From Little Things Big Things Grow - Background

Background

The song was co-written by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody, and is based on the story of The Gurindji Strike and Vincent Lingiari. It describes how the Gurindji people's claim sparked the Indigenous land rights movement. The protest led to the Commonwealth Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. The Act gave Indigenous people freehold title to traditional lands in the Northern Territory and the power of veto over mining and development on those lands. In 1975, 3,236 km² of land was handed back to the Gurindji people. Carmody described writing the song:

"Paul Kelly and I had gone away on a camping trip in about '91 or something and we just kind of pulled it out around the campfire. Paul had a good chord progression and I thought it would be good to tell a little story over it. So, by about 2 o'clock in the morning, we had a six-minute song." —Kev Carmody, 2008

It was recorded by Paul Kelly and the Messengers for their 1991 album Comedy released by Mushroom Records. Kelly included the song on his solo albums, Live, May 1992 and Songs from the South: Paul Kelly's Greatest Hits in 1997. Carmody recorded it on his 1993 album Bloodlines supplying vocals, guitar and didgeridoo, Kelly supplied vocals, guitar and harmonica, with numerous other musicians. This Carmody and Kelly version was released as a single in 1993 but did not chart. Also in 1993, an SBS television documentary, Bloodbrothers, examined Carmody and his music including this song.

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