The Farmer – The Pearl of Them All, by Murray Hartin
Australia is chock-full of champions
And history will keep safe their names
We share moments of proud men and women
Who have climbed to the top of their game,
They provide us with great inspiration
But if I may make a very big call
If the aim is to recognise champions
I think The Farmer’s the Pearl of Them All.
See the tough game he’s in never ends
And the playing field’s often quite rough
You need wet stuff to fill up the rain gauge
Talent and hope aren’t enough
Resilience plays a huge factor
Without it the greatest may fall
And our champion has got it in spades
The Farmer, The Pearl of Them All
Plus courage to push through the hard times
You need it to last on the land
While the Rain Gods can smile on you sweetly
Control can still slip from your hands
Too much is as bad as too little
A flood rocks him right to the core
But he mops up and continues the battle
The Farmer, The Pearl of Them All
Sometimes there are knee-jerk reactions
From those who are desperate for votes
Who pretend to be well-versed in matters
But wouldn’t know chick peas from oats
While he tries to make sense of this madness
That again puts his back to the wall
Each day he heads out to the paddock
The Farmer, The Pearl of Them All
Dairies are forced into closure,
Imports have taken their toll,
Red tape and taxes are killers,
He gets butchered by Woolies and Coles,
Drought aid is too little too late
There are no pro-active plans on the floor
Yet they never ask him for solutions,
The Farmer – The Pearl of Them All.
His comrades all share his frustration,
Be it vegetables, fish or fruit trees,
These growers just want common sense,
They’re really not that hard to please,
Sprayers, contractors and drivers,
He speaks on behalf of them all
But the Pollies just turn a blind eye
To The Farmer – The Pearl of Them All.
Look, it’s not all bad luck and crook seasons
When the planets align life is sweet
He knows when he gets a fair go
His produce is real hard to beat
He’ll knock the froth off a couple of cold ones
And most likely have a few more
To celebrate the life he has chosen
The Farmer – The Pearl of Them All
And that’s why we’re all here tonight
It’s what National Ag Day’s about
To give hope to all folk on the land
If they won’t listen we’ll stand up and shout
For bushies love getting together,
Just whistle, they’ll soon hear the call
And gather to honour their brethren
The Farmers – The Pearls of Them All
So next time the talk turns to heroes
A subject of much great debate
And you discuss who befits such a title
Spare a thought for our battling mate
In the history of all things Australian
He has well-earned the right to walk tall
So please raise a glass to our champion
The Farmer – The Pearl of Them All.
Inspired by Will Ogilvie’s classic poem ‘The Pearl of Them All’.
