Keating! The Musical
All lyrics written and copyrighted by Casey Bennetto, 2004.
Annotations written by Loki Carbis, 2009. The assistance and advice of Casey Bennetto in the creation of these annotations is gratefully acknowledged.
This page is intended for informational purposes only.
Robert James Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991. The longest-serving Prime Minister to come from the ranks of the Australian Labor Party (and third longest serving overall).Bob Hawke: Let’s go back to 1990; it’s not so far away
Where with each misty morning dawns a more exciting day
Peace and love are everywhere defeating hate and greed
Margaret Thatcher, fiscally and socially conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 1979. By Thatcher’s own account, she and Hawke mutually disliked each other. And Thatcher is resigning
West Germany and East Germany were finally re-combined into a single Germany after a separation that began in 1945 and endured for 45 years of Cold War.And Germans are uniting
Nelson Mandela, an opponent of apartheid in South Africa, spent 27 years in prison for his opposition. His release marked the end of apartheid.And even that Mandela fella’s freed:
There’s never been a better time to lead.
Here in 1990, Australia’s doing well.
In the 1987 election, Hawke promised that “by 1990 no Australian child will be living in poverty” – a promise that was quietly swept under the rug when that year arrived.No child lives in poverty as far as we can tell
And all I hear across the land’s a chorus of content
Band: Hey!
And positive appraisal and Hazel Hawke was the wife of Bob from 1956 until 1995, when she divorced him.love for Bob and Hazel
Yes, I’m a hit with each constituent
The unemployment rate of Australia averaged 6.66% across 1990, increasing in every month except March.And unemployment’s only (inaudible) percent.
“Relaxed and comfortable” was a catchphrase of the Howard government dating from the 2004 election. It has rarely been used without irony since then.It’s a comfy bloody country, comfy and relaxed,
Not too bloody up itself or too highly taxed.
It’s a lovely bloody system, that I try to understand,
But I don’t really get it, I give much of the credit –
I’m indebted to my right-hand man -
My right hand man.
My right-hand man’s a charmer, the smoothest of the smooth
He’s got a nut for every bolt, a tongue for every groove,
A pleasurer as Treasurer, creating harmony
On the economic levers
“True Believers” is a traditional term used by the ALP to describe its faithful supporters.And he loves all you true believers
He’s the linchpin in my winning dynasty:
With him around, there’s not much use for me!
Of course, he’s quite peculiar, if that’s for me to say,
A little unAustralian in his own endearing way
Hawke is a noted fan of all kinds of sport, while Keating generally prefers more high culture pasttimes.I take him to the footy and his eyes aren’t on the ball
Gustav Mahler was a composer of the late romantic era, noted for his symphonies.And in his private parlour, he plays the works of Mahler
The strangest sound’s cascading down the hall:
Billy Thorpe is an Australian rock singer, best known for his song “Most People I Know (Think That I’m Crazy)”.It doesn’t sound like Billy Thorpe at all.
Oh it’s a comfy bloody country, ‘cos we know what’s in our hearts,
Bob Hawke notably once held a record for beer drinking, and as Prime Minister, revived the concept of the Prime Minister’s First XI: more or less a command performance first class cricket game.It’s beer and boots, Not wine and suits: Cricket – not art!
It’s a lovely bloody system,
And I’ll lead it while I can.
Just a bloke and his mates,
But if you wanna talk rates -
Look for the midnight tan
On my right-hand man.
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