My Island Home - George Burarrwanga & Birdwave

[clashaddict]

neil murray wrote the song to capture george's story - christine anu was neil murray's backing singer after warumpi band broke up - and he suggested she do a version too - after he'd changed a few words.

[Jaahda]

hmmm - i had George's solo album once - but it went on holiday and never came back. canya tell me where i can get it again ...or download an mp3? i got it at one of his gigs.

interesting - christine anu's version has changed a lot of the words.....no sitting around the camp fire with his brothers.

George was so funny ...wonder if there are any of his comedy type clips anywhere?

i think Geroge was victim to a Maralinga radioactive cloud - he was born when there was a cloud.

R.I.P. Balla

[ididjaustralia]

@Jaahda iTunes or Skinnyfish Music

[Jaahda]

hmmm - i had george's solo album once ...................but it went on holiday and never came back ..................canya tell me where i can get it again ...or download an mp3? i got it at one of his gigs.

interesting - christine anu's version has changed a lot of the words.....no sitting around the camp fire with his brothers.

george was so funny ...wonder if there are any of his comedy type clips anywhere?

[cabotribe]

wow he is a very tall aboriginal man! :)

[Linguiphile]

@ididjaustralia Thanks for this upload. I've enjoyed this song several times in English, but noticed him singing it in "language" this time. What language was it? I heard him mention Alice Springs; was he singing in Arrernte?

BTW, someone please knock that dancing drunk girl into the mosh pit to be trampled.

[ididjaustralia]

@Linguiphile no he was singing in Yolngu Matha, language from north-east Arnhem Land which is where he is from originally

[stormbouy]

it just proves that you can be famous and still have to put up with pissed chicks on stage LOL

[stormbouy]

best clip on youtube ever !!

[bullnbarley]

thank you for sharing this clip with us, love this band & they were very much underrated. Rest in peace George

[TomyGrant]

hello wow !!how I like that songs.. it's my dream one day I'd come to Australia and I'd  listen thats song in a rock's festival.. Thats my DREAM.. Diferent than boring England

[noobifiedcom]

Tis good to hear it how it was written.

respect.

[boy4rmspace]

trues up....@bethsheeba... luv the joke about the palm tree

[kitki91]

Man the is a Palya song....i'm glad i learned how to play it.......can't sing it in language tho, but i still love this version, it's deadly

[Ozyorga]

We sing it in English, but have changed some of the words due to his passing. RIP brother boy, Thx for being in our lives, and leaving us such wonderful music. Auntie Karl, - Madjitil Moorna Singers of Aborignal songs.

[hyubinj]

he died 4 months after this peformance T_T

[Bethsheeba7]

He is a great all round entertainer. Love the bit about the palm tree lol.

[Mariekesone]

This is from the Heart and a beautiful song...very special concert...:-)

Wish there were more like this...

[stormbouy]

2:59 WHO WE ARE?

lol cool

[rosiemcking72]

Great version!! Beautiful song!!!

[adelevn]

This is the original...Christine Anu covered it

[ellesdee1988]

great legend? underrated...

[123be4]

beautiful

[evilstoo]

awesum...

[GerudoV]

anyone know where to get the aboriginal lyrics for this song?

[Jaahda]

i doubt you'd be able to pronounce them ;-)

translated literally the words are quite different to the 'whitefella' version.

RIP dahmul....we miss you SO much.

What an entertainer this man was - especially in front of his people (which he isn't in this clip).

I dunno if I'll ever got over the sadness of losing George.

[widiwati]

there is none but could be translated to any language if u know someone who speaks a language.

[adelevn]

Look up My island home by Christine Anu and you'll get it in English. pretty track.

[Wushuconnexion]

R I P GEORGE you makes me have good time on my guitar with midnight oil 15 years ago...bless up!!

[sonofthedestroyer]

02:54 he shouts 'Too many Hoes?' LOL

[ningali]

ahahha..thats not what he said

[sonofthedestroyer]

It sure sounded like it

[ningali]

i know it did

[melkielly]

R.I.P brotha... we miss you

[Nickshark1982]

Sounds like shit

[lipstar153]

DJMOZZY SHUT THE FUCK UP

[DJM0ZZY]

why dont you leave anu alone for fucksake

[baduboi]

fuck anu stuck up dog. she try come back to the strait's she'll get flogged.

[nyarnwandid]

i luv dis song he george makes dis song and i luv it cAuse its in yolngu da 1st and da best

[ratrodralphy]

for fuck sake whats with the white boomarang chick.

[Xenuspawn]

I just saw this on Anu's office website:

"George Burrarrawanga was the man who first sung life into "My Island Home" when he performed it as the lead singer of the Warumpi band. He was the man who made My Island Home resonate in the hearts of the Aboriginal people long before the whole of Australia embraced it. In my eyes, George was Australia's original Aboriginal rock singer and a great Indigenous Australian. He will be sadly missed by the Anu family"

[Xenuspawn]

I wasn't there, wish I had been, and I don't think you'd have to be to see the beauty and hear the meaning, but that's just me.

George *spells* authenticity. How he, over time, has evolved this song, kept it alive, well I feel privileged to be able to click on an internet site and hear this. Simple for me: beautiful soul.

[alectraproject]

Well, you would have to be there I guess...........

[Jinaburra]

we still miss you Uncle George,, You were the BEST

[Xenuspawn]

I can't stop listening to this. Every few weeks I have to hear it to keep my spirits up and I am no relation or even fellow countryman to him and this video. It's just so pure and perfect and beyond words. The whistle is totally uplifting, so so beautiful.

[MaddJackMcMadd]

So sorry to hear that George has gone away. Safe journey, and thank you.

[Tom5578]

Enough sadness already? B say be'true fellas'. B's family royalties for radio Warumpi? None played in Sydney lately?. Did B compose or use M's work too? I don't kno. John Schuman wrote 'Only 19'/Redgum from a real Viet vet story similar? Lennon copyright Beetles songs?. B share income for this performance, even 10% back to M? No way. Murray pretty poor too? Probably. B was a great front man, no doubt at all. Oral culture. Mmm. I give up.

[Xenuspawn]

Magnificent beauty. Sad to hear you won't be singing to us from here anymore. RIP perfect voice.

[079ersc]

vale, george.

[Tom5578]

RIP George, Mick Jagger had nothing on you bud.

[Tom5578]

Easy there, with the allegations friend. They worked on it together surely. The paper today says Murray wrote the song, briefed by George, performed by G. They were in a band together. That's not stealing, that's cooperation, 'black or white doesn't matter'. Saw George at Waverley Survival Day, Christine too. G was definitely best for me, but she got the tv.

[dharpa]

Well, my friend, if as you say it was "cooperation" why then did George not enjoy the cooperation/copyright of at least one song from any album made under Warumpi - namely My Island Home? He was too proud to confront Murray under Balanda (law) re:copyright and Murray knew it. George's biggest lament was not having any means of support to leave behind for his children - "doesn't matter" - he was talking about equality and it all matters.

[AnnieLovesMichaelJ]

I love aboriginal people!!

[smith94811111]

I heard that Christine Anu bought the rights to this song, so that now George can only sing this version to the song. Has anyone heard about this?

[hiab1]

dont know, her version sucks, maybe he just wantad to sing in lingo

[dharpa]

Anu bought it off Neil Murray, who took copyright of all Warumpi albums.  Murray plied George's personal life story from him to write it, had the Warumpi band workshop it and George up front to make it a sensation. Rrurrambu sings in Yolngu Matha because he can! Would Neil Murray have had the imagination to write it without George's personal stories? (mis)Appropriation of an oral culture? You be the judge!

[sendaishi]

Well, the last time I saw George in Darwin he said, he was NEVER, happy with Neils decision to sell rights of the song to Anu. Its not that he didn't mind her singing it, although her changing some of the words really pissed him off, it was more that Neil never once consulted George about the rights to a song about his own life... most if not all of the words in the song came directly from Georges mouth.

[ididjaustralia]

No, I haven't heard this, 'tis interesting.

[collingwoodfan]

did u say anything to that security guard?

[ididjaustralia]

no, he was just doing his job!

[Baskabirarzunusvarmi]

Thanks for sharing :)

[ididjaustralia]

Pleasure my friend!