Brown Rice and Kerosine Redgum
"Brown Rice and Kerosine" by Redgum, released in 1983, is a folk-rock song that critiques Australia's treatment of Indigenous communities and environmental issues. The lyrics juxtapose simple living with destructive modernization, emphasizing themes of resilience and cultural loss. Its poignant storytelling and acoustic elements resonate deeply, making it a significant protest anthem. #FolkRock
Julie did three years' trade school
I served my apprenticeship time
We made a modest living
But we were upstaged
'cause computers don't strike
Or need holidays
Our parents ate bread and dripping
Stole wood from the park to keep warm
We're eating by the heater
In threadbare jeans
Brown rice and kerosine
Life wasn't meant to be impossible
Spare us the indignity
Two cheers for progress
Reason denied
Whitewash and platitudes
Are all I can find
Our parents ate bread and dripping
Stole wood from the park to keep warm
The cupboard's bare
All we can share
Brown rice and kerosine
Sometimes I think about cocktails
Update Molotov's recipe
Forget the gravel ballast
And stink of benzine
Use rice and kerosine
A major change of scene
Like 1917 - with people before machines
I served my apprenticeship time
We made a modest living
But we were upstaged
'cause computers don't strike
Or need holidays
Our parents ate bread and dripping
Stole wood from the park to keep warm
We're eating by the heater
In threadbare jeans
Brown rice and kerosine
Life wasn't meant to be impossible
Spare us the indignity
Two cheers for progress
Reason denied
Whitewash and platitudes
Are all I can find
Our parents ate bread and dripping
Stole wood from the park to keep warm
The cupboard's bare
All we can share
Brown rice and kerosine
Sometimes I think about cocktails
Update Molotov's recipe
Forget the gravel ballast
And stink of benzine
Use rice and kerosine
A major change of scene
Like 1917 - with people before machines
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