Crowbarred's Mellow Mix Volume 1: MM Vol 1 - 007

MM Vol 1 #007

Powderfinger

"My Happiness"

(2001)

Genre:Alt Rock

Way back (or foward as it may seem) at Number 35 I wrote about Powderfinger and what it was like to meet the band when they visited our shores in 2001. Unfortunatley I missed their show in 2007 with Silverchair. Its the price you pay for being old & ignorant (unforced), plus the fact I don't watch TV at all now, otherwise I might have seen an advert. "My Happiness" is a magical & wonderful song and now that its 2008 it can be classed as a "classic rock" song too. But the most appealing aspect about this song is its lyrics .. eg: "I see your shadow on the street now, I hear you push through the rusty gate, Click of your heels on the concrete, Waiting for a knock coming way too late, It seems an age since I've seen you, Well countdown as the weeks trickle into days".

If you have ever waited to see someone from a long distance, then this song is for you.

"So you come in and put your bags down

I know there's something in the air

Well how can I do this to you right now,

yeah If you're over there when I need you here"

art by netheka

In their time as a band, Powderfinger have been active in supporting causes or opposing actions taken in charitable, philanthropic, disaster, and political circumstances. In 1996, Crowded House decided to break up, and organised a farewell concert as a charity event for the Sydney Children's Hospital, to be held on November 24, 1996. They approached Powderfinger and Australian acts Custard and You Am I to contribute by appearing in the concert to be held on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The concert, which was recorded and later released as a live album titled Farewell to the World, was believed to be the largest Australian live concert, with estimates of between 100,000 and 250,000 people in attendance. In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, also known as the "Boxing Day Tsunami", Powderfinger performed at the WaveAid fund-raising concert in Sydney in January 2005. The disaster killed more than 225,000 people from 11 countries in the area. The total profit from the funds raised from ticket sales and donations was AUD$2,300,000.

"My happiness

Is slowly creeping back

Now you're at home

If it ever Starts sinking in

It must be when you

Pack up and go"

art by FunkyBooda

The song "Black Tears" from the album Dream Days at the Hotel Existence featured the lyric An island watchhouse bed, a black man's lying dead which sparked fears that it might prejudice the trial of the former Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley over the 2004 Palm Island death in custody case. The band claimed that the lyrics were primarily based on the climbing of Uluru by tourists despite requests from the Indigenous people of the area to not do so. The original version of the song was retracted from the album, and replaced with an alternate version with the criticised material removed.

"I know I know I know what is inside

I know I know I know what is inside

Yeah I know I know I know what is inside

I know I know I know what is inside, yeah"

The legal team for Hurley, who was charged with manslaughter over the death of Mulrunji in 2004, referred the song to the Attorney-General of Queensland Kerry Shine in their attempt at altering the track. Lawyer Glen Cranny stated that "the content and proposed timing of the song's release raises some serious concerns regarding Mr Hurley's trial." Powderfinger's band manager, Paul Piticco, stated that Fanning had confirmed that the song was related to the case. However, he added that the lyric in question could refer to "a watchhouse in The Bahamas or something." In June 2007, Powderfinger announced a nationwide tour featuring Australian rock band Silverchair titled the Across the Great Divide tour. The tour was an attempt to promote the efforts of Reconciliation Australia, a foundation helping to improve the welfare of the Indigenous people of Australia and to "show [that] both bands are behind the idea of reconciliation." Reconciliation Australia aims to promote awareness of the 17-year difference in life expectancy between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous children of Australia.

"Oh my happiness

Creeping back

Now you're at home

If it ever Starts sinking in

It must be when you

Pack up and go"

art by Chrisjenno

The Across the Great Divide tour, which included 34 concerts in 26 towns across Australia, lasted over two months with an estimated 220,000 people in attendance. Powderfinger and Silverchair announced the release of a limited edition tour DVD, featuring two Melbourne concerts and a 90-minute documentary following both bands during each concert. The DVD was released on December 1 2007, and shared its release date with that of the third single from Dream Days at the Hotel Existence, "Nobody Sees". In October 2007, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Powderfinger performed at a concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The concert was for invitees only — only breast cancer patients and survivors and their families were eligible to attend. Powderfinger performed alongside Silverchair, Missy Higgins, and other artists to an audience of 700. The concert was filmed and later broadcast as a MAX Session on Foxtel channel MAX on November 3. ~ [Source:Wikipedia]

“Musicians have a guilty conscience in general about their lives being quite good and tend to be aware of social issues". –Bernard Fanning, November 1, 2007.

For more Powderfinger see Number 035

For Silverchair see Number 019

For related Crowded House visit the Definitive 1000 #671, & #618

This song has a crowbarred rating of 87.4 out of 108