If it ever rains again - our songsabym
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Tuesday, 3 April 2007 sabym

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My Country put out the challenge to write a song live on air and you responded magnificently. The theme is When the rain comes - an anthem for when the drought ends. sabym

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Songwriter Bernard Carney was asked to put it all together. His song If it ever rains again is now available to download; listen to it, learn it and sing it in the tractor, in the car, in the school yard, around a camp fire or the barbie.sabym

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But this is your song. We're inviting you to write your own version using the lyrics and ideas that have been contributed so far. The only exception is the song that Bernard Carney has composed. In other words, we'd like you to come up with your own song.sabym

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Send us the finished lyrics and we'll post them here.sabym

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You might like to record the song and send it to us as an mp3. It doesn't need to be professionally done. We'll make it available for people to download. Your song could be the one everyone listens to going round and round on the tractor! sabym

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Please be aware that any resulting work will be the copyright of the ABC and will be freely made available here on the My Country website for others to use. Any tune used must be not subject to copyright. All additional lyrics or arrangements must by your own composition and not subject to copyright.

Send us the finished lyrics (with the name of the tune) or an mp3 recording. Or you can still send lines or ideas for others to enjoy and use. We've included the traditional tune the Wearing of the Green to help you. sabym

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Read on to see what other people have contributed. sabym

Your words

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Our poor kangaroos who are starving and only have water that we provide.sabym
Eat things from my garden, have never seen before. sabym
A Song Line. sabym
Us poor poor kangaroos, sabym
nothing left but our own poos, sabym
Grass has gone so has water sabym
we're a problem, maybe slaughter!sabym
Helen Booth Victoriasabym

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The dams are dry and dusty, sabym
The grass has gone to sleep. The only things that stay alive sabym
Are some hungry skinny sheep. sabym
But when El Nino turns around sabym
To normal once again sabym
There'll be smiles and shouts in homes and pubs; sabym
We'll be singing in the rain. sabym
Nola Scott New South Walessabym

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A cheque book full of hopes and dreamssabym
Ritasabym

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Never thought I'd wish and praysabym
For it to rain on my wedding daysabym
Let's hope the heavens open widesabym
And it tumbles down to kiss the bridesabym
Laurie NE Qldsabym

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the crows are flying backwards to keep the dust out of their eyessabym
turn the telly down and hear the music on roofsabym
dont forget the women of the mallee who danced naked to bring rainsabym
slide on the clay plan in south west qld, Adavale, kids had heaps of fun...sabym
verdant glows caress the valley floor, now curled with drops of morning dew, sparkling under dawningsabym
after the rain Jack Frost has tiptoed through the hills...Hayley would like something positive "New life, regrowth, hope springs eternal."

Moresabym
take the kids outside so they can feel the sky's teardrops on their heads....sabym
the thunder of the rain drops are drowned out by the cheerssabym
shimmering heat, when you get in the wet and look along the road in the western country, eerie lookingsabym
the farmer hears the mournful cry of the black cockatoo as he calls for the rain...(the ones that call)sabym
when the rain hits the earth, there's no smell like it, or the smell of freshly turned soil....sabym

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It will cleanse my soul to reunite my love for this land I call home sabym
Billie

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The Dreams and vision of the land will be watered anew again. sabym
The earth will rejoice with a cry of abundance that the people of the Lands dreams are renewed again. sabym
When the rain came the Dreams are renewed again. sabym
The people and the land will united and hold hands that their dreams and visions are renewed again sabym
Just a few lines, emphasis on Dreams, visions, people, land. Denise

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have to get the old trusty dog, might run off in fright at the thundersabym
kids look around with wonder, watch the rain and hear the thundersabym
rain washes away dusty thoughts and despairsabym

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The last roll of the dice - i liked this line too - this is my suggestion sabym
clear blue skies, it tears at my soul, no sign of a change, this is the last roll of the dicesabym
Sue

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the old grey mare, she came on heat again....sabym
put something about the Koori's - affected by the drought....Koori dreamtime could teach us something sabym
Will Ogilvie poem - dull earth out of her sleeping is awaken to life again...sabym
waiting for the clouds to come rolling in from the west (Wilmington SA)sabym
in the blood ....rhymes with "flood"sabym

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The thunder and the rain on the roof brought the kids to tears.sabym
John, Perth remembers hearing about children who had not heard rain before

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Hear frogs and crickets call, and the locusts on the lawn, they find the last bit of green to add more misery to the scene.sabym
Kay, Albanysabym

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When raindrops wash the tears away, sabym
and dust clouds lie in mud and clay.sabym
Kathryn, Queenslandsabym

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I grew up in the wheatbelt of W.A. (north-eastern) and I can remember my Dad saying "It's so dry that the rabbits carry waterbags and the crows fly backwards to keep the dust out of their eyes". Maybe you could use part of that to add a bit of Aussie humour to the song. sabym
Delys, Kalbarri

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No more pain and death of farmers - wives can smile again.sabym

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I am sad the farmers are doing it so hard. I am former city girl who loves the land.sabym
Margaret Rose NSWsabym

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Be sure to keep a few shovelfuls of dust to throw at each other to stop everyone from getting the benz. sabym
Dale, Western Australia

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Dreaming of enough water to green my pasture the same as a city lawnsabym
To put pride back into my Grandfather's eyes.sabym
Put furrows in the ground, rather than on my brow.sabym
Terry from Margaret river

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As the hundred year drought draws to a close. sabym
The rain tumbles down and the mud squishes around your toes. sabym
The kids holler and scream, sabym
They are scared stiff by the whole scene. sabym
They have seen their parents fighting and bawling. sabym
but the rain is one thing they've never seen. sabym
And the farmer prays that this is more than just another of his oft recurring dreams. sabym
Jane Morro, New South Wales

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About Bernard

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Your guide and muse is WA singer songwriter, Bernard Carney. Bernard is a well known performer at festivals and his music is included on the ABC playlist. He's won several major songwriting awards and has worked on community songwriting projects. sabym

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Bernard has a way with words and a wicked wit and we trust him to do a great job with your song.

Drop us a line with your ideas or lyrics.sabym