Shriekback Captain Cook

Extremely rare Shriekback video for a never-before-released song called "Captain Cook." It's a very powerful song about the settling of Australiasion lands by Europeans and the subequent vision of hell on Earth as envisioned by the chieftain upon meeting and speaking with Captain Cook. Shriek in rare form. As suggested at the end of the song, "Pass it on, pass it on!"

Lyrics, courtesy of Barry Andrews

After 8 weeks at sea following the trade winds
southeast of Java we sighted land
At first no more than a long white cloud high above
the ocean

As we drew closer we could discern mountains and soon
verdant plains and lush forests
As we anchored, the native people ran from their rude
dwellings to observe us

Captain Cook took myself, 4 marines with muskets, and
a padre, and long boat onto the beach,
And there he planted the English flag upon the land,
claiming as a colony of the Crown.

As he did so, their chief, a tall man clad in
fish-skins came to greet us

Captain Cook said:

We bring the gospel of the one true god,
We bring you medicine and video games
We bring the language of the English queen,
We bring you alcohol and MTV
We bring you syphilis and organised crime
We bring you cinema and chemical war
We bring the poison of our factory-minds
We bring the terror of the passing of time

And the chief said to Captain Cook, "Who are you white man?"
The Captain replied, pointing as his own breast "friend"

The Chief did not understand.
So the Captain pointed out to sea at our vessel and said "ship"

And still the chief did not understand
So the captain pointed at a rifle
And he said "Gun"

And the chief said "Gun" and smiled
And the word caught fire in the chief's mind
And splintered into a thousand other words for which he had no meaning

Words for machines that flew into the night behind the stars
The great cities made of metal and glass
And new kinds of death

And the chiefs head was spinning with this new language
These. . . these words
And he could no longer remember his own tongue
And he began to weep
Saying "I don't want to know your language white man"

And Captain Cook said:

Nothing you know can be unlearned
None of your bridges be unburned . . .
the new words stick in the brain forever
no-one stays stupid while someone's clever
We're transmitting you receive -this is the
software-do you believe?

And the chief spoke to his people
There as the waves lapped upon the beach
And the Captain waited knowing nothing could forestall
the tide of history coming in over the heads of these
gentle and beautiful people

And when the chief turned to Captain Cook and said
"We will do battle with you white man
You will have to kill us all"

Captain Cook just smiled said
"Nothing personal Chief. We're not here to fight you
We're here to transmit a virus
We're here to transmit a virus called the future
A virus called the future
We're here to transmit a virus called the future
Called the future
Called the future
Called the future"

Civilisation is Syphilisation
and yesterday's reason is today's superstition
there are new receivers and a new transmission
We're here to pass on this information: the language/virus inculcation
The Prophets and Madmen sing their song:
'Nobody right-nobody wrong -this is our message
Pass it on
Pass it on
Pass it on...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Barry Andrews
• Shriekback

[Tinhuviel]

@HeadlandRoad Sorry, Headland, my bad. It's merely a matter of ignorance on how to phrase the description. I will change it to be more accurate for people. Thanks for keeping me in line. :)

[len801]

@HeadlandRoad

You're absolutely right and I didn't mean any disrespect. Since NZ is known as the "Land of the Long White Cloud" and Barry's ties to NZ it is more appropriate. Cheers!

[HeadlandRoad]

@len801 Absolutely, the Shrieks at their finest, no dispute about that.

It's just that the song is described by the poster as a being "about the settling of Australian lands by Europeans" and I think that perhaps "Australasian lands" might be more appropriate so as to not to exclude New Zealand, deliberately hinted at in the lyrics.

[len801]

@HeadlandRoad

If you're going to be anal about it, video games, MTV, and cinema don't match either. . .

Let's call it 'artistic licence'. . . The Shrieks at their finest!

[suzananas1]

Sont-ils toujours actif? Je vois que cette vidéo date de 2009... Ont-ils fait un comeback comme tous ces groupes qui auraient dû rester couchés? Eux devraient se relever, c'est sur.

[QueenMAB418]

:Wild Applause: Been wanting to hear this with an actual moving people video for 3 lifetimes. Thanks Tin!!!!!

[billiardoros]

nice feeling!!!!

[fabienagitato]

whouaw great stuff from them i never heard B4 thanks 4 posting brilliant!!

[paulcruse]

Wow! Never seen or heard this before, excellent, thanks guys :)

[HeadlandRoad]

OK, they use a didge, which suggests northern Australia, but the lyrics - "long white cloud" especially, but also the mention of mountains - suggest New Zealand, where Captain Cook arrived before he struck Australia. The description of their journey, however, "8 weeks at sea following the trade winds southeast of Java" does not match either.