Ganalili - Spinifex Gum feat Marliya Choir

LYRICS: GANILILI (F.RIEBL / M.WOODLEY)
There were no saints drinking at the Vic Hotel
In 1965’ when the miners arrived and Roebourne was as rough as hell
Blacks segregated living on the Old Reserve
White single workers that meant trouble for the local girls
In 67’ they named them drinking rights, like a bayarri in headlights
The lost got blind and trouble turned to double strife
In 75’ while the mines all thrived there were no black jobs to fill
Between the welfare office and the police station was the Vic Hotel
But somewhere deep down in the dark there sings
It’s always dark before the lights breaks in
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili rise
Relocated to the graveyard, the village was its name
Some drank to get the pride up, some drank to drown the shame
Some drank from the boredom, some drank from the abuse,
If you couldn’t be on Country on any given day then the Vic could cut you loose
It wasn’t half bad when the juke box played its tunes
Frankie Miller singing ‘Darling’ would raise a riot in the room
But if he tapped you on the shoulder, you’d raise your fists and ring the bell
There’s not a boy in Roebourne who didn’t learn to fight at the Vic Hotel
But somewhere deep down in the dark there sings
It’s always dark before the lights breaks in
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili rise
It’s always darkest before the light breaks in
Always darkest before the light breaks in
Always darkest before the light breaks in
Birndirri-barrarn, birndirri-barrarn
Always darkest before the light breaks in
Always darkest before the light breaks in
Always darkest before the light breaks in
Birndirri-barrarn, birndirri-barrarn
Birndirri-barrarn, birndirri-barrarn
Birndirri-barrarn, birndirri-barrarn
Birndirri-barrarn
In 83’ late September five officers were blind
After drinking in Karratha, said ‘Boys let’s hit the Vic for 9’
Ran into Ashley James, a kid who wouldn’t run
The barmaid heard one of them say “We’ll get you you black .…”
When the brawl broke out John Pat he joined the fight
The police hit the boy so hard he died alone in his cell that night
A white jury let them off and white law will never tell
That racist cops killed a 16 year old boy at the Vic hotel
But somewhere deep down in the dark there sings
It’s always dark before the lights breaks in
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili rise
But then something happened in two thousand and thirteen
The Yiindjibarndi bought it back, said ‘We’ll make this a place of learning’
At a gathering of Elders The Vic Hotel was renamed, Lyn Cheedy said
‘How about Ganalili? For the dawning of a new day’
The dawning of a new day
The dawning of a new day
The Ganalili Centre opened in 2019
Cos somewhere deep down in the dark there sings
It’s always dark before the lights breaks in
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili rise
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili rise
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili rise
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili, Ganalili, Ganalili
Ganalili rise
For information head to the Ganalili Facebook page: / ganlilicentre
and to shop their products head to: juluwarluartgr...