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This song was written in the immediate aftermath of the 2023 Referendum on a Constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice to Parliament. It is very much a "where to from here?" song.

lyrics

Always Will Be
©2023 Penelope Swales

Verily, I know myself to be
One of the luckiest people ever born
I step out every day into the fog and rain
into the sparkling calm, into the storm
I hear the birds, I smell the wind
I touch the soil, I feel the sun
I kiss the ground, I sense the seasons turn
And deep in my heart, my heart, I know
Deep in my heart my heart, I know


And our legal system tells me - this is mine
All unencumbered, no one can take it from me
The Titles Office tells me this is Freehold
No bank, no government, no mortgagee
But my good fortune springs from someone else's suffering
My franchise from their dispossession
And deep in my heart, my heart I know
Deep in my heart, my heart I know

That this always was, and it always will be
It always, always was
Yes, it always was and it always will be
It always, always was
And who’s going to listen, who’s going to listen now?
Who’s going to listen, who’s going to listen now?

And I’m aware, not 30k’s from here
This land’s people live in hardship and despair
I know they struggle, and I know they fight
And now they know 60% of us don’t care
Perhaps some harboured hatred, or simply couldn’t see the need
Have never seen first-hand the inequality
Or Perhaps let the ideal get in the way of the achievable
Or embraced some sinister conspiracy
But deep in their hearts, their hearts they know
Deep in their hearts, their hearts, they know

That it always was, and it always will be
And it always always was
Yes, it always was, and it always will be
Yes it always always was
And who’s going to listen, who’s going to listen now?
Who’s going to listen, who’s going to listen now?

And In the end perhaps it’s not what you believe
But why you choose to believe it that belies
There’s those out there who know the formula
Know your weaknesses, whisper your favourite lies
Whether it’s guilt or fear or outrage,
Mistrust, ignorance or ego
They know how to work your biases
Until your vote is harvested, yes, just like your data is
While you're turning in your echo chamber sleep

How do we come back from this, how do we move forward? How
can we hope to heal the past when the present is so flawed? I thought
we had so much to gain, so little to lose
But in the aftermath I see their pain and grief at what so many choose
Now we are stuck in this discomfort til we find a way to move
'Cause deep in our hearts, our hearts we know
Deep in your heart, your heart you know

That it always was, and it always will be
And it always always was
Yes, it always was, and it always will be
Yes it always always was
Aboriginal land

credits

from Captains of Industry, released December 17, 2023
Penelope Swales: Lead vocals, Guitar, Stomp box,

Mal Webb: Backing Vocals, Bass

Kylie Morrigan: Backing Vocals, Violin

Additional backing vocals:
Chris Jobe
Col Richards
Catheryn Thompson
Gabi Kruithof

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Penelope Swales image

Penelope Swales Boolarra, Australia

Penelope Swales has been articulating the human condition with passion and humour for 30+ years. She sings about politics, love, friendship, the unbreakable bond between us and dogs and the impact of the Internet on society. She won the 2019 Alistair Hulett Songs for Social Justice Award with “Cambridge Analytica”. “The Ides of March in Christchurch" was short-listed for the same award in 2020. ... more

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