Songs

by Don Walker, Jimmy Barnes (Foreword)

For over forty years, Don Walker’s songwriting has captured what it is to be Australian. From Cold Chisel to Catfish, Tex, Don & Charlie to his solo work, as well as many other writing collaborations, Walker’s words are poetic, moving and incisive. Including classics such as “Khe Sanh”, “Flame Trees”, “Cheap Wine” and “Harry was a Bad Bugger”, this collection reveals the breadth of Walker’s vision and the precision of his prose. These lyrics live on the page, with or without the memory of music.

Interspersed with autobiographical sketches and anecdotes, Songs is a must-have for fans of Walker’s brilliant, razor-sharp storytelling.

Includes a foreword by Jimmy Barnes

‘Pithy, poignant, and provocative, Don Walker is the Poet Laureate of Australian rock 'n’ roll.’ —Mandy Sayer

‘Pithy, acerbic, dry and deeper than a drought-ridden dam. Don’s words are truly a thing of wonder.’ —Peter Garrett

‘As ever, the doyen to the rest of us. Beauty, humour and pathos coexist in his songs. Any time I try to write, the voice of The Don is in my head: “You sure you wanna do that?” Consistently, persistently, the master.’ —Tim Rogers

‘The thinking man’s poet. He delivers lyrics that paint true pictures of life in detail, and melodies that have been a part of our musical fabric as long as I can remember.’ —Troy Cassar-Daley

‘The stories in Don's songs open up to wider stories back and beyond. His lyrics are lean, clear-eyed, love-thirsty and lonesome. A bulls-eye straight to the human heart.’ —Paul Kelly

‘Don’s ability to get at the miniature of any subtle emotion and gently turn it out for you to see is amazing.’ —Ian Moss

‘One of the great poets of the Australian experience. His lyrics speak of and to an Australia that is too rarely glimpsed in song, giving voice to the forgotten and dispossessed, and transforming the currents of grief and love and tenderness that run through even the most ordinary of lives into something universal.’ —James Bradley

‘A mountain of songwriting genius, Mr Walker's tales and tunes are interwoven into the very fabric of Australia. The melodies alone conjure up magical memories of times shared, be it tragedy or joy. I cannot imagine this country without these evocative, rockin and memorable songs.’ —Phil Jamieson

Genres: Music

410 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2019

About the author

Don Walker is one of Australia's leading songwriters - first with Cold Chisel and now as a solo performer and with Tex, Don & Charlie.

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mesmerizing. One of the great poets of our time. Not just a gifted songwriter, a gifted writer.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

He's one of the great Australian songwriters, certainly in that front-stacked first-half of his career. The proof's all here. Great songs. So many of them work so well as poems for a page, or lyrics removed from the stage.