From Little Things Big Things Grow Lyrics - Singles - Paul Kelly

Gather round people I'll tell you a story 

An eight year long story of power and pride 

British Lord Vestey and Vincent Lingiari 

Were opposite men on opposite sides 

Vestey was fat with money and muscle 

Beef was his business, broad was his door 

Vincent was lean and spoke very little 

He had no bank balance, hard dirt was his floor 

From little things big things grow 

From little things big things grow 

Gurindji were working for nothing but rations 

Where once they had gathered the wealth of the land 

Daily the pressure got tighter and tighter 

Gurindju decided they must make a stand 

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They picked up their swags and started off walking 

At Wattie Creek they sat themselves down 

Now it don't sound like much but it sure got tongues talking 

Back at the homestead and then in the town 

From little things big things grow 

From little things big things grow 

Vestey man said I'll double your wages 

Eighteen quid a week you'll have in your hand 

Vincent said "uhuh, we're not talking about wages 

We're sitting right here till we get our land" 

Vestey man roared and Vestey man thundered 

"You don't stand the chance of a cinder in snow" 

Vince said "if we fall others are rising" 

From little things big things grow 

From little things big things grow 

Photos 

Then Vincent Lingiari boarded an airplane 

Landed in Sydney, big city of lights 

And daily he went round softly speaking his story 

To all kinds of men from all walks of life 

And Vincent sat down with big politicians 

"This affair" they told him "is a matter of state. 

Let us sort it out, your people are hungry" 

Vincent said "no thanks, we know how to wait" 

From little things big things grow 

From little things big things grow 

Then Vincent Lingiari returned in an airplane 

Back to his country once more to sit down 

And he told his people "let the stars keep on turning 

We have friends in the south, in the cities and towns." 

Eight years went by, eight long years of waiting 

Till one day a tall stranger appeared in the land 

And he came with lawyers and he came with great ceremony 

And through Vincent's fingers poured a handful of sand 

From little things big things grow 

From little things big things grow 

That was the story of Vincent Lingairi 

But this is the story of something much more 

How power and privilege can not move a people 

Who know where they stand, and stand in the law 

From little things big things grow 

From little things big things grow 

From little things big things grow 

From little things big things grow