Joseph Mathews worked with the Aboriginal elders from Australia at the Singapore ITI in 1969 to create this song. These elders were a powerful mostly silent presence throughout the first two weeks of the ITI.
Work on the song with these elders was a very significant event at the ITI in which a new story for Aboriginal people in Australia for the future was being articulated. Joseph was so delighted working with the elders edit after edit to get the story just right.
I know because I was re-typing draft after draft (no computers about) and
Joe was dancing around back and forth between the elders and the office.
A fond memory of that time.
Jeanette Stanfield
Sent from my Bell Samsung device over Canada's largest network.
-------- Original message --------
From: Michael Shaw via Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net>
Date: 2023-09-21 4:34 p.m. (GMT-05:00)
To: 'Colleague Dialogue' <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net>
Cc: d.michael.shaw@comcast.net
Subject: [Dialogue] Run into the future, run!
This song (copied below) has been running through my mind for several days. The catchy tune makes it a kind of earwig. I’m wondering if anybody knows the backstory on the words, the tune, and most importantly, the context in which it was created.
Peace,
Michael Shaw
206.852.7993
040414