@@Alexandercuk Couldn't believe Judith had passed away. She is just incredible, a beautiful natural born singer. Mum would often play the Seekers when growing up. Didn't realise she was so crook singing here?. You wouldn't know it
Thank you for being the first of the commentators on this series to rrspect the singers and actually stop and listen to the artists and the song you should also they were also one of the first Aussie group's to have hits in the states
You make that your anthem and I think the entire world will fall madly, in love with you, as that is a super, powerful and moving song, hands down. It not only sings about the Australian Experience but the HUMAN, Experience in general, which is why I think it resonates with so many, Australian or not. You make that your Anthem and I think, almost certainly, you'll have the best, damn, National Anthem of any nation out there. Man, what a powerful, moving, song.
This song is what national pride is all about. It’s not jingoistic, it’s not boastful, it is simply an expression of a person’s love for their country and history. Blessed be to all our Aussie brothers and sisters there.
I'm English, but that is an incredible song .... in fact its MORE than just a song, its an anthem, a masterpiece, and what an outstanding group the Seekers were!
I'm not Australian either, and this song moves me right to the core of my being as it also, sings about the human condition and experience overall, which anyone, anywhere, can relate to. VERY, moving and powerful. If Australia adopts this as their National Anthem at some point, it will be quite honestly, one of the very, best damn, ones out there, if not the very best. How can this song do anything other than generate powerful, national pride and patriotism. Wow! My Best. Best of 2025. Out.
@@lindsaybrown7357 Yes, Dobe Newton who I often saw playing with a quartet The Ranting Lads at my local winebar back in 1972/73. Had an EP of theirs bug sadly lost in a bushfire Feb 2021. 😥
I am one of the many migrants to this land of ours. I grew up in Hong Kong when it was a British colony, then moved to Australia with my parents when I was young (partly because Hong Kong was due to be handed over to China), and became an Australian citizen nearly 30 years ago now! When I was younger, I did find it difficult to fit in, and being of Chinese descent without the English skills that I have now accumulated over time, made it a huge challenge for me. But this song taught me that it doesn't matter where I came from. I've been living in Australia for over 32 years now, and hold an Australian passport. The recent political animosity between Australia and China have made me realise more than ever where my identity lies: I am an Australian, and a former Hong Konger.
I feel really bad for the Hong Kongers. Sounds like your parents were very smart and saw the writing on the wall in HK. We mustn't let the same thing happen to Taiwan. Theres nothing more beautiful than people coming to AUS from all lands and taking the same laid back approach to life us Aussies do.
We had a 26hr stopover in Hong Kong in 1994 enroute to the UK when I worked for Ansett Australia. We stayed in Kowloon, went to the night markets and the next day visited Port Stanley on Hong Kong Island. A great experience. Glad you now call Australia home!
Glad you came here. It is our diversity that makes us great. My origins are boring. All from the UK. From my knowledge of my family history we have been here for about 180 years. I am an Australian by an accident of birth. You are an Australian by choice.
I live in China for than 7 years and I've been to Hong Kong many times and loved every minute. The people of Hong Kong were so different from China and I met people from All over the world there and I mourned for the people when when Beijing intruded. I am so happy you and your family live with us and found happiness. We ARE one. And we are Australian. Love from Brisbane.
It’s people like you and your family who came from overseas that has made our country so great along with the indigenous people so we should be thanking you ❤ so Thankyou from me x
I am Australian. My maternal grandparents moved here from Uruguay in 1973. One of my favourite memories is of my grandfather, in the early 2000s, sitting in front of the radio, listening to this song, with an Akubra hat on and a tear in his eye, as he says in his thick latino accent "this is the most beautiful song I have ever heard"
I.m not even Australian (kiwi 10 years living here) but i tear up every time i hear this. Absolutely should be the National Anthem. Judith's voice was as awesome as it ever was . R.I.P beautiful human
If you live in Australia you are 🇭🇲 you don't have to be born here you don't have to be naturalised, as far as I'm concerned you've left footprints in the sand you are Australian 👣👣👣 welcome to Australia.
Me too, my brother is still in Perth but I'm back across the ditch now. This song is beautiful. We share so many similarities it could even be Australasian rather than Australian. 🇳🇿🇦🇺
I'm 76 and grew up with the Seekers since the 60s, yet I hadn't heard that performance. It made the hairs stand up on my arms, shoulders and scalp. We don't wear patriotism on our sleeve in Australia, but we do love this bloody amazing country. I'm proud to call myself Aussie.
Great reaction young man!! As an Aboriginal man this song always brings a tear to the eye, it is very well written. All Australians, whether being descendants of the first Australians or having immigrated here, we all can relate to this beautiful song. You seem to be a sensible young bloke, just going off your reactions to RBT I've watched 😂 Good on ya mate!
As a white Australian born in '62 I'm fully agree. I bloody love this land. Its vast blue sky, orange red sands and Eucalyptus forests. What a place to live!
Yes mate it always brings tear to my eyes n pulls at the heart strings. We use to sing God Save the Queen early childhood at school than many years later we had this beautiful Anthem come out n we all just loved it. Yes it should be our National Anthem as it describes our country n the people especially the 1st Australians perfectly.
I, as an American born in Kentucky, I immigrated to Oz in 1973. I have been here ever since, and will always call Australia home. I love the land, the people (of all colours, creeds and original nationalities) and most of all, they accept me for who I am, not what I have, or where I came from. As the song says "we are Australian".
Couldn't have said it better. Whether you're a city slicker in Sydney or Melbourne or a bushie from the Red Centre, once the spirit of this ancient land enters you it never leaves. This will always be home no matter how far or wide I roam 😉
Thank you! Just found the clip and your comments. As the co-writer of I Am Australian, I'm proud and humbled by all the beautiful and heartfelt words. X
Thank you so much for contributing to the Australian culture with the beautiful words of this heart stirring piece. Like many other people I desperately wanted this to be our National anthem! I like the inclusiveness which highlights the fact that neither the first Nations people nor the convicts had a say in who came to this beautiful land. While I suffered agonies of guilt as a primary school child when we learned of the heartless attitude of the invading country towards the indigenous people I had admiration for those of both cultures who persisted in fostering respect and friendship and who helped each other however they could.
Thank you for actually listening to the lyrics and appreciating this beautiful song. Judith had had a stroke the night before this concert, but instead of staying in hospital to recover, she insisted on going on stage. This was part of their farewell tour. Judith has since passed away.
I'm an Aussie girl and this song means more to me then the current national anthem! The instrument you are referring to at the beginning is a didgeridoo! 🇦🇺 😊
@@bcoo111it is because of comments like your one that I am what you would call far right! However, a I also enjoy researching things and improving my understanding. Please don’t paint everyone with the same brush.
I am a Yank, living in the Philippines. I have listened to this utterly gorgeous anthem 30, maybe 40 times, and every time, tears well up. At 76, I have followed this group since their start, but this song never fails to thrill me to the bone.
I a similar to yo, 76, in PH, but an Aussie, and listen to the song every couple of days get emotional when I hear it. I grew up with the Seekers, met them on a flight when they were coming back to play to the largest audience ever in Southern Hemisphere (over 200k people) at the Myer Music Bowl, in Melbourne,.
Hey Joel, the intro was performed with the Aboriginal instrument the didgeridoo. Judith Durham here died in August last year. 3 days later Olivia Newton-John, another #1 Ozzie singer and actor died.
Huh who would have guessed it the lefty complained about my factual statement and had it deleted 🤔 also deleted its own pathetic attack on me. I shouldn't be surprised but WOW.. I WILL SCREENSHOT ALL FROM NOW ON.. thanks youtube
Mate, as a proud Aussie - it's THE best song ever. We are all proud of it. (It is a Didgeridoo, by the way). PS: I'm not crying, you're crying. Those damn onions again....
I'm in my 70s, 5th generation Canadian, and a long-time Seekers fan, but have never heard this song before. What a beautiful encapsulation of Australia and its history. I loved the haunting sound of the didgeridoo at the beginning. It was an amazing performance and moved me to tears. Best wishes to all my Aussie cousins!
@Wandering_Canuck I think I'd win the competition for weirdest accent 😂 I'm Australian but I grew up surrounded by my dads Canadian friends so now I have a weird mix of a Canadian and Australian accent. 😂 I have other Australians asking me if I'm Canadian.
As you said, this song is a mini Australian history. In case it helps to do justice to the beauty of words and music, the lyrics are followed by a brief explanation in brackets ( I use this to help people becoming citizens understand a bit about Australia): I came from the Dreamtime, (For the First Nations people, the Aboriginals, the Dreamtime is the creation time of the world and the things that populate it, living and non-living.) From the dusty red-soil plains. (Most of the interior of Australia, 'the Outback', is desert, composed of red soil formed from the weathering of the iron-rich rocks found there. Only the fringe of Australia is cities and green, which is why 85% of Australians live near the coast.) I am the ancient heart, the keeper of the flame. (The keeper of the Aboriginal stories and traditions, passed along in story, and in dance around the flame of the corroboree [ceremony].) I stood upon the rocky shores, I watched the tall ships come. (The rocky landforms of Botany Bay in New South Wales, close to the landing spot of the incoming First Fleet vessels bringing the first British colonisers - prisoners, soldiers as guards, and administrators.) For forty thousand years I've been the first Australian. (It is now known to be closer to 65,000 years that First Nations peoples have been in Australia.) I came upon the prison ship, bowed down by iron chains, (The First Fleet of British ships brought English and Irish convicts, many just sentenced because of theft of items such as a loaf of bread to feed starving families, or Irish and English Catholics for practising their religion when this was outlawed by Protestant England.) I cleared the land, endured the lash, (The convicts were set to work to clear land for farming, build roads, bridges, dwellings, etc and were whipped to keep them working, or for infringements, sometimes with a cruel weapon called a ‘cat o' nine tails’.) And waited for the rains. (There were long periods of dry, often drought, and intense heat, with the heavy rainfall “the rains” providing welcome relief.) I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run, (Settler was the name for freed convicts or free people who settled in Australia; a run is a cattle or sheep farm.) A convict, then a free man, I became Australian. (Because convict sentences were seven or more years long, and return to England was often impossibly long and too costly, most convicts stayed once they had served their sentences. They were then released from bondage and became free men and women.) I'm the daughter of a digger, who sought the mother lode. (A digger [later the name for Aussie soldiers] at that time was a prospector in the gold rush that began in 1852 in the goldfields of Bathurst, New South Wales, and Ballarat and Bendigo in Victoria. Prospectors dreamed of finding that incredibly rich vein of gold, the mother lode, from which small nuggets and specks washed into streams, or smaller veins were found in rocks buried in the earth.) The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road. (Families walked very long distances and in very harsh conditions to reach the goldfields-hence girls becoming women.) I'm a child of the Depression, (The Great Depression of 1930s followed the Wall Street Crash in the USA, and saw many families around the world lose all their savings, job retrenchments followed as businesses collapsed, many families were reduced to destitution.) I saw the good times come, (Following cessation of WW2 in 1945, there was an economic resurgence that continued through the end of the 40s, into the 50s and 60s.) I'm a bushie, (An Aussie who lives in the 'bush', the region between the cities and the Outback.) I'm a battler, (What Aussies call ordinary people, ones who just get by making a living and a life.) I am Australian. We are one, but we are many, And from all the lands on earth we come. We'll share a dream and sing with one voice, "I am, you are, we are Australian" (Australia is an incredibly multicultural nation. Since the First Fleet dropped anchor in 1788, close to ten million settlers have moved from across the world to start a new life in Australia, eight million of them since the end of the Second World War. The early years were convicts, free settlers, Germans escaping religious persecution and Irish the Potato famine, Chinese with the gold rushes, South Sea islanders working the sugar plantations, post-WW2 migration from Britain, Italy, Syria, Lebanon, etc, and Vietnamese after the Vietnam war, then more recently refugees from conflict in areas such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Ukraine.) I'm a teller of stories, I'm a singer of songs, I am Albert Namatjira and I paint the ghostly gums. (Albert Namatjira [1902-1959] was a famous Aboriginal artist who painted in non-traditional Aboriginal style. His paintings of Australian Ghost Gums [a smooth, white-barked eucalyptus tree] became famous and commanded huge prices.) I'm Clancy on his horse, ('Clancy of the Overflow', a famous poem of an Australian drover [stockman “cowboy”] by A. B "Banjo" Paterson.) I'm Ned Kelly on the run, (Ned Kelly was an infamous Australian bushranger [Australian outlaw] who led a gang - the Kelly Gang. He wore distinctive rough armour with a conical helmet. He was caught and executed at 25 years of age.) I'm the one who waltzed Matilda, ('Matilda', from the famous Australian song 'Waltzing Matilda', words by Banjo Paterson, is the swag. The gear of the drover/bushie was placed on a cloth and the corners lifted and tied together in a knot. A stick was then pushed through under the knot and the 'swag' was carried across the bushie's shoulder, which made it swing, or 'waltz', on the bushman’s back as he walked.) I am Australian. I'm the hot wind from the desert, I'm the black soil of the plains, I'm the mountains and the valleys, I'm the drought and flooding rains. (Australia is the driest continent on Earth. Most of the eastern edges of the land are mountainous, so the rains fall on the mountains and coastal regions and usually do not reach inland. The winds coming from the South Pole are not hot enough to carry water vapour, so they are dry as they swing across Western Australia, and become heated as they travel inland. The 'drought and flooding rains' comes from the poem 'My Country' by Australian poet Dorothea Mackellar.) I am the rock, (Uluru is the famous huge red monolith in central Australia [called Ayer’s Rock in 1873 by the explorer William Gosse after Sir Henry Ayers, the Chief Secretary of South Australia at the time, then returned to its traditional owners in 1985 and renamed]) I am the sky (The southern sky has quite different star patterns to the northern hemisphere, including the Southern Cross, which appears on the bottom right of the Australian flag), The rivers when they run, (River beds are often dry because of Australia’s low rainfall, the rivers towards the centre of Australia only run after heavy rains.) The spirit of this great land, I am Australian. We are one, but we are many, And from all the lands on earth we come. We share a dream and sing with one voice, "I am, you are, we are Australian." (The dream is one of inclusion and equality for all: First Nations people, descendants of the colonisers, and people who have come here in later years from all lands. We are not there yet, but we are actively working towards it.)
Damn thanks mate for putting the effort in to explaining the whole song. But let us all remember "We are One, but we are Many, and from ALL the lands on Earth we come." Anything threatening the fact the Australia is one of the World's greatest multicultural achievements is a threat ... .
Australians these days come in two main varieties: born and paper (naturalised). Like many Aussies, I came here as a small child, with immigrant parents (dad = NZ, mum = UK) and so while born elsewhere, I grew up here. I could never call any other country home. This song incorporates the idea that Australia was built by people from many places, and its very true. We have large communities of long time residing immigrants who built a country I can be proud of. We have the large Greek city outside Greece, Italians who came to build the snowy mountain hydropower systems, the Germans of Barossa valley and the Chinese who were the main suppliers on the Victorian goldfields... and so many other groups that came here to find a better life.
I still miss Judith , I love the seeker's and there will never be such a beautiful voice like hers again. She is sorely missed. RIP Judith, you are still loved.
As an Aussie I am 110% behind this as our national anthem. Says more about who we are as a people than any other song and yes, RIP Judith a battler to end.
Thank you for your reaction. What ANGERS me is that reactors (like you) around the world realise how powerful this song that it encapsulates my wonderful country. It NEEDS to be our national anthem, instead of the meaningless one we have now...
@@dfmoultonexactly! Even everyone from other countries who hear this understand that and we still have that same anthem that brings nothing to most people here.
Hi Joel, You don't actually have to live in Australia to be counted as an Aussie. We're quite happy to adopt Honorary Aussies, just treat people the wat most of us do. I definitely think you should be adopted as an Honorary Aussie.
I agree if there was overwhelming support. Only two little problems, it doesn't mention the hundreds of 1000s of brave Aussie diggers( soldiers) that gave their lives for this nation to remain free and with 5 verses its quite long already so don't know how that would go, Aussies get bored and distracted quite easily as it is and it would be wrong to cut any of the verses as it's already happened to Adv. Australia fair. ( I get so pissed off when our footballers race off to go to their positions when the end part of our Nat. anthem is still playing before the start of the grand finals!)
A piece of Trivia: On March 12, 1967 the Seekers performance at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl - estimated at 200,000 people - was immortalised in the Guinness Book of Records the following year as the biggest concert attendance ever in the southern hemisphere. That figure was 10% of Melbourne's then population.
I was born in Zimbabwe but have lived in Australia since 1984 and absolutely love this land and it’s many different peoples. This song always makes me cry.
I came from the dream-time From the dusty red-soil plains I am the ancient heart The keeper of the flame I stood upon the rocky shores I watched the tall ships come For forty thousand years I've been The first Australian I came upon the prison ship Bowed down by iron chains I fought the land, endured the lash And waited for the rains I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife On a dry and barren run A convict, then a free man I became Australian I'm the daughter of a digger Who sought the mother lode The girl became a woman On the long and dusty road I'm a child of the Depression I saw the good times come I'm a bushie, I'm a battler I am Australian We are one, but we are many And from all the lands on earth we come We'll share a dream and sing with one voice "I am, you are, we are Australian" I'm a teller of stories I'm a singer of songs I am Albert Namatjira And I paint the ghostly gums I'm Clancy on his horse I'm Ned Kelly on the run I'm the one who waltzed Matilda I am Australian I'm the hot wind from the desert I'm the black soil of the plains I'm the mountains and the valleys I'm the drought and flooding rains I am the rock, I am the sky The rivers when they run The spirit of this great land I am Australian We are one, but we are many And from all the lands on earth we come We'll share a dream and sing with one voice "I am, you are, we are Australian" We are one, but we are many And from all the lands on earth we come We'll share a dream and sing with one voice "I am, you are, we are Australian" "I am, you are, we are Australian"
this song makes me so happy, i feel like it means so much more to us than advance australia fair. im aboriginal and my dad taught me the lyrics of the chorus in my language, and i love singing it. i am, you are, we are australian :))
The Seekers are a legendary band down here, we recently lost Judith Durham, we all felt like we had lost someone close. I love seeing others appreciate the magic of this song!
Judith was taken from us too soon. Her voice was wonderful. I say this as a Brit who remembers the Seekers from their early days, Morning Town Ride etc.
I immigrated to this beautiful country quite a few years ago, after my citizenship ceremony a mate played me this song at the celebration dinner. I was in tears lol. I hadnt heard it before. You can only hear something this incredible for the first time once. Your reaction gave me a sense of that back
We are one, but we are many, and from all the lands on Earth we come ... we'll share a dream, AND SING WITH ONE VOICE ..... I am, you are, we are Australian
I come back every so often to watch this video because nobody reacts to the "I watched the tall ships come." line as intensely as you did. It brings me great joy to know that its significance is recognised.
Many non Australians may not know what some of the words mean. Look up. Matilda, bushy, swag, Ned Kelly, & Albert Namajeera he was an aboriginal painter, never took a lesson in his life, has been gone many years but still beloved in Australia, The Seekers are icons here & we will listen to them forever. This should be our National Anthem.
This song invokes pride in our great nation, it's all encompassing, all inclusive. We've still got a long way to go to right the wrongs of the past but this is one song that we can all feel a part of, not to mention the gorgeous voices of the Seekers but particularly of Judith Durham RIP. A really good reaction, thanks.
There has never been a war in Australia. The majority of Australians are great people who are accepting of who you are.Billions of dollars are given to the indigenous communities to try and help them move forward and better their lives.
It’s an inclusive anthem which represents all our stories. We can all claim our part. Such a respectful, perfect song ❤️ That smile on your face, that reaction to this perfect song…you’re one of us, now, mate. That’s how it makes us all feel.
Im born in Australia,my parents were immigrants from Croatia. I do love this country. God Bless😇😇😇. Thankyou for presenting Australia in all its beauty😇our American friends are always welcome.😇
Thank you Joel, for that reaction. It's a song that moves every Aussie when they hear it I think, that's why so many of us would love it as our anthem, the one we have is so outdated, and not that relatable for most people. The fact that I've seen so many reactors from other countries seem to love and understand this song, should be enough to prompt a change I think. ❤
Yes, it has long been an iconic song here in Australia. The guy singing it, Bruce Woodley, wrote it. That instrument at the start is an Aboriginal instrument called a didjeridoo. I am very glad you liked it and were moved by it.
The Seekers were our biggest musical export of the 1960s. This performance, if I recall, was from their last reunion tour (in the early 2000s?) Judith is using a stool because she was recovering from a stroke.
I am not even Australian, but I feel like I am when I listen to this wonderful song. It always makes me cry, so lovely and sung by the brilliant Seekers.
Joel .. I am Brit with family in Australia .. who came over on a £10 ticket in the 60S '... this is Australias song and brings tears to my eyes everytime I hear it God Bless all Australians where ever they live or roam .. !!
MY MAN, due to having the honour of being who I consider the person who gave the “most heartfelt reaction” to our beautiful Seekers song, on behalf of Australians, I hereby bestow upon you the title of, “HONORARY AUSTRALIAN.” You would fit right in with our great land mate. Cheers. 🇦🇺🦘🦢
FINALLY you found it. This song resonates with all Australians, old and new. At this final farewell Judith was 72 and assume the guys were the same. Live and no special effects, I tear up when I here this song. 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Such a wonderful song. I saw them perform this live at an Australian rules Football final on line a few years back. Heartbroken to hear that Judith Durham has died. I did not know until I saw this. Growing up in the U.K. in the 1960's I remember the Seekers were huge here & even outsold the Beatles with some of their songs. Judith Durham had one of the best voices I have ever heard. A real Australian legend. The Carnival is truly over. R.I.P. xx
I am one of those Australians who absolutely LOVE The Seekers. They were popular in the 1960s! I loved them then. This is when they are old - and yet they still sing well enough to make me cry - but that's me.
its the opening lines that make it special for us Australians as it reminds us of the First Nation peoples and every other part of this son is spot on to what we are " Australian"
Goose bumps every time… I’m first generation Australian with Italian parents and definitely a proud Australian….. this song should definitely be our anthem
Goosebumps song for us Migrants and coming from different many cultures and now as ONE, I became Australian. Yes, it is the history of Australia that is close to our hearts 💕. Love this to be our national anthem. Salute to the band, The Seekers, and RIP to Judith Durham, truly a national treasure.
Although i am English,i have visited Australia a couple of times as my brother and his family live there,i have traveled from top to bottom and west to east and have loved every minuet of every day i was there,it is truly a beautiful country filled with beautiful people and this song conjures up such warm memories it is a song that fits Australia perfectly,
Thank you for playing this song!! My favourite song!! The Seekers were a national Aussie treasure since the sixties. Yes, you should start playing Aussie songs. You wouldn't believe what Americans have missed out on. So many wonderful Aussie singers and songs!!
This song epitomises everything about our beautiful country. As one born in the UK, but raised in Australia, this song always makes me cry. Its brilliant. I am, you are, we ARE Australian.
I was going to comment after watching this, but i thought i would read the comments first..... Everyone said the same thing i was feeling with tears running down my face.... Then i watched your reaction to this wonderful song 2 more times, and still had more tears. This is US! , and everyone that came here from all over the world... We are all Australian. Thankyou and welcome to our team.. the song moves people. I am still shivering. Does it to me every time. One day i hope you come and visit for a while to see it for your self. Then listen to the song again....
Hello from Australia 🇦🇺 The reaction you had after the 1st 2 verses when you understood exactly what was happening gave me fkn goosebumps man!!!! Made me smile to see you understand the meaning and the history it’s conveying!!! Great reaction video!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
When this beautiful song was recorded, The Seekers were about to retire after decades of making music and we're all around 70 +/-....Judith also had a stroke around this time, and one reason why she sits while singing.🇦🇺
No matter how many times l see this my heart swells, l tear up and get goose bumps. A timeless song and certainly the best version of it. Makes me proud how well Aussies do anything we put our minds to🥰🇦🇺
I love they mention our great icons such as Albert and Ned. True Australian hero's and Clancy of the Overflow a true folklore. A fantastic song. Full off Australian sayings and images as well.
Yes, those mythical icons of the Australian consciousness. Albert whose glorious Western style watercolours depicting so skillfully and with deep artistic impression the Australian landscape died in penury at the hands of the constant humbugging of his family and tribe. Ned, with vengeance in his heart and delusions of revolution but dying at the end of a rope for cold blooded murder. And finally, Clancy whose words written by his talented creator Banjo Patterson mythicised the bush where work, friends and the land were intertwined into an Arcadian Wonderland, juxtaposed against the mind-numbing City Hell of office work, crowds and brawling children where ironically today over 90% of Australians live and only now venture sporadically into the bush as a holiday experience. But I get it. I prefer the myth over reality any day.
For over 60 years we've been entertained by The Seekers, it's sad to see them performing in their Fairwell Concert. I've listened to them over the years but never has a performance of theirs brought a tear to my eye as this song did. You're right, it's a history lesson about the land and the people. Judith has left us now, we lost her and Olivia Newton-John in the same week in 2022 - RIP 🙏❤ They're making music on the other side now. The instrument is called a didgeridoo and I love it. Surprisingly it fits in with modern music extremely well. So glad you liked the song, if you understood our harsh beginnings, who Albert Namatjira was, who Ned Kelly was, who a digger was, a bushy, the meaning behind Waltzing Matilda and the spirituality and majesty of Uluru, you'd understand the song even better ☺
There’s an absolutely beautiful recreation of this song by ABC (Australian boardcasting channel) for their 90th anniversary last year. One of the best ‘ads’ ever made. They have it in a condensed form with just the first verse if you search ‘abc i am Australian’. But seeing all the pieces that went into include an aboriginal choir singing in their specific areas native language, is something extra special. I love seeing people’s reaction to this song. Especially non Australians who just love it almost as much as we all do. Thanks for sharing! 😊
The instrument in the intro is a didgeridoo. I am half Aussie and half American, and this song gets me choked up every single time. Thanks for posting.
Not a full history.As in many countries, these people were immigrants who killed and took over the land of the indigenous people. I’m the child of colonials and was taught that history only began once Europeans arrived. Actually, a richer, ancient history came before.
@@mandywarren8566 That is how the entire world evolved. Those who invaded had themselves been invaded at least half a dozen times. It is human nature. If your history class only starts when Europeans arrived then complain, start a movement to rectify it and or home school your children and make sure they learn all of history. That includes teaching that the invaders were themselves also invaded.
I grew up a tiny country town and I remember when i was about 9/10 we held a twilight market/performance once. My school choir sang this in the outside amphitheatre and I remember the wave of emotion when everyone watching us started signing with us. When we sing this, it's a love story to everyone from the first Australian in our past, Australians that are here today, and all who walk our future. Regardless of who you are or where you come from, if you want to call Australia home, we will welcome you.
I grew up in a tiny country town and learned this at 5/6 for the retirement party of the long-time school principal. Singing it is really the only memory I have of the event but the whole community was there.
Just subscribed to your channel. The Seekers were a "super group" of their era and still very popular today. Sadly we lost Judith Durham a little while ago. It is unusual to find someone so young, especially from another country showing such respect and genuinely understanding that it is not just a song, it encapsulates our history and I love your reaction. Thank you young man.
Even now she is much older Judith’s voice could still melt the steel off a battleship.
You know she sadly died in 2022 right? Yes even at her age she still sounded wonderful...my favourite female singer of all time.
@@Alexandercuk Couldn't believe Judith had passed away. She is just incredible, a beautiful natural born singer. Mum would often play the Seekers when growing up. Didn't realise she was so crook singing here?. You wouldn't know it
@@Alexandercukagree, beautiful.
Yes her voice would melt the steel off a battleship ☺
Aw, rest in peace sweet Judith. Thumbs up from a West Australian.
You are a Western Australian
I am
Thank you for being the first of the commentators on this series to rrspect the singers and actually stop and listen to the artists and the song you should also they were also one of the first Aussie group's to have hits in the states
Im a proud true blue aussie and this should be our anthem AUSTRALIA IS THE BEST COUNTRY ON EARTH
You make that your anthem and I think the entire world will fall madly, in love with you, as that is a super, powerful and moving song, hands down. It not only sings about the Australian Experience but the HUMAN, Experience in general, which is why I think it resonates with so many, Australian or not. You make that your Anthem and I think, almost certainly, you'll have the best, damn, National Anthem of any nation out there. Man, what a powerful, moving, song.
@@LisaJohannsen-wh2be as a 78 year old Aussie battler I agree with you 100%.God Bless Australia.💕❤️🙏❤️
We used to be, I don’t recognise my country any more
@Kek-fn1jh we will be again...bring on Dutton.💕🙏
Yes as an Aussie I would love this song to be our national anthem
This song is what national pride is all about. It’s not jingoistic, it’s not boastful, it is simply an expression of a person’s love for their country and history. Blessed be to all our Aussie brothers and sisters there.
Well said mate!
And the bow at the end is so modest.
Great comment mate agree it touches the soul deeply n our national pride in its history n the 1st Australians.
Good on yer, Mate. I'm from Old South Wales not New South Wales but I love the Seekers and their contribution to Good music
thankyou totally we are free..2.24 turn it up the didgeridoo now you feel asustralia
Hard not to tear up at this every time I hear it. As a proud aussie it's my vote for our anthem too. R.I.P. Judith. A true aussie legend.
I’d choose this song or land down under but u are right it’s beautiful I love our country
I cry every time I hear this. A beautiful song. 🇦🇺
Haven't lived in Australia for the last 14 years, but this song always strikes a chord. Someone's always chopping bloody onions when this comes on.
What a talented amazing lady iam a kiwi and I grew up with this music
Well said
I'm English, but that is an incredible song .... in fact its MORE than just a song, its an anthem, a masterpiece, and what an outstanding group the Seekers were!
Check out the Bushwackers rendition.
This was co-written by their lead singer.
@@lindsaybrown7357 Will do Lindsay, and thanks for the 'heads up', i had no idea it even existed ....
I'm not Australian either, and this song moves me right to the core of my being as it also, sings about the human condition and experience overall, which anyone, anywhere, can relate to. VERY, moving and powerful. If Australia adopts this as their National Anthem at some point, it will be quite honestly, one of the very, best damn, ones out there, if not the very best. How can this song do anything other than generate powerful, national pride and patriotism. Wow! My Best. Best of 2025. Out.
@@lindsaybrown7357 Yes, Dobe Newton who I often saw playing with a quartet The Ranting Lads at my local winebar back in 1972/73.
Had an EP of theirs bug sadly lost in a bushfire Feb 2021. 😥
@pacapaca6307
Sorry hearing about the bushfire.
Terrible things, and not just seasonable anymore, as evidenced by what's happening over in California.
Asn Aboriginak man this is one song that fits us all. It always brings a tear, the respect to all.
That’s right mate…
I'm with you there for sure.
Only it should be changed from 40,000 years to 65,000 years! But I agree, a great song, includes us all, & should be the national anthem.
I'm Australian too, not an aboriginal but I truly love this song and it should be our anthem
Totally agree.
I’m an Aussie and this song always gives me goosebumps. It should be our National Anthem for sure
Stuff Australia Fair,
Let's get this one!!
Damn right mate
I did tear up and I'd vote for it. Especially after the recent voice referendum
Bloody oath mate
This song and Peter Allen’s song, I still call Australia home.
I am one of the many migrants to this land of ours. I grew up in Hong Kong when it was a British colony, then moved to Australia with my parents when I was young (partly because Hong Kong was due to be handed over to China), and became an Australian citizen nearly 30 years ago now!
When I was younger, I did find it difficult to fit in, and being of Chinese descent without the English skills that I have now accumulated over time, made it a huge challenge for me. But this song taught me that it doesn't matter where I came from. I've been living in Australia for over 32 years now, and hold an Australian passport. The recent political animosity between Australia and China have made me realise more than ever where my identity lies: I am an Australian, and a former Hong Konger.
I feel really bad for the Hong Kongers. Sounds like your parents were very smart and saw the writing on the wall in HK. We mustn't let the same thing happen to Taiwan. Theres nothing more beautiful than people coming to AUS from all lands and taking the same laid back approach to life us Aussies do.
We had a 26hr stopover in Hong Kong in 1994 enroute to the UK when I worked for Ansett Australia. We stayed in Kowloon, went to the night markets and the next day visited Port Stanley on Hong Kong Island. A great experience.
Glad you now call Australia home!
Glad you came here. It is our diversity that makes us great. My origins are boring. All from the UK. From my knowledge of my family history we have been here for about 180 years. I am an Australian by an accident of birth. You are an Australian by choice.
I live in China for than 7 years and I've been to Hong Kong many times and loved every minute. The people of Hong Kong were so different from China and I met people from All over the world there and I mourned for the people when when Beijing intruded. I am so happy you and your family live with us and found happiness. We ARE one. And we are Australian. Love from Brisbane.
It’s people like you and your family who came from overseas that has made our country so great along with the indigenous people so we should be thanking you ❤ so Thankyou from me x
I tremble with pride & tears, especially when Judith's voice kicks in. She takes it to unsurpassed levels. ❤
I am Australian. My maternal grandparents moved here from Uruguay in 1973. One of my favourite memories is of my grandfather, in the early 2000s, sitting in front of the radio, listening to this song, with an Akubra hat on and a tear in his eye, as he says in his thick latino accent "this is the most beautiful song I have ever heard"
That's the kind of person that helped shape this awesome country
You killed me 😭😭😭
@@zeroplanet9 yep, he and my nan both did factory work in Chullora until 1998 when they retired
Beautiful mate. Absolutely beautiful comment ❤️
Yes he's a great Australian!! He came and brought his best to this country. Thankyou to him for his part in our great country 🙏
I came to Australia more than 60 years ago, a refugee and stateless. This ought to be our national anthem - 100%
I.m not even Australian (kiwi 10 years living here) but i tear up every time i hear this. Absolutely should be the National Anthem. Judith's voice was as awesome as it ever was . R.I.P beautiful human
If you live in Australia you are 🇭🇲 you don't have to be born here you don't have to be naturalised, as far as I'm concerned you've left footprints in the sand you are Australian 👣👣👣 welcome to Australia.
Pete, you are Australian ❤ and you are still allowed to call yourself whatever you'd like 😁 but i'd say you are also an Aussie now mate.
Me too, my brother is still in Perth but I'm back across the ditch now. This song is beautiful.
We share so many similarities it could even be Australasian rather than Australian. 🇳🇿🇦🇺
10 years....time to go home.
Kiwis are our brothers and sisters. We are one
Goosebumps AND tears.
I'm 76 and grew up with the Seekers since the 60s, yet I hadn't heard that performance. It made the hairs stand up on my arms, shoulders and scalp. We don't wear patriotism on our sleeve in Australia, but we do love this bloody amazing country. I'm proud to call myself Aussie.
Right on, Peter.
I’m 70
To think we’ll never hear it live again
I'm 38 and I feel the same way I personally dislike patriotism but I still love Australia.
Thank you Joel
It did the same thing to me, it gave me goosebumps. Never forget how lucky we are to be an Australian. Never take it for granted!
I'm a proud descendent of a convict and an Aboriginal woman, I love this song
As a Australian mum of 6 grown and 32 grandkids, your comment tells me you are a beautiful strong woman great mum great dad U gotta be bub love ya
Great reaction young man!! As an Aboriginal man this song always brings a tear to the eye, it is very well written. All Australians, whether being descendants of the first Australians or having immigrated here, we all can relate to this beautiful song. You seem to be a sensible young bloke, just going off your reactions to RBT I've watched 😂 Good on ya mate!
As a white Australian born in '62 I'm fully agree. I bloody love this land. Its vast blue sky, orange red sands and Eucalyptus forests. What a place to live!
Yes mate it always brings tear to my eyes n pulls at the heart strings. We use to sing God Save the Queen early childhood at school than many years later we had this beautiful Anthem come out n we all just loved it. Yes it should be our National Anthem as it describes our country n the people especially the 1st Australians perfectly.
❤
I am no colour, just Australian ❤️
Im with you brother
I, as an American born in Kentucky, I immigrated to Oz in 1973. I have been here ever since, and will always call Australia home. I love the land, the people (of all colours, creeds and original nationalities) and most of all, they accept me for who I am, not what I have, or where I came from. As the song says "we are Australian".
It doesn't matter where you came from, or when you came, once the Spirit of the Land enters your soul, you ARE Australian.
Your sentence could easily be lyrics in the song
Absolutely 💯 🇦🇺
Uhhh 🥲 so true 💙💙💙
Couldn't have said it better. Whether you're a city slicker in Sydney or Melbourne or a bushie from the Red Centre, once the spirit of this ancient land enters you it never leaves. This will always be home no matter how far or wide I roam 😉
..and it is the spirit of the land...isn't it? ❤
Thank you! Just found the clip and your comments. As the co-writer of I Am Australian, I'm proud and humbled by all the beautiful and heartfelt words. X
Thank you for your contribution. It should be our national anthem instead of Advance Australia Fair.
Thanks so much for helping to write this wonderful song, Dobe. It touches the soul. 💕
Thank you so much for contributing to the Australian culture with the beautiful words of this heart stirring piece. Like many other people I desperately wanted this to be our National anthem! I like the inclusiveness which highlights the fact that neither the first Nations people nor the convicts had a say in who came to this beautiful land. While I suffered agonies of guilt as a primary school child when we learned of the heartless attitude of the invading country towards the indigenous people I had admiration for those of both cultures who persisted in fostering respect and friendship and who helped each other however they could.
Thanks Dobe, you and Bruce created a song of the ages. Always on high rotation on this day.
Thank you for actually listening to the lyrics and appreciating this beautiful song. Judith had had a stroke the night before this concert, but instead of staying in hospital to recover, she insisted on going on stage. This was part of their farewell tour. Judith has since passed away.
As a migrant of 54 years I am very proud to be Australian and STANDING FOR ITS FREEDOM.
So vote YES
Ditto to the person at the top! And No to the person below as Aussies clearly said, we need to be treated all the same no matter what our race.
I'm an Aussie girl and this song means more to me then the current national anthem! The instrument you are referring to at the beginning is a didgeridoo! 🇦🇺 😊
Yidaki
I would be proud to hear this at the Olympics and sing and now EVERY word.
And the Didgeridoo is only to be played by a man. Oh can't wait to hear the loony left scream about that one..
@@brettleonard8602 People on the left generally care enough about subjects to learn about them, unlike yourself.
@@bcoo111it is because of comments like your one that I am what you would call far right! However, a I also enjoy researching things and improving my understanding. Please don’t paint everyone with the same brush.
I am a Yank, living in the Philippines. I have listened to this utterly gorgeous anthem 30, maybe 40 times, and every time, tears well up. At 76, I have followed this group since their start, but this song never fails to thrill me to the bone.
I a similar to yo, 76, in PH, but an Aussie, and listen to the song every couple of days get emotional when I hear it. I grew up with the Seekers, met them on a flight when they were coming back to play to the largest audience ever in Southern Hemisphere (over 200k people) at the Myer Music Bowl, in Melbourne,.
@@ianyoung9539Not until the band re-united did they realize the global impact they had - and still have.
It resonates through the bones to the soul.
This was sang when I became a citizen ... it truely put a stamp of validation on my being Australian ...
76 too &living in PH, but an Aussie & I ply t most days.
Hey Joel, the intro was performed with the Aboriginal instrument the didgeridoo. Judith Durham here died in August last year. 3 days later Olivia Newton-John, another #1 Ozzie singer and actor died.
@Scooterboi60 Yes double sadness the past 6 months or so.
Yidaki
Huh who would have guessed it the lefty complained about my factual statement and had it deleted 🤔 also deleted its own pathetic attack on me. I shouldn't be surprised but WOW.. I WILL SCREENSHOT ALL FROM NOW ON.. thanks youtube
@@bcoo111 Respect to your Country. Unfortunately Didgeridoo is the word that has made it into international English.
@@elli4210 With just a little awareness and respect, that can change.
I'm an Australian and so blessed to live in a country of mateship and easy going folk .
God bless Australia forever ....
Ken oath mate, well said!
Mate, as a proud Aussie - it's THE best song ever. We are all proud of it. (It is a Didgeridoo, by the way). PS: I'm not crying, you're crying. Those damn onions again....
Mate. We must have bought the same batch of onions, they brought a tears to my eyes as well. 😅
Best song ever ( True Blue is great as well )
Why do they always play this song while I'm chopping onions?
I may have been chopping onions, while listening to this.
As an American, this song makes me proud that the Aussies are our brothers.
I get choked up every time I hear this song. A proud Australian!
Me too 😊
I'm in my 70s, 5th generation Canadian, and a long-time Seekers fan, but have never heard this song before. What a beautiful encapsulation of Australia and its history. I loved the haunting sound of the didgeridoo at the beginning. It was an amazing performance and moved me to tears. Best wishes to all my Aussie cousins!
We love you too. You guys are just Australian's with funny accents 😊
@@iandawson3171 Cool. We can discuss who has the funny accent! 🤣
@Wandering_Canuck I think I'd win the competition for weirdest accent 😂 I'm Australian but I grew up surrounded by my dads Canadian friends so now I have a weird mix of a Canadian and Australian accent. 😂 I have other Australians asking me if I'm Canadian.
@@Hulkindex Now that sounds interesting! It's too bad there isn't a way to actually hear your accent.
As you said, this song is a mini Australian history. In case it helps to do justice to the beauty of words and music, the lyrics are followed by a brief explanation in brackets ( I use this to help people becoming citizens understand a bit about Australia):
I came from the Dreamtime, (For the First Nations people, the Aboriginals, the Dreamtime is the creation time of the world and the things that populate it, living and non-living.)
From the dusty red-soil plains. (Most of the interior of Australia, 'the Outback', is desert, composed of red soil formed from the weathering of the iron-rich rocks found there. Only the fringe of Australia is cities and green, which is why 85% of Australians live near the coast.)
I am the ancient heart, the keeper of the flame. (The keeper of the Aboriginal stories and traditions, passed along in story, and in dance around the flame of the corroboree [ceremony].)
I stood upon the rocky shores, I watched the tall ships come. (The rocky landforms of Botany Bay in New South Wales, close to the landing spot of the incoming First Fleet vessels bringing the first British colonisers - prisoners, soldiers as guards, and administrators.)
For forty thousand years I've been the first Australian. (It is now known to be closer to 65,000 years that First Nations peoples have been in Australia.)
I came upon the prison ship, bowed down by iron chains, (The First Fleet of British ships brought English and Irish convicts, many just sentenced because of theft of items such as a loaf of bread to feed starving families, or Irish and English Catholics for practising their religion when this was outlawed by Protestant England.)
I cleared the land, endured the lash, (The convicts were set to work to clear land for farming, build roads, bridges, dwellings, etc and were whipped to keep them working, or for infringements, sometimes with a cruel weapon called a ‘cat o' nine tails’.)
And waited for the rains. (There were long periods of dry, often drought, and intense heat, with the heavy rainfall “the rains” providing welcome relief.)
I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run, (Settler was the name for freed convicts or free people who settled in Australia; a run is a cattle or sheep farm.)
A convict, then a free man, I became Australian. (Because convict sentences were seven or more years long, and return to England was often impossibly long and too costly, most convicts stayed once they had served their sentences. They were then released from bondage and became free men and women.)
I'm the daughter of a digger, who sought the mother lode. (A digger [later the name for Aussie soldiers] at that time was a prospector in the gold rush that began in 1852 in the goldfields of Bathurst, New South Wales, and Ballarat and Bendigo in Victoria. Prospectors dreamed of finding that incredibly rich vein of gold, the mother lode, from which small nuggets and specks washed into streams, or smaller veins were found in rocks buried in the earth.)
The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road. (Families walked very long distances and in very harsh conditions to reach the goldfields-hence girls becoming women.)
I'm a child of the Depression, (The Great Depression of 1930s followed the Wall Street Crash in the USA, and saw many families around the world lose all their savings, job retrenchments followed as businesses collapsed, many families were reduced to destitution.)
I saw the good times come, (Following cessation of WW2 in 1945, there was an economic resurgence that continued through the end of the 40s, into the 50s and 60s.)
I'm a bushie, (An Aussie who lives in the 'bush', the region between the cities and the Outback.)
I'm a battler, (What Aussies call ordinary people, ones who just get by making a living and a life.)
I am Australian.
We are one, but we are many, And from all the lands on earth we come. We'll share a dream and sing with one voice, "I am, you are, we are Australian" (Australia is an incredibly multicultural nation. Since the First Fleet dropped anchor in 1788, close to ten million settlers have moved from across the world to start a new life in Australia, eight million of them since the end of the Second World War. The early years were convicts, free settlers, Germans escaping religious persecution and Irish the Potato famine, Chinese with the gold rushes, South Sea islanders working the sugar plantations, post-WW2 migration from Britain, Italy, Syria, Lebanon, etc, and Vietnamese after the Vietnam war, then more recently refugees from conflict in areas such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Ukraine.)
I'm a teller of stories, I'm a singer of songs, I am Albert Namatjira and I paint the ghostly gums. (Albert Namatjira [1902-1959] was a famous Aboriginal artist who painted in non-traditional Aboriginal style. His paintings of Australian Ghost Gums [a smooth, white-barked eucalyptus tree] became famous and commanded huge prices.)
I'm Clancy on his horse, ('Clancy of the Overflow', a famous poem of an Australian drover [stockman “cowboy”] by A. B "Banjo" Paterson.)
I'm Ned Kelly on the run, (Ned Kelly was an infamous Australian bushranger [Australian outlaw] who led a gang - the Kelly Gang. He wore distinctive rough armour with a conical helmet. He was caught and executed at 25 years of age.)
I'm the one who waltzed Matilda, ('Matilda', from the famous Australian song 'Waltzing Matilda', words by Banjo Paterson, is the swag. The gear of the drover/bushie was placed on a cloth and the corners lifted and tied together in a knot. A stick was then pushed through under the knot and the 'swag' was carried across the bushie's shoulder, which made it swing, or 'waltz', on the bushman’s back as he walked.)
I am Australian.
I'm the hot wind from the desert, I'm the black soil of the plains, I'm the mountains and the valleys, I'm the drought and flooding rains. (Australia is the driest continent on Earth. Most of the eastern edges of the land are mountainous, so the rains fall on the mountains and coastal regions and usually do not reach inland. The winds coming from the South Pole are not hot enough to carry water vapour, so they are dry as they swing across Western Australia, and become heated as they travel inland. The 'drought and flooding rains' comes from the poem 'My Country' by Australian poet Dorothea Mackellar.) I am the rock, (Uluru is the famous huge red monolith in central Australia [called Ayer’s Rock in 1873 by the explorer William Gosse after Sir Henry Ayers, the Chief Secretary of South Australia at the time, then returned to its traditional owners in 1985 and renamed])
I am the sky (The southern sky has quite different star patterns to the northern hemisphere, including the Southern Cross, which appears on the bottom right of the Australian flag),
The rivers when they run, (River beds are often dry because of Australia’s low rainfall, the rivers towards the centre of Australia only run after heavy rains.)
The spirit of this great land, I am Australian.
We are one, but we are many, And from all the lands on earth we come. We share a dream and sing with one voice, "I am, you are, we are Australian." (The dream is one of inclusion and equality for all: First Nations people, descendants of the colonisers, and people who have come here in later years from all lands. We are not there yet, but we are actively working towards it.)
From this Englishman in London, that was an excellent synopsis. Thank You,My Friend..
I hope Joel reads this. It’s a explanation of the verses.
This synopsis was amazing and super fascinating. Thank you.
Damn thanks mate for putting the effort in to explaining the whole song. But let us all remember "We are One, but we are Many, and from ALL the lands on Earth we come." Anything threatening the fact the Australia is one of the World's greatest multicultural achievements is a threat ... .
This should be pinned. A great understanding of the song and what it means to be an Australian.
I shed tears with this masterpiece. I'm not Australian, nor have I ever been to Australia. RIP Judith. Thanks for the music.
Australians these days come in two main varieties: born and paper (naturalised). Like many Aussies, I came here as a small child, with immigrant parents (dad = NZ, mum = UK) and so while born elsewhere, I grew up here. I could never call any other country home.
This song incorporates the idea that Australia was built by people from many places, and its very true. We have large communities of long time residing immigrants who built a country I can be proud of. We have the large Greek city outside Greece, Italians who came to build the snowy mountain hydropower systems, the Germans of Barossa valley and the Chinese who were the main suppliers on the Victorian goldfields... and so many other groups that came here to find a better life.
Melbourne is the second largest Greek city in the world, only Athens is bigger, Thessalonika is third.
Many Afghans as well were here in the gold rush days.
@@xymonau2468 They came here for the overland telegraph line. That's why we have so many very healthy dromedaries that we export to the Middle East.
@@cgkennedy They were brought to explore, but they were also involved in the gold rush.
one or two brits too ,i believe
I still miss Judith , I love the seeker's and there will never be such a beautiful voice like hers again. She is sorely missed. RIP Judith, you are still loved.
As an Aussie I am 110% behind this as our national anthem. Says more about who we are as a people than any other song and yes, RIP Judith a battler to end.
Thank you for your reaction. What ANGERS me is that reactors (like you) around the world realise how powerful this song that it encapsulates my wonderful country. It NEEDS to be our national anthem, instead of the meaningless one we have now...
I'm quite fond of our current one.
@@dfmoultonexactly! Even everyone from other countries who hear this understand that and we still have that same anthem that brings nothing to most people here.
@@dfmoulton😮😅👍🏻🇦🇺Fair enough. It's a bit banal tho. Cheers.
💯💯💯👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Absolutely
Hi Joel, You don't actually have to live in Australia to be counted as an Aussie. We're quite happy to adopt Honorary Aussies, just treat people the wat most of us do. I definitely think you should be adopted as an Honorary Aussie.
Yep. I concur.
Hard agree
Yep agree here too 🙂
Sure. It's more an attitude.
Totally. Love how love the way you emote and appreciate things from this authentic space. You seem like a really chill guy.
This definitely should be our national anthem. Beautiful. So proud to be Australian 🇦🇺 RIP Judith ❤️
I agree....great words...music & band it definitely brings out emotions
I agree if there was overwhelming support. Only two little problems, it doesn't mention the hundreds of 1000s of brave Aussie diggers( soldiers) that gave their lives for this nation to remain free and with 5 verses its quite long already so don't know how that would go, Aussies get bored and distracted quite easily as it is and it would be wrong to cut any of the verses as it's already happened to Adv. Australia fair. ( I get so pissed off when our footballers race off to go to their positions when the end part of our Nat. anthem is still playing before the start of the grand finals!)
You really should watch more of The Seekers singing their wonderful, timeless songs. Judith Durham had the voice of an angel.
A piece of Trivia: On March 12, 1967 the Seekers performance at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl - estimated at 200,000 people - was immortalised in the Guinness Book of Records the following year as the biggest concert attendance ever in the southern hemisphere. That figure was 10% of Melbourne's then population.
This song always makes me wanna cry as an Australian. Makes me proud to be Aussie.
I was born in Zimbabwe but have lived in Australia since 1984 and absolutely love this land and it’s many different peoples. This song always makes me cry.
I came from the dream-time
From the dusty red-soil plains
I am the ancient heart
The keeper of the flame
I stood upon the rocky shores
I watched the tall ships come
For forty thousand years I've been
The first Australian
I came upon the prison ship
Bowed down by iron chains
I fought the land, endured the lash
And waited for the rains
I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife
On a dry and barren run
A convict, then a free man
I became Australian
I'm the daughter of a digger
Who sought the mother lode
The girl became a woman
On the long and dusty road
I'm a child of the Depression
I saw the good times come
I'm a bushie, I'm a battler
I am Australian
We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We'll share a dream and sing with one voice
"I am, you are, we are Australian"
I'm a teller of stories
I'm a singer of songs
I am Albert Namatjira
And I paint the ghostly gums
I'm Clancy on his horse
I'm Ned Kelly on the run
I'm the one who waltzed Matilda
I am Australian
I'm the hot wind from the desert
I'm the black soil of the plains
I'm the mountains and the valleys
I'm the drought and flooding rains
I am the rock, I am the sky
The rivers when they run
The spirit of this great land
I am Australian
We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We'll share a dream and sing with one voice
"I am, you are, we are Australian"
We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We'll share a dream and sing with one voice
"I am, you are, we are Australian"
"I am, you are, we are Australian"
We are Australian !..
Thank you…
this song makes me so happy, i feel like it means so much more to us than advance australia fair. im aboriginal and my dad taught me the lyrics of the chorus in my language, and i love singing it. i am, you are, we are australian :))
The Seekers are a legendary band down here, we recently lost Judith Durham, we all felt like we had lost someone close. I love seeing others appreciate the magic of this song!
Judith was taken from us too soon. Her voice was wonderful. I say this as a Brit who remembers the Seekers from their early days, Morning Town Ride etc.
I immigrated to this beautiful country quite a few years ago, after my citizenship ceremony a mate played me this song at the celebration dinner. I was in tears lol. I hadnt heard it before. You can only hear something this incredible for the first time once. Your reaction gave me a sense of that back
I'm so glad this song was your Citizenship gift.
as an Aussie, this song reduces me to tears each time.
We are one, but we are many, and from all the lands on Earth we come ... we'll share a dream, AND SING WITH ONE VOICE ..... I am, you are, we are Australian
I come back every so often to watch this video because nobody reacts to the "I watched the tall ships come." line as intensely as you did. It brings me great joy to know that its significance is recognised.
It's a story of Australia's history.
From around the world we come.
My first ancestor arrived in Australia as a convict from southern Africa.
Brings me to tears every single time. beats our notional anthem hands down. that song encapsulates the spirit of the Aussie.
“Notional anthem”- if it’s a typo, it’s a genius one!
As a proud Aussie bloke im not afraid to admit that this is one of two songs that when i hear them they will bring tears to my eyes
This song has to sung by The Seekers though
@@lwf51 the band played waltzing Matilda
Of course you can't forget the "Unofficial National Anthem" ...."The Voice" by John Farnham!!
@@sammy_dog I'd love to see Joel's reaction to that one! Mind you, I'd be watching it through my own tears too.
@@sammy_dog Spot on and True. But you did forget one other Fair Dinkum equal contender. REDGUMS "I was only 19"
Many non Australians may not know what some of the words mean. Look up. Matilda, bushy, swag, Ned Kelly, & Albert Namajeera he was an aboriginal painter, never took a lesson in his life, has been gone many years but still beloved in Australia, The Seekers are icons here & we will listen to them forever. This should be our National Anthem.
This song invokes pride in our great nation, it's all encompassing, all inclusive. We've still got a long way to go to right the wrongs of the past but this is one song that we can all feel a part of, not to mention the gorgeous voices of the Seekers but particularly of Judith Durham RIP. A really good reaction, thanks.
There has never been a war in Australia. The majority of Australians are great people who are accepting of who you are.Billions of dollars are given to the indigenous communities to try and help them move forward and better their lives.
As an Aussie I love this song, but thanks for this vid man I have never seen that live performance from The Seekers until now!
Iam german was in australia before and loved every second . God bless Australia ❤❤
Greetings. Do you know that there are heaps of German descendants in South Australia. Lovely people.
This should be our national anthem love this song always makes me cry.
It’s an inclusive anthem which represents all our stories. We can all claim our part. Such a respectful, perfect song ❤️
That smile on your face, that reaction to this perfect song…you’re one of us, now, mate. That’s how it makes us all feel.
💕 🇦🇺
Im a New Zealander 🇳🇿 now living in Australia i love this song and yes it should be a National Anthem 🇦🇺♥️💯%...
Damn right mate...love the kiwis
This song should be our national Anthem. It’s lyrics are a reminder that we’re all on this great together and are all equals
And everybody knows the words!!
Im born in Australia,my parents were immigrants from Croatia. I do love this country. God Bless😇😇😇. Thankyou for presenting Australia in all its beauty😇our American friends are always welcome.😇
Oh that's cool my great grandmother came here from Croatia in ww2
Thank you Joel, for that reaction. It's a song that moves every Aussie when they hear it I think, that's why so many of us would love it as our anthem, the one we have is so outdated, and not that relatable for most people. The fact that I've seen so many reactors from other countries seem to love and understand this song, should be enough to prompt a change I think. ❤
Yes, it has long been an iconic song here in Australia. The guy singing it, Bruce Woodley, wrote it. That instrument at the start is an Aboriginal instrument called a didjeridoo. I am very glad you liked it and were moved by it.
The Seekers were our biggest musical export of the 1960s. This performance, if I recall, was from their last reunion tour (in the early 2000s?) Judith is using a stool because she was recovering from a stroke.
I am not even Australian, but I feel like I am when I listen to this wonderful song. It always makes me cry, so lovely and sung by the brilliant Seekers.
Joel .. I am Brit with family in Australia .. who came over on a £10 ticket in the 60S '... this is Australias song and brings tears to my eyes everytime I hear it God Bless all Australians where ever they live or roam .. !!
How is this not our national Anthem? And the voice of Judith, just angelic. RIP.
The Seekere were, for so long, the sound of Australia.
MY MAN,
due to having the honour of being who I consider the person who gave the “most heartfelt reaction” to our beautiful Seekers song, on behalf of Australians, I hereby bestow upon you the title of, “HONORARY AUSTRALIAN.” You would fit right in with our great land mate. Cheers. 🇦🇺🦘🦢
Agreed!
That is for sure.
@@davidberriman5903 🇦🇺👍
The instrument being played at the beginning of "I Am Australian", is an Indigenous didgeridoo. They make an incredible sound xx
FINALLY you found it. This song resonates with all Australians, old and new. At this final farewell Judith was 72 and assume the guys were the same. Live and no special effects, I tear up when I here this song. 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
I am Australian and very proud that my ancestors were here 40 thousand years ago. I am also Scottish and Irish, this should be our national anthem.
Such a wonderful song. I saw them perform this live at an Australian rules Football final on line a few years back.
Heartbroken to hear that Judith Durham has died. I did not know until I saw this. Growing up in the U.K. in the 1960's I remember the Seekers were huge here & even outsold the Beatles with some of their songs. Judith Durham had one of the best voices I have ever heard. A real Australian legend. The Carnival is truly over. R.I.P. xx
Brings a tear to EVERY AUSSIE..❤
I am one of those Australians who absolutely LOVE The Seekers. They were popular in the 1960s! I loved them then. This is when they are old - and yet they still sing well enough to make me cry - but that's me.
You aren't alone on that one!
My maternal grandfather's family came from Oxfordshire in 1840. Her maternal grandparents came from Ireland although I don't know when.
It's the onions! They get you every time.
its the opening lines that make it special for us Australians as it reminds us of the First Nation peoples and every other part of this son is spot on to what we are " Australian"
Goose bumps every time… I’m first generation Australian with Italian parents and definitely a proud Australian….. this song should definitely be our anthem
Goosebumps song for us Migrants and coming from different many cultures and now as ONE, I became Australian. Yes, it is the history of Australia that is close to our hearts 💕. Love this to be our national anthem. Salute to the band, The Seekers, and RIP to Judith Durham, truly a national treasure.
this song is often played at big events and along with songs like Waltzing Matilda, it is considered an unofficial National Anthem of Australia.
I’m Australian and this song always brings me to tears… Absolutely Love it ❤👍🏻
That song has a mighty punch for us Aussies I agree 100% that should be our National Anthem, It makes you proud to be an Aussie.
Although i am English,i have visited Australia a couple of times as my brother and his family live there,i have traveled from top to bottom and west to east and have loved every minuet of every day i was there,it is truly a beautiful country filled with beautiful people and this song conjures up such warm memories it is a song that fits Australia perfectly,
Thank you for playing this song!! My favourite song!! The Seekers were a national Aussie treasure since the sixties. Yes, you should start playing Aussie songs. You wouldn't believe what Americans have missed out on. So many wonderful Aussie singers and songs!!
This song epitomises everything about our beautiful country. As one born in the UK, but raised in Australia, this song always makes me cry. Its brilliant.
I am, you are, we ARE Australian.
I was going to comment after watching this, but i thought i would read the comments first..... Everyone said the same thing i was feeling with tears running down my face.... Then i watched your reaction to this wonderful song 2 more times, and still had more tears. This is US! , and everyone that came here from all over the world... We are all Australian. Thankyou and welcome to our team.. the song moves people. I am still shivering. Does it to me every time. One day i hope you come and visit for a while to see it for your self. Then listen to the song again....
Hello from Australia 🇦🇺
The reaction you had after the 1st 2 verses when you understood exactly what was happening gave me fkn goosebumps man!!!! Made me smile to see you understand the meaning and the history it’s conveying!!! Great reaction video!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
When this beautiful song was recorded, The Seekers were about to retire after decades of making music and we're all around 70 +/-....Judith also had a stroke around this time, and one reason why she sits while singing.🇦🇺
No matter how many times l see this my heart swells, l tear up and get goose bumps. A timeless song and certainly the best version of it. Makes me proud how well Aussies do anything we put our minds to🥰🇦🇺
I love they mention our great icons such as Albert and Ned. True Australian hero's and Clancy of the Overflow a true folklore. A fantastic song. Full off Australian sayings and images as well.
Yes yes yes!!
Then to infuse Dorothea Mackellar’s ‘My Country’? That always hits me in the feels.
Yes, those mythical icons of the Australian consciousness. Albert whose glorious Western style watercolours depicting so skillfully and with deep artistic impression the Australian landscape died in penury at the hands of the constant humbugging of his family and tribe. Ned, with vengeance in his heart and delusions of revolution but dying at the end of a rope for cold blooded murder. And finally, Clancy whose words written by his talented creator Banjo Patterson mythicised the bush where work, friends and the land were intertwined into an Arcadian Wonderland, juxtaposed against the mind-numbing City Hell of office work, crowds and brawling children where ironically today over 90% of Australians live and only now venture sporadically into the bush as a holiday experience.
But I get it. I prefer the myth over reality any day.
For over 60 years we've been entertained by The Seekers, it's sad to see them performing in their Fairwell Concert. I've listened to them over the years but never has a performance of theirs brought a tear to my eye as this song did. You're right, it's a history lesson about the land and the people. Judith has left us now, we lost her and Olivia Newton-John in the same week in 2022 - RIP 🙏❤ They're making music on the other side now. The instrument is called a didgeridoo and I love it. Surprisingly it fits in with modern music extremely well. So glad you liked the song, if you understood our harsh beginnings, who Albert Namatjira was, who Ned Kelly was, who a digger was, a bushy, the meaning behind Waltzing Matilda and the spirituality and majesty of Uluru, you'd understand the song even better ☺
Her voice will live in our hearts forever. RIP - Judith Durham
This should be the Australian National Anthem
The reason Judith is leaning on a stool because she is still in recovery from a serious stroke, RIP angel’s voice
There’s an absolutely beautiful recreation of this song by ABC (Australian boardcasting channel) for their 90th anniversary last year. One of the best ‘ads’ ever made. They have it in a condensed form with just the first verse if you search ‘abc i am Australian’. But seeing all the pieces that went into include an aboriginal choir singing in their specific areas native language, is something extra special.
I love seeing people’s reaction to this song. Especially non Australians who just love it almost as much as we all do. Thanks for sharing! 😊
Yeah nah
Yes it’s beautifully done but I love this version the best 🥰
The instrument in the intro is a didgeridoo. I am half Aussie and half American, and this song gets me choked up every single time. Thanks for posting.
It is a history lesson and we all love this song. Doubt many Aussies don't shed at least a tear to this.
Not a full history.As in many countries, these people were immigrants who killed and took over the land of the indigenous people. I’m the child of colonials and was taught that history only began once Europeans arrived. Actually, a richer, ancient history came before.
@@mandywarren8566 That is how the entire world evolved. Those who invaded had themselves been invaded at least half a dozen times. It is human nature.
If your history class only starts when Europeans arrived then complain, start a movement to rectify it and or home school your children and make sure they learn all of history. That includes teaching that the invaders were themselves also invaded.
As a proud Aussie. I love australia
I grew up a tiny country town and I remember when i was about 9/10 we held a twilight market/performance once.
My school choir sang this in the outside amphitheatre and I remember the wave of emotion when everyone watching us started signing with us.
When we sing this, it's a love story to everyone from the first Australian in our past, Australians that are here today, and all who walk our future.
Regardless of who you are or where you come from, if you want to call Australia home, we will welcome you.
I grew up in a tiny country town and learned this at 5/6 for the retirement party of the long-time school principal. Singing it is really the only memory I have of the event but the whole community was there.
Just subscribed to your channel. The Seekers were a "super group" of their era and still very popular today. Sadly we lost Judith Durham a little while ago.
It is unusual to find someone so young, especially from another country showing such respect and genuinely understanding that it is not just a song, it encapsulates our history and I love your reaction. Thank you young man.