Story Behind The Song
Step forward W's daughter - Catherine. W and Catherine often talk about the musical ideas and this time she wanted to write a story about a boy from the Australian outback who had suffered some kind of childhood trauma - probably because his father had died and his mother couldn't cope .... years later he has had great success but wants to know more about his roots - all he has is a box of photographs ..... but it is a start. W took the idea and put an arrangement together that layered woodwind on strings, coupled with a simple guitar / bass / drum / piano combination. What sets this track apart though is Colin's guitar from the middle of the piece onwards - W compress the tone to give it an eerie / dreamy quality.
| Song Length |
5:32 |
Genre |
Pop - Easy Listening, Country - Contemporary |
| Tempo |
Medium Slow (91 - 110) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
| Mood |
Moving, Composed |
Subject |
Life, Loneliness |
| Similar Artists |
James Taylor, John Denver |
Language |
English |
| Era |
2000 and later |
| |
Lyrics
OUTBACK BOY ( W L COTTERELL / C H COTTERELL 2013 )
I sit with a box of photographs
That give me a window on my past
They're faded now but I remember the time
When my fate was really cast
The dust lay thick on the doorframe
The day my father died
My mother had tried her hardest
But all she could do was cry
I'm an outback boy, will I ever find my home ?
I'm an outback boy, must my spirit always roam
I can follow the water as it flows to the sea
But what do I follow to find the real me ?
The people showed me kindness,
The family who took me in
But I knew that I was different
But I didn't know where to begin.
I think I had a sister, perhaps a brother or two
But nothing shows up in these pictures
Nothing to give me a clue
I'm an outback boy, will I ever find my home ?
I'm an outback boy, must my spirit always roam
I can follow the water as it flows to the sea
But what do I follow to find the real me ?
The leather of the chair is soft against my skin
It tells me of the comfort in my life
I've had success, I've made it big, I've nothing of complaint
I've had so much to share here with my wife
But giving up has never been a road for me to take
Giving up is not how it should be
I'll carry on until I find an answer to it all
I've got to find who is the real me
I'm an outback boy, will I ever find my home ?
I'm an outback boy, must my spirit always roam
I can follow the water as it flows to the sea
But what do I follow to find the real me ?