Afghan loyalties are divided in a time of war as a New Year's Day outing from Broken Hill goes badly awry. This song relates to a tragic incident in which 4 innocent people were killed and 7 others wounded at the hands of two assailants occurred on 1st January 1915 at a time when Australia (along with the British empire and allied forces) was at war with Turkey.
While much of the 'Afghan' community (who were from Afghanistan as well as neighbouring countries on the subcontinent) were loyal to the allied forces (some of the older Afghans living in Australia had even fought with the British during the 19th century Afghan war) there were others who had their allegiance to the Sultan of Ottoman Turkey including Badshah Mahommed Gool and Mullah Abdullah. The loyalty of these two men towards Turkey combined with their personal grievances in segregated and racially stratified Australia led them to take up arms and fire upon white civilians. 'Silverton picnic train' attempts to capture the tragedy of war and violence from the two sides and sets Australian folk ballad-style lyrics to the melodies and rhythms of the subcontinent with some twists...
lyrics
Flying a rival flag-
Dangerous times
Disgruntled though you feel
Beware of the vigilant eyes
Silverton picnic train
Ready to celebrate
Hardly prepared for pain
Behind the car they wait
Behind the cart we hide
Blind to the faceless screams
To no one do we confide
These last of our broken dreams
I will fight and kill your people
because your people are fighting us
I have no enemies among you
This I do 'cos I feel it so much
Silverton picnic train
Ready to celebrate
Hardly prepared for pain
A totally different fate
A picnic on New Year's day
For the folk of Broken Hill
The war seemed so far away
Before the chill...
Why did they shoot to kill?
Why did they hide?
Why are they full of hate?
Why do they stay that side?
credits
from Unsung Yarns,
track released January 1, 2011
Mahesh Radhakrishnan- vocals, harmonium, jaw harp
David Carr- banjo
Jess Randall- violin, slide violin, 'pornograph', violin screeches
Mirabai Peart- violin, violin screeches and violin solo
Robin Dixon- double bass
Joe Gould- udu and backing vocals
Recorded and mixed at Shadowsounds Glossodia by Greg Le Couteur
Bright and skipping songs that foreground the sound of the banjo and fingerstyle guitar in music that feels timeless. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 5, 2020
Radiant bossa nova melodies overlap with nature sounds and muted electronic percussion on the Brazilian singer-songwriter's "solar album." Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 18, 2023
Celtic-inspired instrumentation, delicate harmonies, and reflective lyrics abound on the sisterly indie-folk duo's debut album. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 26, 2023
Scottish harpist and singer Rachel Newton brings an innovative, intensely emotional touch to traditional music on this dreamy LP. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 17, 2020
The Alabama duo's fifth album exults in dusty Americana, showcasing rich vocal harmonies alongside blissful folk instrumentation. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 31, 2024