H.m.a.s. Australia Lyrics - Singles - Redgum

Here I am again in the ship's post office 

I want to send a telegram 

Send it to the captain 

Asking where the hell I am 

I've been on this luxury cruise 

For twenty five years or more 

And I've just begun to wonder 

Where we're headed for 

Band keeps playing American songs from 1973 

Getting wise to the officer's lies 

That we've even got a country 

You say we're independent 

And we've even got the right to choose 

Well we're sick of doing nothing 

We'd like some work, 

We'd like some work, 

We'd like some work to do 

Swimming pools, the cocktail parties 

You keep us plied with drink 

But when we cruised through South East Asia 

It made us stop and think 

We never take on passengers 

Though we seem to have lots of room 

And I can't escape the notion captain 

That this is a floating tomb 

Band keeps playing American songs from 1973 

Getting wise to the officer's lies 

That we've even got a country 

You say we're independent 

And we've even got the right to choose 

Well we're sick of doing nothing 

We'd like some work, 

We'd like some work, 

We'd like some work to do 

Some of us have calculated 

We must be short of oil 

Someone mentioned fission 

And blood began to boil 

The passengers are restless, captain 

This is how they feel 

Angry at how it came to be you 

Who sits beside the wheel 

Band keeps playing American songs from 1973 

Getting wise to the officer's lies 

That we've even got a country 

You say we're independent 

And we've even got the right to choose 

Well we're sick of doing nothing 

We'd like some work, 

We'd like some work, 

We'd like some work to do 

And the band keeps playing the Imperial Waltz From far across the sea 

Not a long way from discontent 

To open mutiny 

You say we're independent 

And we've even got the right to choose 

Well we're sick of being passengers, 

We've got some work, 

We've got some work, 

We've got some work to do