My Hearts In Australia Now - Slim Dusty

Old Patrick O’Shaughnessy sits at the bar

Cradling a tall glass of stout

His white flowing beard covers most of his face

And his wild Irish eyes gaze about

He was born of an age now forgotten

Somewhere in the long distant past

Now his day’s mostly spent

With his old elbow bent

In the bar of the old Northern Star

I walked to him and I said:

«G'day, mate.

Can I refill your glass there old mate?»

His eyes slowly lifted until they met mine

And a smile creased his weathered old face

I said: «Mate, do you miss the old country?

Does your heart ever yearn for the green?»

His eyes misted over as he drew a breath

He said: «I'll tell you how I really fell

This country and I, we’ve been mates far too long

For me to walk out on her now

When times weren’t real good

Or I was short of a quid

There was always someone to help out

I’m as dinkum an Aussie as you’ll ever meet

And my accent don’t matter nohow

I was born of the green, and this world I have seen

But my heart’s in Australia now.»

I lost track of the time as we yarned there alone

At the very far end of the bar

And by closing time we were fairly well primed

That night in the old Northern Star

I bid him good day and I said I’m away

And I wandered off into the night

But I couldn’t forget the words that he said

They kept coming back time after time

This country and I, we’ve been mates far too long

For me to walk out on her now

When times weren’t real good

Or I was short of a quid

There was always someone to help out

I’m as dinkum an Aussie as you’ll ever meet

And my accent don’t matter nohow

I was born of the green, and this world I have seen

But my heart’s in Australia now

I was born of the green, and this world I have seen

But my heart’s in Australia now