Former cabinet minister Amanda Vanstone has spoken to Undercover about her desire for a hymn to Australia - and she'd welcome any input from Peter Garrett.
'Under Southern Stars' features Amanda-penned lyrics, sung to the tune of 'Land of Hope and Glory'. Featuring such affirmations as "Nation made of many / Bound in hope as one / Building for the future / Under Southern Sun", the hymn posits a somewhat misty-eyed view of Australia, and is intended to be used alongside such staples as 'Waltzing Matilda' and 'Hey True Blue'.Sydney's 'Sunday Telegraph' newspaper made the plans public last weekend, after its existence was "inadvertently" leaked by a staffer at Sony/BMG. Vanstone had submitted a demo CD to the record label.
"Obviously, I'm not expecting it to be played on the radio or anything,", Vanstone told us. " But I would like to see Australia have the equivalent of an Australian hymn. A secular hymn to Australia, and I think this is what this could easily be. All we need someone to write anthemic or hymn-like music..."
We suggested such a person could be Midnight Oil frontman and Labor politican Peter Garrett, but the former Immigration minister unsurprisingly noted that she doubted he'd be interested in a musical collaboration. But, "if he can write something anthemic," she says, "in effect an Australian hymn, then it might work."
Midnight Oil's entire back catalogue was unavailable for comment regarding this remark...
