by Daniel Kelly – 2024

Dm                    C             G       Am
Dougie Therkelsen was 19, when he went to Tarakan,
C          G             Em           Am
To help General McArthur, take back  oil from Japan,
        G        Am               C      G    Am
In the 2nd / 4th Commandos, he would learn to be a man,
        C                 G            G        Am
But he fell upon the beaches, never to come home again.

        C            G        Em  Am
No he never came home, like so many more,
        C        G        C       G       Am
That lie there forever, on a far lonely shore,
        G          Am              G        Am
With family and friends left to carry the pain,
        C        G      Em                 Am
Of a son or a father, that won’t be home again.

Dougie came from Nanango, he joined in 1943,
With his parents George and Eva, a happy family,
He left it all behind him, because his country was at war,
But nothing can prepare a man, for what fate has in store,

It was in operation Oboe, that Dougie was cut down,
The Japanese were set to fight for every inch of ground,
Storming pill boxes with rifles, was a foolish way to die,
But orders they are orders, and a soldier don’t ask way,

Cricket

by Daniel Kelly - 2023

G
Now let me tell a story,
           C          G
Of the bat and of the ball,
     C               G
Of twenty thousand hours,
     C                 D
Hitting up against the wall.

     C                    G
Of faith and truth and courage,
     C                    G
Played against the hardest odds,
           Em              G
in the local park on a Saturday,
     C    D      G
by some animated dogs.

Now Rusty is a Kelpie,
Named for his hair of red,
And he was mad for cricket,
At least that’s what was said.

He was up against some adults,
Who didn’t understand,
Rusty would grow up to be,
The best batsman in the land.

     C               G
Cause Rusty hits the bouncers,
     C               G
And Rusty copes with spin,
           Em              G
There’s not a paceman in your team,
     C               D
Can best the likes of him.
     C               G
Cause courage and persistence,
     Em                   D
Is what fuels the sportsman’s dream,
     C               G
What started in the backyard,
     C          D    G
Will end up on your screen.

With young Rusty at the crease,
The brothers Heeler did attack,
One with swing and one with spin,
But Rusty knocked ‘em flat,

They even tried a paceman,
But not could slow him down,
Rusty had learned the lessons,
From every bowler in town.