The Reef Grief Song Comp has accepted six entries, and the results are in.
First place
Coral Coast - Karen Law
Lyrics
There’s an old man living on the Coral Coast, he used to go sailing
And his eyes have given up the ghost, his sight is failing
But at night he dreams all the colours of the coral he saw as he slipped in under
And the giant clams on the ocean floor as he gazed in wonder at
All the kaleidoscope of fish swimming
In and out the reef
There’s a time for hope and a time for grief
When you know this beauty will be gone
There’s a young boy living on the Coral Coast, he loves his grandad
And the thing that he remembers most is the day when they had
Walked hand in hand over rocks to the water’s edge and put their faces in
To the living reef by the coral ledge, wearing a mask and fins and oh
The kaleidoscope of fish were swimming
In and out the reef
There’s a time for hope and a time for grief
When you know this beauty will be gone
What’s the point of eyes if there’s nothing to see?
It’s crazy just how blind the world can be
And it’s not just for you and it’s not just for me
It’s for
All the kalaedescope of fish swimming
In and out the reef
There’s a time for hope and a time for grief
When you know this beauty will be gone
There’s a young man living on the coral coast
There’s a young man living on the coral coast
There’s a young man living on the coral coast
There’s a young man living on the coral coast
About Karen Law
Karen Law has been writing exquisite country/folk songs for over 30 years. She was awarded the Alistair Hulett Trophy for her song Wildflower Woman that tells the story of Sunshine Coast environmental campaigner Kathleen McArthur. On stage she is joined by her very musical children; son Murray on guitar/ backing vocals and daughter Roanna on bass. Together they create uplifting music, telling stories of colourful characters with a healthy dose of family banter. She has recently released her fourth studio album ‘Let The Light Back In’ with many songs shortlisted in songwriting competitions around the world.
Second place
Three songs tied for second place:
- ‘Our Coral Bones’ - Jenny Fitzgibbon
- ‘Look After Your Mum, Look After Your Reef’ - Andy Paine
- ‘While We Still Can’ - Franz James
Our Coral Bones - Jenny Fitzgibbon
Lyrics
By the rainbow reef we swam in joy
All the colours singing
Wonder for the eye, life darting by, see feel
our coral bones, see feel
our coral bones
By the beachside reef, we swam in gloom
All the colours dimming
To our sad eye, life drifting by, see feel
our coral bones, see feel
our coral bones
to the tourist reef we travelled far
all the colours crying
to the untrained eye still sights to buy, see feel
our coral bones, see feel
our coral bones
By the ghostly reef, we swam in grief
All the colours dieing
Horror for the eye, life passing by, we feel
our coral bones, we feel
our coral bones
Will we stand up strong, put our courage on,
All the colours calling
For our own reef skin, our ocean kin, we feel
our coral bones,
Will we stand up strong, put our courage on,
All the colours calling
For our own reef skin, our ocean kin, we grieve
our coral bones, we grieve
our coral bones, we grieve
our coral bones
About Jenny Fitzgibbon
Jenny Fitzgibbon can be found at protests singing or handing out leaflets - anything to persuade people to get serious about the need for immediate Citizens’ Assemblies.
Look After Your Mum, Look After Your Reef - Andy Paine
Lyrics
Was like interstellar travel, like lucid dreaming, first time I ever snorkelled at the great barrier reef.
Technicolour forests of coral polyps, turtles mantarays and a kaleidoscope of fish.
You know I love art of every style and every taste, when it comes to beauty nature was the first and the best.
Then I heard the words of a climate scientist, said everything you see at that reef is under threat.
Our carbon emissions are heating up the sea, things are changing underwater and it’s bad news for the reef.
I was shocked and I was sad, ashamed of my kin. This is why humanity can’t have nice things.
One christmas eve I was with my family, on the Capricorn Coast, hanging at the beach.
My mum says “you know, that reef I’ve never seen, I’d sure like to go before the whole thing is bleached”
When I heard those words I knew what must be done, I said “pack your snorkel mum, we’re off to Keppel Island”
Now my mum has many talents, so don’t think I’m being rude, when I say she’s not quite Suzy O’Niel in the pool.
The current dragged my mum out to the ocean blue, I had to stage a rescue mission with a million dollar view.
I said mum when they say to see the reef before you die, they don’t mean try to do both at the same.
Now you ask me, what’s the moral of the story? Is it keep an eye on mum while you’re swimming at the beach?
(well that is pretty good advice in general but no in this specific instance I was thinking more along the lines of…)
If you find out, something that you love is under threat, you can watch from the shallows or get in and fight for it.
If you find out, something that you love is under threat, you can watch from the shallows or get in and fight for it.
About Andy Paine
For the last decade Andy Paine has been roaming around the country with his acoustic guitar; playing his folk-punk protest songs everywhere from pubs to loungerooms, picket lines to forest blockades.
His songs channel the DIY spirit of punk and folk’s sense of music as a vehicle for social change. He makes audiences think, laugh, and leave believing in the possibilities of a better world.
While We Still Can - Franz James
Lyrics
I woke last night at 2am cold sweats, dark thoughts swimmin’ through my head, one of those dreams that we all dread.
I dreamt we bled the earth for all she’s worth, new coal mines while oceans rise, our precious coral reefs lay dead.
I woke to find the nightmare was as real as the day not just some myth that my mind had made, our suicide well under-way.
And all the while the dollars rise, try to disguise, our mothers blood is used to fund the filthy rich folk’s escapades.
And so we, endlessly feed our bottomless greed and poison the air that we breathe.
It’s time to take a stand
Together hand in hand
Defend our only land
While we still can
While we still can
I walked barefoot through fields of green, the fresh wet grass underneath my feet as the setting sun and mountains meet.
And I heard the cockatoos scream out the news, telling all the nighttime calls and I thought ain’t this world so sweet.
Don’t you think it might be something worth saving, preserve of our earth I’d give anything to stop the oceans rising.
Can’t you see fires and floods the warning comes, how long more can we ignore our planet’s desperate pleading
But in our our automobile we sleep at the wheel and pretend the cliff ahead’s not real.
It’s time to take a stand
Together hand in hand
Defend our only land
While we still can
While we still can
When they don’t listen, we take to the streets
We’ll be the change, we’ve been waiting to see
Building community, while fighting the beast
Until there’s change, there’ll be no peace
It’s time to take a stand
Together hand in hand
Defend our only land
While we still can
While we still can
It’s time to take a stand
Together hand in hand
Defend our only land
While we still can
While we still can
About Franz James
Born in Brisbane, Australia, Franz grew up in the verdant rolling hills that sweep the countryside of southern-Jinibara land at Ocean View, Dayboro. His original acoustic tunes are often melancholic folk-style songs performed on intricate fingerstyle guitar, pouring his heart and values into every lyric-centred composition. He was raised in the country, nurturing values of living simply and cherishing the earth and the obligation to live a life focused on helping others. His love for art in many forms emerged from a very young age, and music continues to be a very central part of his formation. Inspired by a lot of early folk, his music seeks to express his values and emotion through poetry and song.
Third place
Two songs tied for third place:
- Abandon - Larysa Fabok
- GBR - Mike Maykin
Abandon - Larysa Fabok
GBR - Mike Maykin
About Mike Maykin
Singer/songwriter/producer, formerly environmental and political scientist
